The eagerly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, *The Winds of Winter*, continues to captivate fans worldwide. Since the release of the fifth book, *A Dance with Dragons*, in 2011, the fantasy saga that inspired HBO's *Game of Thrones* has been on a prolonged hiatus. In the intervening years, HBO has aired Seasons 2-8 of *Game of Thrones* and the first two seasons of its spinoff, *House of the Dragon*.

As George R.R. Martin diligently works on the next chapter of this epic tale, we’ve gathered all the latest updates on *The Winds of Winter*. From insights into the book's projected length and anticipated release timeline to details about the story and its key differences from the television adaptation, this comprehensive overview will keep you informed.

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 confirmed release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to complete the manuscript by October 2015, with plans to release the book in March 2016, ahead of Game of Thrones Season 6. However, this deadline slipped, and subsequent targets for the end of 2015 and the end of 2017 also passed without a finished manuscript. Martin's most recent public goal was to finish the initial work by 2021, but that timeline also did not materialize. In 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 update 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. As of November 2023, Martin had written approximately 1,100 pages, with "hundreds more pages to go." The author has stated that the final two books in the series, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, will together exceed 3,000 pages. If The Winds of Winter indeed reaches 1,500 pages, it will be the longest book in the series, surpassing A Dance with Dragons, which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover edition.

Winds of Winter Story

There are no spoilers in this section, save for the names of characters who will appear in The Winds of Winter.

The Winds of Winter will pick up where the fourth and fifth books, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, left off. These books ran parallel to each other but followed different characters. Martin has promised a dramatic start to the new book, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons and opening with two major battles: one in the ice between the forces of Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton around Winterfell, and the other at Meereen, involving Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai across the Narrow Sea.

Martin has hinted that Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths will intersect "in a way," though they will remain apart for much of the book. Both characters have significant roles to play, with Tyrion seeking survival and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will return prominently, and significant events will unfold at The Wall. Martin also teased an "interesting take on unicorns." Overall, readers should brace for a darker tone, as Martin has warned that things will "get worse before they get better."

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin planned no new point-of-view characters for The Winds of Winter. Confirmed point-of-view characters 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, and Jon Connington. While not officially confirmed, Daenerys Targaryen is highly likely to return as a point-of-view character. Other potential POVs include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Additionally, Jeyne Westerling, Robb Stark’s wife, will appear in the prologue, though it's unclear if she will be the narrator.

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Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

Due to the expansive nature of the book series, The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from Game of Thrones. Martin has noted that some characters who died in the show will live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those who never appeared on-screen will have crucial roles. In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences, emphasizing the complexity and larger scope of the novels compared to the TV series. He highlighted characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and Jon Connington, who are absent from the show but will influence the book's narrative. Additionally, Martin promised a major twist involving characters, one of whom is dead in the show but alive in the books.

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A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the seventh and final book in the series, is also anticipated to be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin has described its ending as "bittersweet" rather than purely happy. There is no set release date 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 inspire HBO's upcoming Game of Thrones 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, explore our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.