George R.R. Martin - The Winds of Winter

What this countdown tracks

Time remaining until George R. R. Martin is expected to publish The Winds of Winter, the long-awaited sixth A Song of Ice and Fire novel. Bantam has confirmed the book will not release in 2026; a 2027 window remains the most-cited estimate, though Martin has not committed to a specific date.

Why this release matters

The Winds of Winter has been in development for more than 15 years – the previous A Song of Ice and Fire novel, A Dance with Dragons, was published in July 2011, more than a year before HBO's Game of Thrones television adaptation began airing. The series has sold an estimated 90 million copies worldwide across its five published volumes, and Game of Thrones became one of the most-watched television properties of the streaming era, though its 2019 conclusion preceded Martin's literary completion of the source story. Martin has periodically published progress updates on his Not a Blog, with January 2026 entries indicating roughly 1,500 manuscript pages drafted but with substantial editorial work remaining. The publication landscape around the novel is uniquely structured: Bantam Books has confirmed only that the novel will not release in 2026, leaving 2027 as the earliest plausible window. The book's eventual release will close one of the longest-running literary cliffhangers in modern publishing and provide canonical resolution to plot threads that the television adaptation diverged from after Season 5.

What we know so far

Bantam Books has confirmed Winds of Winter will not release in 2026. As of January 2026, Martin has reported approximately 1,500 manuscript pages drafted, though page counts at various prior milestones have not directly translated into release timelines. The novel is expected to continue the A Song of Ice and Fire main narrative, with several established POV characters and additional new perspectives. A specific page count, chapter list, or table of contents has not been published. Martin has also publicly committed to a final volume, A Dream of Spring, after Winds is completed. The novel will release in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook formats simultaneously across English-language territories, with translations following on a typical lag of 6 to 18 months depending on language and publisher arrangement. Expect special-edition slipcases, limited illustrated print runs, and other premium publishing tie-ins given the multi-decade buildup.

Release details

• Release date: 2027 expected at earliest; not formally locked
• Format: hardcover, audiobook, ebook
• Price: not yet announced
• Publisher: Bantam Books / HarperCollins (territories vary)
• Regional variations: simultaneous English-language release; translations follow

What to watch for leading up to release

• Bantam's first formal Winds of Winter acquisition or release-date announcement
• Cover art reveal, traditionally 6–9 months before publication
• Page count and chapter list confirmation
• Audiobook narrator confirmation – Roy Dotrice narrated prior volumes before his 2017 death
• Pre-order open at major retailers
• Publishers' international territory rights confirmation
• Any further updates from Martin's Not a Blog

Related releases to track

Pair with rebecca-yarros-untitled-empyrean-2026 for the BookTok and high-fantasy reading slate, and with the Game of Thrones universe TV expansion via house-of-the-dragon-season-3-2026 in June 2026. Stephen King's stephen-king-other-worlds-than-these-2026 also closes a multi-decade fantasy saga in October 2026.

FAQ

When does The Winds of Winter release? Bantam has confirmed it will not release in 2026; a 2027 window is the most-cited estimate. What formats is it in? Hardcover, audiobook, and ebook simultaneously across English-language territories. How much will it cost? Pricing not announced. Can I preorder The Winds of Winter? Preorders have not opened. Who makes The Winds of Winter? George R. R. Martin, published by Bantam Books in the US.