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

The highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter, remains one of the most eagerly awaited books in fantasy literature. Its creation began after the release of A Dance with Dragons in 2011, spanning a period that saw the airing of Game of Thrones seasons 2-8 and the first two seasons of its prequel, House of the Dragon.

This overview compiles everything currently known about The Winds of Winter, encompassing Martin's commentary on its length, publishing timeline, characters, and deviations from the television series.

Key Points:

• Release Date: No official release date has been announced. Martin's past estimations have proven inaccurate. In a recent interview, he acknowledged the possibility of never completing the book.

• Length: The book is projected to be around 1,500 pages, potentially making it the longest in the series. As of November 2023, Martin reported completing approximately 1,100 pages.

• Story Details: The Winds of Winter will resolve cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons and A Feast for Crows, beginning with major battles in the ice and at Meereen. Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths will converge, while significant events are anticipated at The Wall and involving the Dothraki. Martin has described the overall tone as dark and anticipates things worsening before improving. He has also mentioned an "interesting take on unicorns."

• Characters: Returning point-of-view 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, and Jon Connington. Daenerys Targaryen's return as a POV character is highly likely. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Jeyne Westerling will appear.

• Book vs. TV Series: Significant differences exist between the books and the Game of Thrones series. Characters' fates will diverge, with some surviving in the books who died in the show and vice-versa. New characters will be introduced, and existing characters will have expanded roles. Martin has emphasized the greater complexity and scope of the novels.

• Future Works: A Dream of Spring, the planned seventh and final book, is also anticipated to be lengthy and have a bittersweet conclusion. Martin is also working on other projects, including a second volume of his Targaryen history and additional Dunk and Egg novellas.

The uncertainty surrounding The Winds of Winter's completion adds to its mystique, leaving fans in a state of both anticipation and apprehension.