Introduction
In terms of interests in ASOIAF, one of biggest interests is The Winds of Winter. George RR Martin’s long-awaited 6th novel is a topic that many people are curious about (or desperate to get their hands on). But for me, my interests in the book is… well, it’s something a little more than simple interest. Whether it’s the writing progress, sample chapters, read chapters or really anything, I’ve tried to get my hands on every scrap of information about The Winds of Winter. Over on /r/asoiaf, I wrote up a Grand Winds of Winter post about 9 months ago, but I didn’t have the space on reddit to make the post as grand as it could possibly be. So, I thought I might try to compile the true Winds of Winter resource here on the blog.
Spoiler Warning: Everything past this point will contain spoilers for The Winds of Winter.
Writing Process
This question comes up a lot on /r/asoiaf as well as any other fan-sites. People want to know how far along GRRM is in writing TWOW. Here’s what we actually know:
TWOW & ADOS will be about 1500 manuscript pages.
GRRM likely began working on TWOW in January 2012.
He cut about 100 pages from ADWD to TWOW prior to the publication of ADWD.
Anne Groelle, GRRM’s US Editor, received a batch of 168 TWOW manuscript pages to edit in Feburary 2013
However, 168 pages is not the full amount done as GRRM reportedly stated that he had 400 pages of TWOW written in October 2012: 200 polished, 200 which needed work.
GRRM said that he was about a “Quarter of the Way Done” in the GoT S03 premier in April 2013
GRRM disputed reports that he had 1000 manuscript pages complete for TWOW in early 2014.
GRRM’s Editor Jane Johnson stated that a 2015 release for TWOW is unlikely.
GRRM decided not to do a cameo for HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 4 in order to finish writing The Winds of Winter
GRRM even went so far as to decline writing an episode for S05 of HBO’s Game of Thrones to finish The Winds of Winter
On a more positive note, GRRM said that he has not done nearly as much re-writing for TWOW as he did for AFFC/ADWD
After the release of the latest TWOW sample chapter (see below), GRRM is not planning on releasing any more chapters prior to publication.
Released Chapters
Theon I (This chapter is now also available in the World of Ice and Fire app)
Artwork by Marc Fishman
Release Date: December 28, 2011
Brief Summary by A Wiki of Ice and Fire: Though reportedly isolated and secluded at the crofters’ village, Stannis is actively preparing for the looming battle against the Boltons. Stannis received the Braavosi banker Tycho Nestoris and the two signed a contract, Stannis is planning on sending the banker back to the Wall so he does not get caught up in the fighting.
Stannis is made aware of Arnolf Karstark’s planned treachery due to the message Jon Snow gave the banker. Stannis has Arnolf, his son Arthor and three grandsons arrested and plans to execute them, though whether their death will be quick beheadings or by fire depends on their willingness to confess. Stannis is preparing his position to battle the coming vanguard of Roose Bolton’s army led by Hosteen Frey. Stannis is sending Ser Justin Massey to escort “Arya Stark” (actually Jeyne Poole, though this is unknown to Stannis) back to the Wall to reunite the girl with her brother Jon Snow in gratitude for Snow warning him to amass the northern mountain clans rather than march straight into the Karstarks’ plans.
Stannis also orders Massey to go with Tycho Nestoris to Braavos, where Massey will use the money given to him by the Iron Bank of Braavos to hire sellsword companies until he has a force no less than twenty thousand strong, and then sail back to Westeros. Stannis also gives orders that if he is slain in the coming battle, Massey is still to do as instructed, with the intention of using the army to place Shireen on the Iron Throne.
Stannis also plans to have Theon Greyjoy executed, hoping to gain favor with his northern allies by exacting justice for the murders of Bran and Rickon Stark.
Cool, Additional Info About TWOW, Theon I
Theon I takes place during the chronology of ADWD.
Arianne I (This chapter is now also available in the World of Ice and Fire app)
Artwork by Elia Fernandex
Release Date: January 8, 2012
Brief Summary by A Wiki of Ice and Fire: Arianne Martell is traveling towards Ghost Hill with her companions: Daemon Sand, her new sworn sword, Elia Sand, her bastard cousin, Jayne Ladybright, Joss Hood and Ser Garibald Shells. Ellaria Sand has left Sunspear to go back to Hellholt, her father Harmen Uller’s seat, with Loreza. Dorea Sand remains at the Water Gardens, hidden among all the children, and Obella Sand is dispatched to Sunspear as a cupbearer. Ellaria’s Sand Snakes are now scattered, so as to better to survive the carnage.
Arianne and her group travel for two days and two nights, and Arianne starts to reminisce. She thinks about how she and Daemon Sand, once so close, grew apart after Doran Martell had refused to let Daemon marry Arianne. She thinks about Spotted Sylva, Drey and Garin, and about how one of them must have betrayed her. She misses her friends, and she misses Arys Oakheart as well, more than she expected. She believes he charged into Areo Hotah’s axe because he could not live with what he had done. All of Arianne’s friends have suffered because of her plot, except for Darkstar, Ser Gerold Dayne, who fooled Arianne with his good looks. Obara Sand has been sent to hunt Darkstar down, and Arianne is convinced that her cousin is up for the task, especially since Areo is with her, but Daemon warns her that Darkstar could kill Obara just as easily, when she confides in him.
The second day of their journey, they move at a more sedate pace, and Arianne commands Daemon to tell her all he knows about Jon Connington, but all he can tell her is information Arianne has already learned from her father. What Daemon tells her does leave her thinking, and that night in her tent she reads the letter Jon sent to Prince Doran, informing him that Aegon Targaryen, Elia Martell’s son by Rhaegar Targaryen, is still alive, and asking for the help of Dorne. But Prince Doran has his doubts, Arianne knows as well. He was expecting a dragon to return to Westeros, but this is not the one he was waiting for. They have not heard anything about Daenerys Targaryen and Quentyn Martell, and Prince Doran worries. Two Dornish armies have amassed, and one word from Arianne will make them march.
On the third day of their journey, they reach Ghost Hill, where they sup with Lady Nymella Toland and her two daughters, and here Arianne learns that Griffin’s Roost, Rain House, Crow’s Nest, Mistwood and Greenstone have fallen to the Golden Company with certainty, and there are rumors about Tarth, Cape Wrath and half the Stepstones having fallen to them as well. Lady Valena Toland also tells that there are elephants in the rainwood, and Arianne takes this to mean that Quentyn has not yet returned. Lady Nymella and Valena go on to discuss the fighting on the Stepstones.
Lady Nymella´s youngest daughter, Teora Toland, has a different opinion. She has dreamed about dragons, and everywhere the dragons danced, people died.
That night, Arianne tries to seduce Ser Daemon, but he resists, so they talk instead about whether or not Aegon could truly have survived. Arianne voices Doran´s wishes, but her answers to Daemon´s questions do not truly reflect her feelings inside. She wishes that Quentyn had returned, but cannot stop thinking how silly “King Quentyn” sounds, nor how silly Quentyn riding a dragon would be.
They continue their voyage on a ship called the Peregrine, where Arianne and Daemon discuss Viserys Targaryen, the Beggar King. Arianne wonders why Daenerys allowed Viserys to be killed by her own husband, Khal Drogo.
When she tells Daemon that Daenerys is the Mad King’s daughter, wondering if she has the taint as well, Daemon answers:
“We cannot know. We can only hope.”
Cool, Additional Info about TWOW, Arianne I
Arianne I (along with Arianne II – See below) were originally intended for publication for ADWD.
What’s happened is, I’ve decided to move two completed chapters, from Arianne’s POV, out of the present volume and into THE WINDS OF WINTER. This is something I’ve gone back and forth on. Arianne wasn’t originally supposed to have any viewpoint chapters in DANCE at all, but there’s this… hmmm, how vague do I want be? VERY vague, I think… there’s this event that would of necessity provoke a Dornish reaction. – Notablog, 6/27/2010
Ser Barristan I (This chapter is now also available in the World of Ice and Fire app)
Artwork by Marc Fishman
Link to Fan-Recollection of Reading (This chapter was read at Worldcon 2013. A fan-summary can be found in the link.)
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Fan Recount by /u/GeekyMathProf: This chapter was mostly a discussion of battle plans, in the battle between Meereen and Yunkai. Barristan was on Dany’s silver mare, preparing for battle. He talked about what the different groups were going to do. Barristan then gave a pep talk to the boys he had trained to be knights who were about to fight in their first fight. He talked about how everyone fears and that is normal. It was a nice pep talk, and very well-written. I’m sorry I don’t have it memorized. The chapter ended with the line “May the warrior protect us all. Sound the attack!”
Cool, Additional Info about TWOW, Barristan I
Barristan I (along with Barristan II – See below) was first read by GRRM at Boskone on 2/18/2013
Tyrion II (This chapter is available in the World of Ice and Fire app)
Artwork by Jamga
Link to Fan Recollection for those who don’t have the app. (But seriously, get the app!)
Release Date: March 20, 2014
Brief Summary based off A Wiki of Ice and Fire: Tyrion Lannister and the Second Sons are a few miles away from the main fighting around Meereen. The Ironborn have landed and are fighting their way towards Meereen. The dragons are being ominous. Viserion is lighting corpses on fire and eating them midair while Rhaegal ominously circles the Iron Fleet’s battle at sea with the Slavers. The Windblown turn their cloaks and attack the Yunkish. The Second Sons turn their cloaks at the end of the chapter after Jorah Mormont kills a messenger from the Yunkish High Command. Tyrion picks up a white dragon piece from the cyvasse table at the end of the chapter. It’s veined with the Yunkish messenger’s blood.
Cool, Additional Info about TWOW, Tyrion II
TWOW, Tyrion II was first read by GRRM at Worldcon in August 2013.
This chapter was released before Anne Groelle ever edited any of it.
Mercy (Arya I) (This chapter is now also available in the World of Ice and Fire app)
Release Date: March 26, 2014
Brief Summary from A Wiki of Ice and Fire: A girl named Mercy, short for Mercedene, wakes up after having dreamed of wolves and blood. She is in Braavos, where the day is hidden in a chilly fog. She is going to perform in a play tonight at the Gate, where an envoy from Westeros will come and watch a performance. Izembaro, the King of the Mummers, will not tolerate her being late. After scrubbing and shaving her head, so as to better keep the wigs on her head, Mercy rushes to the Gate, where she finds Big Brusco painting the sign for tonight’s play: The Bloody Hand, written by Phario Forel. The Bloody Hand features characters such as the fat king, played by Izembaro, the boy king, and the demonic dwarf, played by Bobono. Mercy’s character is a young, sweet maiden who will be raped and murdered by the dwarf.
Izembaro reminds them all that there will be many important people in the audience tonight, so they must be magnificent. Less than an hour is left before the shows starts, and Mercy spends her time helping the other mummers with their costumes, sticking the horn back on the Stranger, finding Izembaro’s crown in the privy, finding needle and thread so the gown of the queen can be sewed back up, lacing up Bobono’s fake cock, which is to be used for the raping scene, finding Izembaro’s boar spear, helping Big Brusco into his boar costume, checking the knives used for the play, and pouring wine for Lady Stork.
By then, the pit is already very full. The Westerosi envoy has arrived as well, accompanied by the Black Pearl of Braavos. Mercy’s friend Daena tells her that the Black Pearl descends from a Targaryen King, but Mercy states that the term “Brown Pearl” would be more fitting, due to her skin colour. They speak about the sigil of the envoy, and Daena points out that the envoy’s guards have lions for their sigil. Then, Mercy sees a familiar face. She points him out to Daena, telling her she thinks he’s fair to look upon. Mercy goes in search for him, pretending towards the other mummers that she’s off to practice her lines for the play – it’s the first time she’s gotten lines in a play, and everyone expects her to be nervous to get them right.
The man Mercy is looking for is found guarding the entrance to the envoy’s seating with another lion guard. The guards are discussing the length of their stay, claiming that “if he returns without gold – from the Iron Bank – , the Queen will have his head”. Mercy approaches Rafford as the play begins. When they turn out not to understand Braavosi, Mercy speaks to them in broken Common Tongue, telling them that “Izembaro said to please the lords”. His companion is disgusted by the thought of sleeping with a girl so young, but Rafford sees no problem. Mercy takes him back to her little room a few blocks away from the Gate, warning him they have to hurry, otherwise Mercy will miss her rape in the second act. She teases him that he could be a mummer, and that she could teach him a line to say. Once in her room, Mercy slides her finger down the inside of Raff’s thigh, but when Raff insists she unlace him, Mercy tells him he’s bleeding. Rafford doesn’t understand, but he starts to bleed heavily, and calls for Mercy to get a healer. Mercy insists that the healer will only help those who come to him. When Rafford tells her that he can’t walk, and she’ll have to carry him, Mercy happily thinks to herself “See? You know your line, and so do I.”
“You think so?” Arya Stark asks Rafford the Sweetling, as she takes the blade from her sleeve. She kills him, whispering “Valar Morghulis”. Knowing that this will be the end of Mercy, Arya realizes she’ll miss Daena, Izembaro and Bobono, but that there is no time to think about that now. Mercy still has some lines to say in the play, and she must not miss her own rape
Cool, Additional Info about TWOW, Mercy
“Mercy” had a pretty interesting publication history.
I mentioned that this chapter had quite a history. It’s true. The first draft was written more than a decade ago. Originally, it was intended to be the opening Arya chapter after the infamous “five year gap,” her first appearance in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS as initially conceived. Then it was supposed to be a part of A FEAST FOR CROWS, after I abandoned the five year gap and split the books. Then it was going to be the concluding Arya chapter in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. But it seemed more like an opening chapter than a closing one, so shortly before ADWD was published my editor and I agreed to remove it from DANCE and shift it over into WINDS. – Notablog 3/27/2014
Winds of Winter Chapters that GRRM has Read at Cons & Other Events
GRRM reading TWOW, Victarion I at tiff in 2012.
One of George RR Martin’s favorite pastimes is attending fan conventions. He’s been known to attend several conventions a year. He also speaks at several of these conventions as well. One of the cool things that George likes to do is read sample chapters for upcoming books. Prior to A Dance with Dragons, George RR Martin read 13 chapters from Dance prior to its publication.
Keeping with this tradition, GRRM has continued to read sample chapters from The Winds of Winter. Here are all the sample chapters with summaries of TWOW chapters that GRRM has read.
Arianne II
Link to Fan-Recounting of Reading
Release Date: August 18, 2011
Summary:
Arianne spends the majority of the chapter traveling with a few companions. Nym and Tyene had also departed Dorne with Myrcella and 300 hundred spears. Trystane is still safely in Dorne. Doran sent her as soon as they heard of Connington. Elia ia a pain in the ass the whole time, Arianne catches her making out with a servant named Feathers who is twice Elia’s age.
Arianne party is met by two Golden Company men names Young John Mudd and Chain. They won’t tell her much she eventually get Chain to tell her Connington is marching to Storm’s End. Lysano Maar takes charge and Arianne does not like him.
They arrive at the Roost and are told by the Halfmaester that Storm’s End has fallen and the Tyrells are marching from King’s Landing. The Bastard of Godsgrace urges her not to go to Storm’s End by Arianne says she must be her father’s heir and she needs to see this dragon.
Victarion I
Link to George RR Martin Reading It
Release Date: 3/16/2012
Partial Transcript/Summary (Credit to /u/icedune21 for originally compiling the info here:
The Noble Lady was a tub of a ship, as fat and wallowing as the noble ladies of the green lands. Her holds were huge, and Victarion packed them with armed men. With her would sail the other, lesser prizes that the Iron Fleet had taken on its long voyage to Slaver’s Bay, a lubberly assortment of cogs, great cogs, carracks, and trading galleys salted here and there with fishing boats. It was a fleet both fat and feeble, promising much in the way of wool and wines and other trade goods and little in the way of danger. Victarion gave the command of it to Wulf One-Ear.
“The slavers may shiver when they spy your sails rising from the sea,” he told him. “but once they see you plain they will laugh at their fears. Traders and fishers, that’s all you are. Any man can see that. Let them get close as they like, but keep your men hidden belowdecks until you are ready. Then close, and board them. Free the slaves and feed the slavers to the sea, but take the ships. We will have need of every hull to carry us back home.”
“Home,” Wulf grinned. “The men’ll like the sound o’ that, Lord Captain. The ships first – then we break these Yunkishmen. Aye.”
The Iron Victory was lashed alongside the Noble Lady, the two ships bound tight with chains and grappling hooks, a ladder stretched between them. The great cog was much larger than the warship and sat higher in the water. All along the gunwales the faces of the Ironborn peered down, watching as Victarion clapped Wulf One-Ear on the shoulder and sent him clambering up the ladder. The sea was smooth and still, the sky bright with stars. Wulf ordered the ladder drawn up, the chains cast off. The warship and the cog parted ways. In the distance the rest of Victarion’s famed fleet was raising sail. A ragged cheer went up from the crew of the Iron Victory, and was answered in kind by the men of the Noble Lady.
Victarion had given Wulf his best fighters. He envied them. They would be the first to strike a blow, the first to see that look of fear in the foemen’s eyes. As he stood at the prow of the Iron Victory watching One-Ear’s merchant ships vanish one by one into the west, the faces of the first foes he’d ever slain came back to Victarion Greyjoy. He thought of his first ship, of his first woman. A restlessness was in him, a hunger for the dawn and the things this day would bring. Death or glory, I will drink my fill of both today. The Seastone Chair should’ve been his when Balon died, but his brother Euron had stolen it from him, just as he had stolen his wife many years before. He stole her and he soiled her, but he left it for me to slay her.
All that was done and gone now, though. Victarion would have his due at last. I have the horn, and soon I will have the woman. A woman lovelier than the wife he made me kill.
“Captain.” The voice belonged to Longwater Pyke. “The oarsmen await your pleasure.”
Three of them, and strong ones. “Send them to my cabin. I’ll want the priest as well.”
The oarsmen were all big. One was a boy, one a brute, one a bastard’s bastard. The Boy had been rowing for less than a year, the Brute for twenty. They had names, but Victarion did not know them. One had come from Lamentation, one from Sparrow Hawk, one from Spider Kiss. He could not be expected to know the names of every thrall who had ever pulled an oar in the Iron Fleet.
“Show them the horn,” he commanded, when the three had been ushered into his cabin.
Moqorro brought it forth, and the dusky woman lifted up a lantern to give them all a look. In the shifting lantern light the hell-horn seemed to writhe and turn in the priest’s hands like a serpent fighting to escape. Moqorro was a man of monstrous size – big-bellied, broad-shouldered, towering – but even in his grasp the horn looked huge.
“My brother found this thing on Valyria,” Victarion told the thralls. “Think how big the dragon must’ve been to bear two of these upon his head. Bigger than Vhagar or Meraxes, bigger than Balerion the Black Dread.” He took the horn from Moqorro and ran his palm along its curves. “At the Kingsmoot on Old Wyk one of Euron’s mutes blew upon this horn. Some of you will remember. It was not a sound that any man who heard it will ever forget.”
“They say he died,” the Boy said, “him who blew the horn.”
“Aye. The horn was smoking after. The mute had blisters on his lips, and the bird inked across his chest was bleeding. He died the next day. When they cut him open his lungs were black.”
“The horn is cursed,” said the Bastard’s Bastard.
“A dragon’s horn from Valyria,” said Victarion. “Aye, it’s cursed. I never said it wasn’t.” He brushed his hand across one of the red gold bands and the ancient glyph seemed to sing beneath his fingertips. For half a heartbeat he wanted nothing so much as to sound the horn himself. Euron was a fool to give me this, it is a precious thing, and powerful. With this I’ll win the Seastone Chair, and then the Iron Throne. With this I’ll win the world.
“Claggorn blew the horn thrice and died for it. He was as big as any of you, and strong as me. So strong that he could twist a man’s head right off his shoulders with only his bare hands, and yet the horn killed him.”
“It will kill us too, then,” said the Boy.
Victarion did not oft forgive a thrall for talking out of turn, but the Boy was young, no more than twenty, and soon to die besides. He let it pass.
“The mute sounded the horn three times. You three will sound it only once. Might be you’ll die, might be you won’t. All men die. The Iron Fleet is sailing into battle. Many on this very ship will be dead before the sun goes down – stabbed or slashed, gutted, drowned, burned alive – only the Gods know which of us will still be here come the morrow. Sound the horn and live and I’ll make free men of you, one or two or all three. I’ll give you wives, a bit of land, a ship to sail, thralls of your own. Men will know your names.”
“Even you, Lord Captain?” asked the Bastard’s Bastard.
“Aye.”
“I’ll do it then.”
“And me,” said the Boy.
The Brute crossed his arms and nodded.
If it made the three feel braver to believe they had a choice, let them cling to that. Victarion cared little what they believed, they were only thralls.
“You will sail with me on Iron Victory,” he told them, “but you will not join the battle. Boy, you’re the youngest – you’ll sound the horn first. When the time comes you will blow it long and loud. They say you are strong. Blow the horn until you are too weak to stand, until the last bit of breath has been squeezed from you, until your lungs are burning. Let the freedmen hear you in Meereen, the slavers in Yunkai, the ghosts in Astapor. Let the monkeys shit themselves at the sound when it rolls across the Isle of Cedars. Then pass the horn along to the next man. Do you hear me? Do you know what to do?”
The Boy and the Bastard’s Bastard tugged their forelocks; the Brute might’ve done the same, but he was bald.
“You may touch the horn. Then go.”
They left him one by one. The three thralls, and then Moqorro. Victarion would not let him take the hell-horn.
“I will keep it here with me, until it is needed.”
“As you command. Would you have me bleed you?”
Victarion seized the dusky woman by the wrist and pulled her to him. “She will do it. Go pray to your red god. Light your fire, and tell me what you see.”
Moqorro’s dark eyes seemed to shine. “I see dragons.”
GRRM concluded his reading there, bue he read the chapter at Miscon in 2012 where a fan recounted the conclusion of the chapter:
After he shows the horn to the three deckhands, the dusky woman bleeds his wounded hand/arm into a bowl. Then Victarion takes that blood and rubs it into the horn and murmers to it softly “My horn…dragons…”
Then he fingerbangs the dusky woman. No sex. He says he doesn’t like to bust a nut before battle (my phrasing).
The dusky woman helps him put his armor on, he gives a rousing speech to the crew and they set sail towards Meereen.
Tyrion I
Link to Fan-Recounting of Reading
Release Date: 4/6/2012
Fan Summary:
Chapter opens with Tyrion and Brown Ben Plumm playing cyvasse and listening to the Yunkish trebuchets throwing corpses over the walls.
They have a lively conversation, with Tyrion discussing how you can tell which trebuchet is launching based on its sound. Tyrion seems to be in much better spirits and back to his old, insufferably witty self.
The meat of this chapter is that Tyrion (while slowly beating him at cyvasse) floats the idea of Brown Ben returning to Dany’s service and freeing Daario and the other hostages. Brown Ben seems very concerned with the money the Yunkish lords are wasting and doesn’t immediately reject the idea.
Someone spots sails on the horizon and they think the Volanteens have arrived, but Jorah Mormont spots the Krakens on the sails and says they are also flying dragon banners.
Ser Barristan II
Artwork by Urukki Saki
Link to Fan-Recounting of Reading
Release Date: 2/18/2013
Fan Summary:
His gut feels twisted from nervousness as he rides through the gates. He knows that the feeling will go away when time slows down in the chaos of battle. Dany’s horse is easily outpacing the lads and the rest of the cavalry; Barristan is pleased because he intends to outrun the Widower and strike the first blow. The Yunkai’i are totally unprepared and Barristan closes in on the Harridan, the largest of the trebuchets. The stormcrows take up the cry, “Daario!” and “Stormcrows, fly!” Barristan thinks that he will never again doubt the valor of sellswords.
There are only thirty yards between the horse and the Yunkai’i legions by the time any defense is mounted. The air fills with arrows. A squire for the stormcrows is killed, and a bolt pierces Barristan’s shield. There are three horn blasts and the pitfighters emerge from the gate behind them.
Barristan glances back to see the pitfighters. There are about two hundred of them, but they make enough noise for two thousand. One woman stands out, wearing nothing but greaves, sandals, a chainmail skirt, and a python. Barristan is a bit shocked and, watching her breasts bouncing around, thinks that this day is sure to be her last. The pitfighters are mostly shouting “Loraq!” and “Hizdar!” but some do call out “Danaerys!” Larraq is hit in the chest with an arrow, bringing Barristan’s attention forward, but the squire keeps the banners held high and shakes it off.
Barristan has reached the Harridan, but a Ghiscari legion six thousand strong has lined up to protect the huge trebuchet. They are six ranks deep — the first rank kneels and holds their spears pointing out and up, the second rank stands and holds their spears out at waist height, and and the third rank holds the spears out on their shoulders. The rest have small throwing spears and are ready to step forward when their comrades fall.
Barristan knows that a maester’s chain is only as strong as his weakest link, and identifies the companies of the Yunkish lords as the weakest of his immediate foes, certainly weaker than the slave legions. In particular, Barristan targets the Little Pigeon and his herons. The slaves chosen to be herons were freakishly tall before they were put on stilts, and wear pink scales and feathers and steel beaks. But Barristan sees that they will be blind because of the dawn rising over the city, and like to break ranks easily, so Barristan turns away from the legion guarding the trebuchet at the last minute and heads for the herons.
He cuts the head off of one of the herons and his lads join the fray. Dany’s horse knocks a heron into three others and they all fall over. In a moment, the herons are scattering and running away, led by the Little Pigeon himself. Unfortunately for the Little Pigeon, he trips over the fringes of his bird armor and gets caught by the Red Lamb. The Little Pigeon begs for mercy, saying that he will fetch a large ransom. The Red Lamb just says “I came for blood, not gold” and knocks in the Little Pigeon’s head with his mace, splattering blood all over Barristan and Dany’s silver horse.
The unsullied begin marching through the gates, and Barristan sees that the Yunkai’i have missed their chance to effectively launch a counterattack. As he watches more of the slave legions get slaughtered, mostly those who were chained together and could not retreat, he wonders where the sellsword companies like the treacherous Second Sons have gone. The unsullied finish lining up outside the gates, implacable even when one of their own number falls with a crossbow bolt to the neck.
Tumco draws Barristan’s attention to the bay, asking “Why are there so many ships?” Barristan remembers that yesterday there were twenty, but now there are thrice that many. His heart sinks when he reasons that the ships from Volantis must have arrived, but then sees that some of the ships are crashing together.
He asks Tumco, whose young eyes can see more clearly, to identify the banners. Tumco says “Squids, big squids. Like in the Basilisk Isles, where sometimes they drag whole ships down.” Barristan replies, “Where I’m from, we call them krakens.”
Realizing that the Greyjoys have arrived, his first thought is “Has Balon joined with Joffrey, or the Starks?” But he realizes that he’s heard that Balon is dead, and wonders if this has something to do with the Balon’s son, the boy who was a ward of the Starks. He sees that ironmen are coming ashore, fighting the Yunkish, and says, surprised, “They are on our side!” The sellswords did not come to meet his charge because they were already preoccupied with the ironborn!
Barristan is almost gleeful. “It’s like Baelor Breakspear and Prince Maekar, the hammer and the anvil. We have them! We have them!”
Unreleased Confirmed Chapters
I’ll table the unreleased chapters & add some notes below as information is much sparser on these than the released/read chapters.
POV
Where did GRRM say this?
When?
Sansa Stark
GRRM’s notablog
6/27/2010
Aeron Greyjoy
GRRM’s notablog
6/30/2010
Daenerys Targaryen*
GRRM’s notablog
5/12/2012
Davos Seaworth**
Deeper than swords lecture Texas A&M University
3/22/2013
Jon Snow***
Interview with Austin Chronicler
8/29/2013
Some cool additional info on these unreleased chapters
Sansa Stark’s chapter has been read by Elio Garcia, founder of Westeros. In a Vulture profile of Elio, it was reported that:
And yes, that means he’s read parts of book six, The Winds of Winter — including a Sansa chapter that is sure to be controversial. Vulture Magazine, 4/18/2013
Sansa’s TWOW chapter was completed on May 21, 2008 (Almost 7 years ago)
Apparently, GRRM gave fans the choice between him reading Arianne II or a Damphair chapter at WorldCon 2011. Fans decided to go with Arianne despite that:
He did try to sell the Damphair chapter by saying there was some “seriously twisted stuff” Worldcon 2011
*GRRM hasn’t officially confirmed that Dany would return as a character. However, in the linked notablog entry, he said:
WINDS OF WINTER. Yes, I’m working on that too. At the moment, I am writing about the Dothraki. More than that, I sayeth not, you know I don’t like to talk about this stuff.
Additionally, in an interview from July 2011 with Entertainment Weekly, GRRM said the following:
“So Mago is not dead in the books. And, in fact, he’s going to be a recurring character in Winds of Winter. He’s a particularly nasty bloodrider to one of the other Khals that’s broken away after Drogo dies.”
If you’ll recall from Dany’s last chapter from ADWD, she encounter Khal Jhaqo whose chief bloodrider is Mago. So, I’m calling Dany confirmed.
**I’m calling Davos “confirmed” on account of GRRM saying the following at his “Deeper Than Swords” lecture around the 56 min mark:
Interviewer: Can you think of instances in seeing these portrayals, the actor’s take that gave you a new perspective?
GRRM: When Osha comes back in the books, it’s possible, I haven’t actually gotten to it yet that she will be influenced by what I’ve seen, that I will write a more interesting character.
Though he hadn’t written about Osha yet, the only real possibility of POV interacting with Osha would be Davos who is currently en-route to Skagos to retrieve Rickon Stark.
***Jon Snow has not been officially confirmed by GRRM, but I’m inclined to think that GRRM inadvertently confirmed it in 2 interviews. In the linked interview with the Austin Chronicler, GRRM says the following:
So I’ll be writing Jon Snow chapters, and I’ll carry that Jon Snow sequence as far as I can.
Additionally in a i09 interview, GRRM said this about Jon Snow:
I always had plans, what Tyrion’s arc was gonna be through this, what Arya’s arc was gonna be through this, what Jon Snow’s arc is gonna be.
In both instances, GRRM seems to be having a verbal slip here. Both interviews are in future tense (‘will be writing Jon Snow chapters’ & ‘what Jon Snow’s arc is gonna be.’) I’ll take it as confirmation. Thanks to/u/corduroyblack for finding this!
Unconfirmed but Probable POVs
So, here’s a list of all the POVs still alive at the end of ADWD. I think it’s likely that most of these POVs will make their triumphant (or not so triumphant) return in TWOW.
Jaime Lannister
Brienne of Tarth
Melisandre of Asshai
Bran Stark
Areo Hotah
Jon Connington
Samwell Tarly
Cersei Lannister
Asha Greyjoy
Plot Points from TWOW that GRRM has confirmed
George RR Martin will open TWOW with two huge battles – the Battle of Winterfell and the Battle of Meereen.
“I’m going to 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.” – Smart Travel Interview 3/6/2012
Jeyne Westerling will appear in TWOW, Prologue, but GRRM did not confirm that she would be the Prologue POV. – Zap2It Interview w/ GRRM at SD Comicon 2014
Originally the Battle of Storm’s End between Aegon VI/JonCon, the Golden Company, Mathis Rowan & Gilbert Farring was set to occur off-screen, but GRRM decided to write the battle out but hadn’t done so as of August 18, 2011. – Adam Whitehead recount of Worldcon 2011
GRRM confirmed that we’ll be seeing a lot of the Sandsnakes in The Winds of Winter. – Thanks Vaxis7 & Watching_Closely!
All of the POVs will be returning:
“All the characters [are in the book],” he promised. “I’m going to start pulling the threads back together in this one, I hope.” – MTV interview, 10/2/2012
However, the number of POVs will be declining throughout TWOW. GRRM does not intend to add any more POVs. In fact, the number of POVs is about to decline. “Take your bets,” GRRM warned. Worldcon, 9/3/2012
GRRM further crystalized this point by talking about dovetailing POVs in TWOW:
“The way my books are structured, everyone was together, then they all went their separate ways and the story deltas out like that, and now it’s getting to the point where the story is beginning to delta back in, and the viewpoint characters are occasionally meeting up with each other now and being in the same point at the same time, which gives me a lot more flexibility for killing people.” – Rolling Stone, 8/21/2014
George RR Martin refused to confirm that Jon Snow was dead.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So why did you kill Jon Snow?
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN: Oh, you think he’s dead, do you? Entertainment Weekly, 7/21/2011
Tyrion and Dany will intersect:
“Tyrion and Dany will intersect, in a way, but for much of the book they’re still apart. They both have quite large roles to play here… they’re both coming home.” – Entertainment Weekly Interview, 6/26/2014
The below links came through a comment on /r/asoiaf by /u/feldman10 of Meereenese Blot Fame. So, thanks and all credit to him!
The Others and the True North will be appearing in TWOW
“You’re definitely going to see more of the Others in The Winds of Winter… What lies really north in my books—we haven’t explored that yet, but we will in the last two books.” – Smarter Travel Interview with GRRM, 4/1/2012
Dany will return to Westeros, though whether this will occur in TWOW or in a later volume is ambiguous
When he envisioned the series as a trilogy, he wanted the Red Wedding to take place in Book 1 and Dany’s return to Westeros in Book 2. When the series was expanded to 6 books, and shortly after he completed ASOS, he said “the next book, A Dance With Dragons, will focus on the return of Daenerys Targaryen to Westeros, and the conflicts that creates” – SSM, 4/20/2002
A second Dance of the Dragons: In 2003 GRRM has said this will be “the subject of a book“. When he said this, AFFC was supposed to contain all POVs and “A Dance with Dragons” would have been the fifth of six books in the series. So, it seems to me that the event he is talking about will now occur in book 6 of
Howland Reed: ” He will appear eventually.” (source)
Green Men and Isle of Faces: “The green men and the Isle of Faces will come to the fore in later books.” (source)
Casterly Rock: We will see it (source).
The fate of Tyrek Lannister will be revealed. – Event Horizon Chat Interview w/ GRRM, 3/18/99
We’ll visit Highgarden & meet up with Willas & Garlan Tyrell in TWOW (Willas source) (Garlan source)
Gendry, Hot Pie, Nymeria, Rickon, and Shaggydog will all be at least mentioned: (source)
Osha the Wildling will return in TWOW (source), but as of March 2013, GRRM hadn’t written any new Osha material for TWOW. (source)
Bronn will definitely be back. (source)
Robert’s Rebellion: “By the time I finish A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, you will know everything there is to know about Robert’s Rebellion.” (source) GRRM has also said we will learn about Rhaegar/Aerys tensions, much more about the Harrenhal tourney, Ned’s return after the war, whether Arthur Dayne truly supported Aerys, why Benjen joined the Night’s Watch, whether Rhaegar and Lyanna were in love.
Miscellaneous Info on TWOW
Ted Nasmith will likely be the artist for the WINDS OF WINTER
GRRM is not inspired by Star Wars to complete TWOW
Fans thought that the 12 Days of Westeros in the Christmas 2014 season would conclude with an announcement about TWOW’s publication. They were wrong.
3 unknown chapters cut from ADWD to TWOW are currently housed at Texas A&M’s Cushing Library in Box 158 of GRRM’s collection there.
The battles that were supposed to end ADWD (Battle of Fire, Battle of Winterfell & Battle of Storm’s End) were cut for a variety of reasons per GRRM’s editor, Anne Groell:
Why did you believe it was a wise decision to cut the three major battles from ADWD?
ANNE: Yes, the battles. Structurally, it would have been nice to have them. But there were two severe and real limitations. First, there are only so many pages you can actually physically bind between covers, and less than a handful of binderies out there who are actually capable of handling the larger books. When we wrapped ADWD—minus the battles—it was 1513 pages in manuscript. To include the battles… Well, we’d physically not have been able to bind it. We would have had to split it into two books, which would have felt even less satisfying. And it would probably still not be published yet, as he would STILL be writing. So we had to make a call to get the best book possible out of what actually existed at the time, which is what we did. Despite the lack of the battles, I am still really happy with it. And I know a lot of other people were, too.
Conclusion
I hope the work present herein has been completely comprehensive and satiates your appetite for TWOW at least for the moment. What have I missed? I want to make this as comprehensive as possible, so comment below and link me to things that GRRM or his editors or anyone in the actual know said or wrote about The Winds of Winter.
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