George RR Martin
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The world has changed dramatically since the last volume of A Song of Ice and Fire, A Dance with Dragons, hit the shelves. Entire television dynasties have risen and fallen, yet the follow-up, George R.R. Martin's The Winds of Winter, remains arguably the most eagerly-anticipated and frustratingly-delayed fantasy novel of all time.

While Game of Thrones fans have repeatedly begged for its completion, the 77-year-old author seems in no great rush, admitting earlier this year that there's 'no doubt Winds of Winter is 13 years late.' He explained, 'I'm still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention.'

With the author scheduled to appear at New York Comic Con 2025 this month, fans are hoping he'll finally offer a concrete sign that the long-promised winter is actually coming.

George R.R. Martin
Sanna Pudas, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Elusive Release Date for The Winds of Winter and Martin's Plea

The big question, 'When will The Winds of Winter be released?,' has a simple but deeply unsatisfying answer: we currently don't know the release date. The book was originally intended to be published relatively soon after A Dance with Dragons (2011) and while the Game of Thrones TV show was still in production.

Martin once fatefully suggested in 2011 that the novel would take at least another three years to complete, adding, 'I hope it doesn't take me six years like this last one has.' Progress has been notoriously slow since then.

The author has provided sporadic updates and even shared preview chapters with fans, but there is still no definite sign of when – or even if – the book will be completed and released.

This protracted delay has resulted in a deep frustration among readers, which Martin acknowledged by taking a jab at his audience in a lengthy post: 'You don't care about any of those, I know. You don't care about anything but WINDS OF WINTER. You've told me so often enough.'

George R.R. Martin
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Winds of Winter Plot: Two Great Battles Await

Despite the uncertain release date, we have a clearer idea of the plot for The Winds of Winter. The previous volume, A Dance with Dragons, ended on several major cliffhangers, including the apparent death of Jon Snow.

Martin has confirmed that these cliffhangers 'will be resolved very early' in the book. He also revealed that the novel will 'open with the two big battles that I was building up to, the battle in the ice and the battle at Meereen – the battle of Slaver's Bay. And then take it from there.'

  • The Battle of Slaver's Bay will see Daenerys Targaryen's army, led by Barristan Selmy, fight a coalition of slavers attempting to seize back control of Meereen (which Daenerys took in A Storm of Swords).
  • The Battle in the Ice will pit the forces of Stannis Baratheon against Roose Bolton's army.

Martin originally intended for these massive clashes to be the climax of A Dance with Dragons, but he was not 'fully satisfied with these scenes,' so he decided to move the chapters into the planned next book, The Winds of Winter.

Other key elements expected to feature in The Winds of Winter include:

  • Jon Snow's Fate: The resolution to the betrayal of Jon Snow, who was murdered by the Night's Watch in a mutiny, is a major focal point. While he was resurrected quickly in the Game of Thrones show, the books lean toward a bleaker tone, meaning his return is 'far from guaranteed.'
  • Tyrion Lannister: Tyrion is expected to feature heavily at the siege of Meereen and will presumably finally meet Daenerys.
  • Winter's Arrival: Martin has said the book will venture 'further North' than previous novels, adding, 'What lies really north in my books – we haven't explored that yet, but we will in the last two books' and that readers are "definitely going to see more of the Others" (the sinister force known as the White Walkers in the TV show ).
George R.R. Martin
Henry Söderlund, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Why Is The Winds of Winter Taking So Long?

Martin's 13-year delay has become notorious, and the author himself has offered various reasons, though he admits only he truly knows why.

In a long post on his blog in 2016, he suggested that the blame could lie with his many commitments: 'You can blame my travels or my blog posts or the distractions of other projects... you can blame my age, and maybe that had an impact too... but if truth be told, sometimes the writing goes well and sometimes it doesn't, and that was true for me even when I was in my 20s.'

The rise of Game of Thrones also dramatically increased his workload, as Martin published numerous other books while The Winds of Winter languished. These works include Fire & Blood, which became the source material for the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon , as well as three novellas and four companion books.

Despite the struggle, Martin maintains that The Winds of Winter is only the penultimate book in the series , with the seventh and final volume, A Dream of Spring, still planned. He has hinted that the tone of the ending will be 'bittersweet,' much like the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings.

George RR Martin
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Stay tuned to IBTimes UK for the latest news and updates on The Winds of Winter!