"The Winds of Winter: Latest Updates on the Next Game of Thrones Book"

The Winds of Winter, the highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire series, has fans on the edge of their seats. Since the release of the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011, readers have eagerly awaited the next chapter in this fantasy saga, which inspired HBO’s blockbuster series, Game of Thrones. In the intervening 13 years, HBO not only completed Game of Thrones with Seasons 2-8 but also launched its first spinoff, House of the Dragon, with two seasons under its belt. As Martin continues to craft this next novel, we’ve gathered all the essential details about The Winds of Winter, including insights on its expected length, release timeline, story developments, and how it will differ from the TV adaptation.

**Jump to**:

• When will it come out?
• How long will it be?
• Story details
• Book vs. TV series

A Song of Ice and Fire Box Set

Contains the set of 5 books.

$85.00 save 46%

$46.00 at Amazon

Winds of Winter Release Date

As of now, there is no confirmed release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to complete the manuscript by October 2015, hoping to release the book in March 2016 ahead of Game of Thrones Season 6. However, that deadline, along with subsequent ones in late 2015 and the end of 2017, passed without a completed manuscript. By 2020, Martin hoped to finish the initial draft by 2021, a timeline that did not materialize. The last public update on the book's progress came in October 2022, when Martin reported being about 75% done. By November 2023, he had written 1,100 pages, a figure unchanged from his December 2022 mention on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin acknowledged the possibility that he may never finish The Winds of Winter in his lifetime.

Winds of Winter Length

The Winds of Winter is projected to be around 1,500 pages long. By November 2023, Martin had written approximately 1,100 pages, with "hundreds more pages to go." The final two books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series are expected to exceed 3,000 pages combined. If The Winds of Winter reaches 1,500 pages, it will be the longest book in the series to date, surpassing A Dance with Dragons, which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover format.

Winds of Winter Story

*This section contains no spoilers beyond character names expected to appear in The Winds of Winter.*

The Winds of Winter will pick up where A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons left off, continuing the parallel narratives of these fourth and fifth books. Martin has promised a dramatic opening, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons by starting with two major battles: one between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton at Winterfell, and another between Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai at Meereen.

Martin has hinted that Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister will finally cross paths "in a way," though they will remain apart for much of the book. Both characters will play significant roles, with Tyrion focusing on survival amidst the unfolding battle, and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will return prominently, and significant events will unfold at The Wall. Martin has also teased an "interesting take on unicorns." He has warned readers to expect a darker turn, as winter brings death, cold, and darkness to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin confirmed no new point-of-view characters would be introduced in The Winds of Winter. The confirmed characters with chapters from their perspectives include:

• Tyrion Lannister
• Cersei Lannister
• Jaime Lannister and/or Brienne of Tarth
• Arya Stark
• Sansa Stark
• Bran Stark
• Theon Greyjoy
• Asha Greyjoy
• Victarion Greyjoy
• Aeron Greyjoy/Damphair
• Barristan Selmy
• Arianne Martell
• Areo Hotah
• Jon Connington

While not officially confirmed, it is highly likely that Daenerys Targaryen will also have a point-of-view chapter. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Additionally, Jeyne Westerling, Robb Stark’s wife, will appear in the prologue, though it's unclear if the chapter will be from her perspective.

Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

Given the broader scope and larger cast of the book series, The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the Game of Thrones TV series. Martin has stated that characters who died in the show may survive in the books, and vice versa. New characters will also play crucial roles in the narrative. In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences, emphasizing the complexity and size of the novels compared to the TV adaptation. He noted that characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and others who were not in the show will have significant impacts on the story. Martin also teased a major twist involving characters, one of whom died in the show but not in the books, that could not be executed in the series.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the seventh and final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, is also expected to be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin has hinted at a bittersweet ending, though no release timeline has been announced. In addition to these novels, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, potentially titled Blood & Fire, and further stories in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will serve as the basis for HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Martin also continues his work as an editor for the Wild Cards series and as a producer for House of the Dragon and AMC’s Dark Winds.

For those eager to dive deeper into the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, be sure to check out our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.