"Winds of Winter: Latest Updates on Next Game of Thrones Book"

The Winds of Winter, the highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, has fans eagerly waiting. Since the release of the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011, HBO has aired multiple seasons of Game of Thrones and its spinoff, House of the Dragon. As Martin diligently works on this next chapter, here's a comprehensive look at everything known about The Winds of Winter, including insights on its length, expected release, story details, and differences from the TV adaptation.

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When Will It Come Out?

Currently, there is no confirmed release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed for a manuscript completion by October 2015, with a release planned for March 2016, ahead of Game of Thrones Season 6. However, this timeline was repeatedly pushed back. By January 2017, Martin hoped to finish by the end of that year, and in 2020, he targeted early 2021, but these deadlines were not met. In October 2022, Martin reported being about 75% done, and by November 2023, he had written 1,100 pages. In a December 2024 interview, he expressed concerns about finishing the book within his lifetime.

How Long Will It Be?

The Winds of Winter is projected to be around 1,500 pages long. As of November 2023, Martin had completed 1,100 pages and mentioned having "hundreds more pages to go." This would make it 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.

Story Details

The Winds of Winter will pick up where A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons left off, continuing the parallel narratives of different characters. Martin has promised a dramatic start, opening with the resolution of cliffhangers from the previous book and introducing two major battles: one between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and another at Meereen in Slaver's Bay. Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister, though not yet directly meeting, will play significant roles, with Tyrion striving to survive and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will return prominently, and significant events are expected at The Wall. Martin has teased an "interesting take on unicorns" and warned that the story will take a darker turn, fitting the theme of winter.

Book vs. TV Series

The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the Game of Thrones TV series due to the books' larger scope and additional characters. Martin has confirmed that some characters who died in the show will live in the books, and vice versa. New characters and those absent from the TV series will have crucial roles. Martin's gardening approach to writing has led to significant differences, including the presence of viewpoint characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and Jon Connington, who were not featured in the show. Martin has also hinted at a major twist involving characters, one of whom was dead in the show by the end of Season 5 but remains alive in the books.

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Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin confirmed no new point-of-view characters would be introduced in Winds. 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

While not confirmed, Daenerys Targaryen is expected to return as a POV character, with potential additions like Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Jeyne Westerling, Robb Stark’s wife, will appear in the prologue, though not necessarily as a POV character.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the planned seventh and final book in the series, is also expected to be around 1,500 pages. Martin has described its ending as "bittersweet." Alongside Winds and Dream, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, possibly titled Blood & Fire, and more novellas in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will be adapted into HBO's Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Additionally, Martin continues his involvement with the Wild Cards series and serves as a producer for House of the Dragon and AMC's Dark Winds.

For those eager to dive deeper into the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order offers a great starting point.