The Winds of Winter
The sixth of seven verses in the song — awaited since A Dance with Dragons, and not yet come. This page keeps the realm's calmest account: what is known, what is said, and what is merely wished.
The Winds of Winter has no announced release date. It is the sixth of seven planned novels, and George R. R. Martin has said the manuscript is long but unfinished.
Last verified: 2026-07-14
What the ravens have carried
A Dance with Dragons is published — the last new verse of the song to reach the realm.Bantam Books · July 12, 2011
The author writes that the book is not done, and that the screen will outrun the page: “The Winds of Winter is not finished.”Not a Blog · January 2016
Fire & Blood arrives instead — the first half of the Targaryen history, not the sixth novel.Bantam Books · November 2018
In the plague years the author reports steady progress from his mountain retreat, writing about Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan, and Areo Hotah.Not a Blog · 2020
The author estimates roughly three-quarters of the book is written — some eleven or twelve hundred pages of manuscript.Interviews · 2022
The author writes plainly that the book is “the curse of my life,” and that he continues to work on it among other projects.Not a Blog · 2024
A supposed 2026 release date circulates and is debunked; no date has been announced by author or publisher.The chronicle's own verification · 2026
Confirmed and rumor
- The Winds of Winter is the sixth of seven planned novels.
- No release date has ever been announced by the author or publisher.
- The author has reported a manuscript of over a thousand pages, unfinished.
- A Dream of Spring, the seventh verse, remains unwritten.
- Any listed release date on retail sites is a placeholder, not an announcement.
- Claims that the book is secretly finished have been denied by the author.
- Reports of a 2026 date were circulated and debunked; treat undated leaks as wind.
When will The Winds of Winter be released?
No release date has been announced. George R. R. Martin has said the manuscript is long but unfinished, and his publisher has scheduled nothing. Any date you see on a store page is a placeholder.
Is The Winds of Winter finished?
No. The author has described a manuscript of over a thousand pages that is still incomplete, and he has publicly denied claims that the book is secretly done.
How long has it been since the last book?
A Dance with Dragons was published on July 12, 2011. This page counts the days at the top — the longest wait between verses the song has yet known.
Will the books end differently from the show?
The author has said the broad strokes are shared but the road differs — several characters and threads that the screen cut remain alive on the page.