The Winds of Winter, the highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, remains one of the most eagerly awaited works of fiction. Since the release of the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011, fans have been eagerly waiting for its successor. In the interim, HBO has aired Seasons 2-8 of Game of Thrones and Seasons 1 and 2 of its prequel, House of the Dragon. As Martin continues his meticulous work on The Winds of Winter, we have gathered all the essential information about the book's length, projected release date, story developments, and how it will diverge from the television 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 confirmed release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to complete the manuscript by October 2015, hoping for a release in March 2016 before the premiere of Game of Thrones Season 6. However, this timeline shifted, with subsequent deadlines set for the end of 2015 and then January 2017, neither of which were met. In 2020, Martin targeted 2021 for the completion of the initial draft, but this goal also slipped by. The last public estimate from Martin came in October 2022, when he reported being about 75% done with the manuscript. By November 2023, the page count remained at 1,100 pages, the same as reported in December 2022 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin expressed concerns about finishing the book within his lifetime.
Winds of Winter Length
The Winds of Winter is expected to span around 1,500 pages. As of November 2023, Martin had completed roughly 1,100 pages and indicated that "hundreds more pages" were still needed. The final two books of A Song of Ice and Fire are anticipated 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 edition.
Winds of Winter Story
Without revealing any spoilers, The Winds of Winter will pick up where A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons left off, continuing the intertwined narratives of these parallel stories. Martin has promised a dramatic opening, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons by starting with two major battles: the battle in the ice between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton at Winterfell, and the battle at Meereen between Daenerys Targaryen's forces and the slavers of Yunkai.
Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister will cross paths "in a way," according to Martin, though they will spend much of the book apart. Both characters will have significant roles, with Tyrion seeking survival amidst the unfolding chaos and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will return "in a big way," and significant events are planned at The Wall. Martin also teased an "interesting take on unicorns." He warned fans to expect a darker narrative, stating that things will "get worse before they get better," aligning with the ominous theme of winter's arrival.
Winds of Winter Characters
As of 2016, Martin confirmed that no new point-of-view characters would be introduced in The Winds of Winter. The following characters are confirmed to have chapters from their perspective:
- 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 return as a point-of-view character. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. The prologue will feature Robb Stark's wife, Jeyne Westerling, though it's unclear if it will be from her perspective.
Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show
The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the narrative of Game of Thrones due to the broader scope and larger cast of the book series. Martin has stated that characters who died in the TV series may live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those who never appeared on-screen will play crucial roles. Martin elaborated on these differences in a 2022 blog post, emphasizing that the novels' complexity leads to significant deviations from the show. He highlighted key characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and others who will impact the story in ways not seen on HBO. Additionally, Martin teased a major twist involving characters, one of whom was dead in the show by the end of Season 5 but not 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 projected to be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin has hinted that the ending will be "bittersweet" rather than purely happy. No release timeline has been set for this final installment.
Beyond A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, tentatively titled Blood & Fire, and additional 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 to edit the Wild Cards series and is a producer for two TV series: House of the Dragon and AMC's Dark Winds.
For those eager to delve deeper into the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, our comprehensive guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order is available to help you navigate the series.
