Winds of Winter: Latest News on 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 fiction's most eagerly awaited works. Following the 2011 release of A Dance with Dragons (book five), Martin has been diligently crafting this next installment, a period that has seen HBO air eight seasons of Game of Thrones and two seasons of its prequel, House of the Dragon.

While Martin continues his work, we've compiled a comprehensive overview of everything known about The Winds of Winter, covering his comments on length, publishing timeline, key characters, and significant 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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Winds of Winter Release Date

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

Martin and his publishers initially aimed for completion by October 2015, anticipating a March 2016 release to coincide with Game of Thrones Season 6. This deadline, and subsequent estimations (end of 2015, end of 2017, completion of initial work by 2021), have not been met. His last public estimate for publication seems to have been in 2020.

In October 2022, Martin reported being approximately 75% complete with the manuscript. However, progress updates in November 2023 and December 2024 indicated the completion of 1,100 pages—a figure consistent with his December 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, he acknowledged that completion within his lifetime may not be possible.

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Winds of Winter Length

The Winds of Winter is projected to be around 1,500 pages. As of November 2023, Martin stated he had written approximately 1,100 pages, with "hundreds more pages to go." He has previously indicated that the final two books in the series will collectively exceed 3,000 pages. A 1,500-page Winds of Winter would surpass the length of its predecessor, A Dance with Dragons (approximately 1,000 pages in its original hardcover edition).

Winds of Winter Story

This section avoids spoilers, except for mentioning characters appearing in The Winds of Winter.

The Winds of Winter will continue the narratives of A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons (books four and five), which followed different characters in parallel storylines. Martin has stated that the book will open with two significant 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 intersect, though they remain largely separate for much of the book. Martin confirmed the Dothraki's significant return and substantial events unfolding at The Wall. He also mentioned introducing a unique interpretation of unicorns. Overall, he anticipates a darker tone, with events worsening before improving.

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin did not plan to introduce new point-of-view characters. Confirmed POV characters, based on released preview chapters, blog posts, and public readings, 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 also highly likely to be a POV character. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Jeyne Westerling's appearance in the prologue has been confirmed.

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Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

Due to the book series' expanded cast and scope, The Winds of Winter will significantly diverge from Game of Thrones. Martin has explicitly stated that characters who died in the show may live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those absent from the show will play crucial roles.

In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences, highlighting the inclusion of POV characters exclusive to the books (Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, Areo Hotah, Jon Connington, Aeron Damphair) and the importance of secondary characters (Lady Stoneheart, Young Griff, etc.). He emphasized that some characters will differ substantially from their television counterparts. He also teased a major plot twist involving characters whose fates differ between the book and show.

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 ending. There is no release timeframe.

Beyond A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin is working on a second volume of Targaryen history, additional Dunk and Egg novellas, and continues his involvement with Wild Cards, House of the Dragon, and Dark Winds.

For more on A Song of Ice and Fire, see our guide on reading the books in order.