Although Game of Thrones is over, the book series it's based on, A Song of Ice & Fire, isn't, so when will George R.R. Martin's 6th book in the saga, The Winds of Winter, finally be released? There was a time when Martin hoped to finish all of the planned 7 books in his series before the HBO adaptation came to an end. Obviously that didn't happen, with Game of Thrones ending in 2019, while fans have been waiting since 2011 for the penultimate novel.
With Game of Thrones ending, though, there is now both more freedom for Martin, with less pressure to write something to keep pace with a show, and a little more expectation to deliver what many hope will be a more satisfying conclusion. The finale of Game of Thrones was divisive to say the least, but the show had long-since taken a dip after moving past Martin's books, so there's great anticipation to see just what he does have in store in The Winds of Winter and then the final chapter, A Dream of Spring.
Of course, that's proving to be a lengthy wait for fans, and even Martin himself. The author has in the past admitted he's been struggling with writing The Winds of Winter, while he continues to wear many different hats (figuratively and literally), with various other books and shows in the works. Still, The Winds of Winter is his focus, so when will it release, and what will its story be?
The Winds of Winter Release Date
The release date of The Winds of Winter has become something of a curse for George R.R. Martin, at least if and when he's given any firm predictions or updates on it. After the 5th book, A Dance with Dragons, was released in 2011, which itself came some 6 years after the fourth book, Martin hoped that things would pick up and, as mentioned, he still expected to finish the books before Game of Thrones (which also first released in 2011) was over. With Game of Thrones always likely to run for around 7 seasons, give or take, then that would've meant Martin originally expected to complete both books before the decade was out.
Since then, Martin has given various updates and tentative release dates: he hoped to complete The Winds of Winter before Game of Thrones season 6 in 2016, and also revealed he'd had a similar deadline for 2015. 2017 was then the expected release year, and then 2018, before Martin gave up on making such predictions for the most part. In 2019, Martin hinted he'd finish The Winds of Winter by Summer 2020, saying: "If I don’t have THE WINDS OF WINTER in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I’m done."
WorldCon takes place from July 29-August 2 (though it's virtual this year), which would mean that's when The Winds of Winter should be released by Martin's own timetable, but it's unclear whether or not that will happen. Martin has been writing a lot of The Winds of Winter in 2020, especially with lockdowns enforced due to COVID-19, and in April wrote on his Not A Blog site that he "has good days and bad days" but is writing every day. Still, there's not much time left before that August date to have the book finished, edited, marketed, printed, and released. It does, however, feel like The Winds of Winter's release date is getting a little closer and more tangible, but even being optimistic it would seem more likely to be late-2020 or early-2021.
The Winds of Winter Story Details
One of the big points fans wonder when it comes to Martin's upcoming books is just how much Game of Thrones has already revealed, but the vast differences between books and show post-season 4 mean that there should be plenty of surprises in store. There are, however, a few major points from the show that will likely be covered in The Winds of Winter. The burning of Shireen and the death of Hodor, and reveal of what his name meant, were both given to the showrunners by Martin as confirmed moments from the books, and there's reason to expect both in The Winds of Winter as Bran's journey continues, while Stannis will engage in the Battle of Ice against Ramsay Bolton (perhaps with a different outcome to the TV show).
Elsewhere, there'll be the book's version of Jon Snow's resurrection, though presumably after he's been warged into Ghost for some time; Daenerys will continue her path towards Westeros; and Young Griff, aka Aegon VI Targaryen, could end up taking the Iron Throne (rather than Cersei in the show). Martin has released a number of preview chapters from The Winds of Winter, featuring characters like Sansa (who is still at the Vale), Arya (who is in Braavos under the name Mercy), Arianne Martell (who is off to discover more, and potentially wed, Aegon), and a coalescing of storylines concerning Tyrion Lannister, Barristan Selmy, and Victarion Greyjoy around Meereen. Of course, being called The Winds of Winter, the White Walkers (or Others) will be making their presence felt more than ever before, and the horn on the cover suggests at least one of the two in play (the Horn of Winter and the dragonhorn) will be used to great, dramatic effect.