Will George R.R. Martin Ever Finish 'Winds of Winter'? Here's His Latest Update

Even before Jon Snow stuck his blade into Daenerys Targaryen’s gut on the Game of Thrones finale, fans were impatiently waiting for George R.R. Martin’s next book in the series, The Winds of Winter. He has notoriously spent years working on writing and perfecting the stories of everyone’s favorite characters so that they can be wrapped in the way he had envisioned.

This means the book will likely end differently than the HBO series, but at this point, fans will take anything if they can get the new book from him already. Unfortunately, George’s latest roundabout update doesn't indicate that The Winds of Winter will be coming anytime soon. Keep reading to learn more.

During the voluntary quarantine felt by millions across the United States due to COVID-19, some people were working from home while others were taking the time to get chores and projects done that they otherwise never had time for. George wrote on his official blog that he, too, was using his time spent indoors wisely. In other words, after years of fans begging him for updates and answers regarding the book, he had been indeed working hard on it.

"I am off by myself in a remote isolated location, attended by one of my staff, and I’m not going into town or seeing anyone," he wrote on his blog. "Truth be told, I am spending more time in Westeros than in the real world, writing every day. Things are pretty grim in the Seven Kingdoms… but maybe not as grim as they may become here."

On July 12, 2022, George once again took to his blog to offer an update on The Winds of Winter — and he still isn't finished with the book.

“The Winds of Winter is going to be a big book,” he wrote. “The way it is going, it could be bigger than A Storm of Swords or A Dance With Dragons, the longest books in the series to date. I do usually cut and trim once I finish, but I need to finish first.”

The Winds of Winter was originally supposed to be released in 2018 before the Game of Thrones finale aired. Things got delayed because George got sidetracked with Fire & Blood all about the Targaryen heritage and lineage. It’s not a bad reason for the long-awaited novel to take the backseat, but it didn't leave too many fans happy for such a heavy delay.

Although George is still working hard on the book, it isn't finished just yet and a release date is still unknown. There have been online rumors that The Winds of Winter will be released in November 2023, but there are neither official sources to back this up nor any confirmation from George.

For those wondering, yes, George has been involved in HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon. Although he won't be writing any of the first season’s episodes as of right now, he will be a part of the show’s production with the possibility of doing some script writing for the show at some point.

House of Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21, 2022.