If you’ve spent any time at all waiting for a man in a captain’s hat to finish a sentence, you know the pain. It’s been nearly 15 years. Honestly, that’s not a typo. Since July 2011, the "main" story of Westeros has been frozen in time.
We’ve had an entire HBO series start and end. We’ve had spin-offs like House of the Dragon and now A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (premiering this January 2026). But the actual release dates of game of thrones books? That’s a timeline that looks more like a crime scene investigation than a standard publishing schedule.
People always ask, "What’s taking so long?" It’s a fair question. To understand the future—and whether The Winds of Winter will ever actually hit a shelf—you have to look at the erratic, lightning-fast, and then glacial history of how these books actually came out.
The Early Days: When George Was a Speed Demon
Believe it or not, there was a time when George R.R. Martin was actually... fast.
Back in the 90s, the gap between books felt normal. A Game of Thrones dropped in August 1996. It wasn't an overnight global phenomenon, but it built a steady, cult-like following. Then, just two years later in 1998, we got A Clash of Kings.
Then came the peak. A Storm of Swords arrived in 2000. That’s three massive, complex novels in four years. If you were a fan back then, you were eating well. You probably thought the series would be wrapped up by 2008.
Boy, were we wrong.
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The Five-Year Gap (That Never Happened)
After A Storm of Swords, George hit his first major wall. He originally planned for a five-year time jump in the story. He wanted the kids—Arya, Bran, Sansa—to grow up. He spent a year writing it before realizing it didn't work. He had to scrap hundreds of pages.
This resulted in the "Meereenese Knot" and the splitting of the fourth book into two. A Feast for Crows didn't arrive until 2005. That was a five-year wait. At the time, we thought that was the long one.
Tracking the Release Dates of Game of Thrones Books
To see the trajectory, you really have to look at the hard numbers. It’s a steep climb.
- A Game of Thrones: August 1996
- A Clash of Kings: November 1998 (US) / 1999 (UK)
- A Storm of Swords: August 2000
- A Feast for Crows: October 2005
- A Dance with Dragons: July 2011
Since July 12, 2011, the main series has been silent.
That is over 5,300 days of waiting for The Winds of Winter. To put that in perspective, the first three books—arguably the best in the series—were all written and published in a shorter window than the gap we are currently sitting in.
Why the Delay is Different This Time
George is now 77. In a recent interview this January 2026, he admitted he is "struggling" with the manuscript. He’s still sitting on about 1,100 to 1,200 pages. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s because he said the exact same thing in 2022.
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Progress has effectively stalled.
He’s mentioned that the writing is getting harder. He’s rewriting constantly. He’s also busy. Between House of the Dragon Season 3 and the new Dunk and Egg show, his "decks" are anything but clear. He’s even said that if he could just get these other projects off his back, he could finish Winds "pretty soon." But he's been saying that for a decade.
The "No One Else Finishes It" Rule
This is the part that keeps fans up at night. Unlike Robert Jordan, who left a mountain of notes for Brandon Sanderson to finish The Wheel of Time, Martin has been very clear: no one else is finishing A Song of Ice and Fire.
He’s compared his work to Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood. If he doesn't finish it, the story simply stays unfinished. There is no backup plan. No "authorized" ghostwriter waiting in the wings. It’s George or nothing.
What About the Other Books?
While the main series is stuck, the "world" of Westeros has actually grown. If you’re looking for a fix, there are other release dates of game of thrones books you might have missed because they aren't part of the "numbered" series.
- The World of Ice & Fire (2014): A massive lore book.
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2015): A collection of the three Dunk and Egg novellas.
- Fire & Blood (2018): The "fake history" of the Targaryen kings that inspired House of the Dragon.
There is a second volume of Fire & Blood planned, and at least a few more Dunk and Egg stories. But George has said Winds is the priority. Or at least, it’s supposed to be.
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The Winds of Winter: Is 2027 Realistic?
The internet is full of "copium."
Some fans on Reddit are doing the math. They figure if he has 500 pages left and writes 1.5 pages a day, he could be done by late 2026 for a 2027 release. But writing doesn't work like that. Not for George. He doesn't just "add" pages; he deletes 200 and rewrites them from a different POV.
Most industry insiders have stopped guessing. Publishers aren't even putting it on their "internal" tentative schedules anymore.
Practical Next Steps for Fans
If you're tired of refreshing "Not A Blog," here is how you should actually handle the wait:
- Read the Dunk and Egg Novellas: If you haven't read The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight, do it now. They are arguably better-paced than the later main novels and the new show is based on them.
- Check out Fire & Blood: If you want the deep lore behind the Dance of the Dragons, this is your bible. It reads like a history book, not a novel, so be prepared for that.
- Look into Joe Abercrombie or James S.A. Corey: If you want authors who actually finish their series on time, these are the gold standards. Abercrombie’s First Law world has that same grit and "no one is safe" vibe.
- Follow the Official Blog Only: Ignore the TikTok rumors and the "leaks." George has stated multiple times: "When it is done, I will say that it is done." No codes, no hidden meanings.
The winter we were promised in 1996 is still coming. It’s just taking the long way around. Stay patient, but maybe start a new series in the meantime.