The Winds of Winter: Everything We Know About the Next Game of Thrones Book

George R.R. Martin's The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the highly anticipated A Song of Ice and Fire series, remains one of the most eagerly awaited works of fiction. Following the 2011 release of A Dance with Dragons (Book 5), its creation has spanned over a decade, coinciding with the broadcast of HBO's Game of Thrones (Seasons 2-8) and its prequel, House of the Dragon (Seasons 1-2).

While Martin continues his work, we've compiled a comprehensive overview of everything known about The Winds of Winter, encompassing his insights on its length, publishing timeline, characters, and key differences from the television adaptation.

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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 confirmed release date or timeframe for The Winds of Winter.

Initial projections by Martin and his publishers aimed for manuscript completion by October 2015, with a March 2016 release preceding Game of Thrones Season 6. This deadline, later extended to the end of 2015, proved unattainable. Subsequent optimistic predictions emerged in January 2017 (before year's end), and in 2020 (completion by 2021), but neither materialized. Martin's most recent public estimate appears to have been in 2021.

In October 2022, Martin reported being approximately 75% complete with the manuscript. However, progress updates in November 2023 and December 2024 indicated minimal advancement beyond the 1,100 pages mentioned previously. A December 2024 interview acknowledged the possibility of the book remaining unfinished within his lifetime.

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Winds of Winter Length

The Winds of Winter is anticipated to be approximately 1,500 pages long. As of November 2023, Martin stated he had written roughly 1,100 pages, with hundreds more to complete. He has previously indicated that the final two A Song of Ice and Fire books will collectively exceed 3,000 pages. A 1,500-page Winds of Winter would 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 avoids spoilers beyond mentioning characters appearing in The Winds of Winter.

The Winds of Winter will continue the narratives from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons (Books 4 and 5), which featured parallel storylines. Martin has indicated that the book will begin with two major battles: the conflict between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and the battle in Meereen between Daenerys Targaryen's forces and the slavers.

Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths will converge, although they remain largely separated throughout much of the book. Tyrion's focus shifts towards survival, while Daenerys embraces her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will play a significant role, and substantial events are expected at The Wall. Martin has also mentioned an "interesting take on unicorns." Overall, he anticipates a darker tone, with "dark chapters" reflecting the onset of winter.

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin didn't plan on introducing new point-of-view characters. Confirmed POV 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 Jon Connington

Daenerys Targaryen is highly likely to return as a POV character. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Jeyne Westerling's appearance in the prologue has also been confirmed.

Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

Due to the books' broader scope, The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from Game of Thrones. Martin has confirmed that characters' fates will differ between the book and show. New characters will be introduced, and those absent from the show will play crucial roles. He elaborated on these differences in a 2022 blog post, highlighting the inclusion of POV characters exclusive to the books and the significant variations between book and television versions of existing characters. A major plot twist unique to the book is also teased, involving a character deceased in the show but alive in the books.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the planned seventh and final book, is also expected to be 1,500 pages or longer. Martin anticipates a bittersweet conclusion. No release date is available. Beyond completing A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin is working on a second Targaryen history volume, additional Dunk and Egg novellas, and continues his involvement with Wild Cards, House of the Dragon, and Dark Winds.

Looking for more on A Song of Ice and Fire? Check out our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.