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

George R.R. Martin's *The Winds of Winter*, the highly anticipated sixth book in the *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 *Game of Thrones* (Seasons 2-8) and *House of the Dragon* (Seasons 1-2) on HBO.

While Martin continues his work, we've compiled a comprehensive overview of *The Winds of Winter*, encompassing his insights on its length, publishing timeline, characters, and key differences 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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The Winds of Winter Release Date

There is currently no confirmed release date or timeframe for The Winds of Winter.

Initial hopes, expressed by Martin and his publishers, targeted completion by October 2015 for 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 last public estimate seems to have been in 2021.

The Winds of Winter Length

The Winds of Winter is anticipated to be approximately 1,500 pages. As of November 2023, Martin reported writing roughly 1,100 pages, with "hundreds more pages to go." He has previously stated 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 A Dance with Dragons as the longest book in the series.

The Winds of Winter Story

This section avoids spoilers beyond mentioning characters appearing in The Winds of Winter.

The Winds of Winter will continue the narrative threads from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. Martin has indicated that the book will open with the resolution of cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons, focusing on two major battles: the conflict between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and the battle in Meereen between Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers.

Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths will converge, although they remain largely separated for much of the book. The Dothraki will feature prominently, and significant events will unfold at The Wall. Martin has also mentioned an "interesting take on unicorns." He has described the overall tone as darker, with many characters facing difficult circumstances.

The Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin did not plan to introduce 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's return as a POV character is highly probable. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Jeyne Westerling's appearance in the prologue has been confirmed.

The Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from Game of Thrones. Martin has stated that characters who died in the show may survive in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and existing characters absent from the show will play crucial roles. He highlighted the differences in his 2022 blog post, emphasizing the greater complexity and scope of the novels. The inclusion of POV characters exclusive to the books (Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, Areo Hotah, Jon Connington, Aeron Damphair) and significant secondary characters will shape the narrative differently. Martin also teased a major plot twist 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 lengthy. Martin anticipates a bittersweet conclusion. There's no release timeline. Beyond A Song of Ice and Fire, he's 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.