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

The Winds of Winter, the much-anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, has been eagerly awaited by fans since the release of A Dance with Dragons in 2011. During the 13-year wait, HBO has completed Seasons 2-8 of Game of Thrones and aired the first two seasons of its spinoff, House of the Dragon.

As Martin continues to craft this next chapter in the epic fantasy saga, here's a comprehensive look at what we know about The Winds of Winter, including insights into its length, expected release, storyline, characters, and how it will diverge from the TV series.

Jump to:

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

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Winds of Winter Release Date

Currently, there is no set release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to complete the manuscript by October 2015 for a March 2016 release ahead of Game of Thrones Season 6. Subsequent deadlines shifted to the end of 2015 and then to the end of 2017, none of which were met. In 2020, Martin expressed a goal to finish the initial work by 2021, but this too did not materialize. As of October 2022, Martin reported being about 75% done with the manuscript. By November 2023, he had completed 1,100 pages, a figure unchanged from his December 2022 statement on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin acknowledged the possibility that he might not complete The Winds of Winter in his lifetime.

Winds of Winter Length

The Winds of Winter is expected to span around 1,500 pages. As of November 2023, Martin had written approximately 1,100 pages and mentioned having "hundreds more pages to go." The final two books of the series are projected to exceed 3,000 pages combined. If The Winds of Winter reaches 1,500 pages, it will surpass the current longest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover edition.

Winds of Winter Story

This section contains no spoilers beyond the names of characters 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, resolving the cliffhangers from the fifth book early on. Martin has stated that the book will open with two major battles: one in the ice between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and another at Meereen, the battle of Slaver’s Bay involving Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai.

In a 2014 interview with EW, Martin hinted that Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths will cross "in a way," though they will remain apart for much of the book. Both characters have significant roles, with Tyrion striving to survive the surrounding battle and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. Martin also confirmed the Dothraki's significant return and mentioned that much will happen at The Wall. Additionally, he teased an "interesting take on unicorns."

Martin has warned that the narrative will darken, stating at the Guadalajara International Book Fair in 2016, "Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for."

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin planned no new point-of-view (POV) characters for Winds. Here are the confirmed POV characters based on released preview chapters, blog posts, and public readings:

• 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

Though not officially confirmed, Daenerys Targaryen is expected to remain a POV character. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Jeyne Westerling, Robb Stark’s wife, will appear in the prologue, though it's unclear if she will be a POV character.

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Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from Game of Thrones due to its larger cast and broader scope. Martin has noted that characters who died in the series may live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those absent from the show will have pivotal roles. In a 2022 blog post, Martin explained:

What I have noticed more and more of late, however, is my gardening is taking me further and further away from the television series. Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in Game of Thrones you will also see in The Winds of Winter (though maybe not in quite the same ways)… but much of the rest will be quite different.

Martin emphasized the complexity of the novels compared to the series, mentioning characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and others who will have significant impacts on the story. He also highlighted differences in character portrayals, such as Yarra Greyjoy and Euron Greyjoy, and teased new characters and a major twist involving characters, one of whom was dead in the show by the end of Season 5 but not in the books.

Martin's comments suggest a more satisfying resolution for fans disappointed with the rushed final season of Game of Thrones.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the seventh and final book in the series, is also expected to be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin has described its ending as "bittersweet," but there is no current release timeline.

In addition to The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, potentially titled Blood & Fire, and additional stories in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will be adapted into HBO's upcoming spinoff, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Martin also continues to edit the Wild Cards series and serves as a producer for House of the Dragon and AMC's Dark Winds.

For more on A Song of Ice and Fire, check out our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.