The Winds of Winter, the highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire series, has kept fans on the edge of their seats since the release of A Dance with Dragons back in 2011. As the foundation for HBO's blockbuster series Game of Thrones, and its spinoff House of the Dragon, the excitement surrounding this next chapter in the fantasy saga is palpable. In this comprehensive overview, we delve into everything known about The Winds of Winter, from its projected length and anticipated release to the intricacies of its plot and its divergence from the television adaptation.
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
There is currently 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 release in March 2016, just before the premiere of Game of Thrones Season 6. However, that target was pushed back to the end of 2015, and then to the end of 2016, both of which passed without a finished manuscript. Optimism persisted into 2017 with hopes of a release before the year's end, but those hopes were also unmet. By 2020, Martin aimed to complete the initial draft by 2021, a goal that did not materialize. The most recent update from Martin came in October 2022, when he reported being approximately 75% done with the manuscript. Despite this, little progress was made over the subsequent year, as he announced in November 2023 that he had completed 1,100 pages, the same figure he mentioned during a December 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin candidly acknowledged the possibility that he may never finish The Winds of Winter in his lifetime.
Winds of Winter Length
The Winds of Winter is expected to span around 1,500 pages, making it the longest book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series to date. As of November 2023, Martin had written approximately 1,100 pages and indicated that there were "hundreds more pages to go." The author has projected that the final two books in the series will collectively exceed 3,000 pages. The current record holder for length is 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, only mentioning characters expected to appear in The Winds of Winter.
The narrative of The Winds of Winter will pick up from the events of A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, which, despite following different characters, ran parallel to each other. Martin has teased that the book will begin with significant action, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons. He plans to kick off with two major battles: the battle in the ice between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and the battle at Meereen, also known as the battle of Slaver’s Bay, involving Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai.
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The paths of Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister will finally converge "in a way," according to Martin, though they will remain apart for much of the book. Both characters will have substantial roles, with Tyrion now intent on survival and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will play a significant role, and there will be intense developments at The Wall. Martin has also hinted at an "interesting take on unicorns." He has warned readers to brace for a darker tone, fitting the book's title, as winter signifies death, cold, ice, and darkness.
Winds of Winter Characters
As of 2016, Martin confirmed that The Winds of Winter will not introduce new point-of-view characters. The list of confirmed POV characters includes:
- 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 be a POV character. Other potential POVs include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Additionally, Robb Stark's wife, Jeyne Westerling, is set to appear in the prologue, though it's unclear if the chapter will be from her perspective.
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Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show
The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the narrative seen in Game of Thrones due to the books' larger cast and more complex storyline. Martin has stated that characters who died in the series may live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those who never appeared on screen will have pivotal roles. In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences:
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.
He highlighted the presence of characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and Jon Connington, who were not featured in the show, and secondary characters like Lady Stoneheart and Young Griff, who will influence the plot. Martin also noted that some characters, such as Yara Greyjoy (Asha in the books) and Euron Greyjoy, differ significantly from their TV counterparts. He teased that not all characters who survived until the end of Game of Thrones will survive in the books, and vice versa. Additionally, Martin promised a major twist that couldn't be included in the show, involving characters, one of whom was dead by the end of Season 5 but still alive in the books.
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. Martin has hinted that the ending will be bittersweet rather than purely happy. No release timeline has been provided for this concluding volume.
In addition to The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, tentatively titled Blood & Fire, and further stories in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will serve as the basis for HBO's upcoming spinoff, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He continues to edit the Wild Cards series and serves 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, our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order is an essential resource.
