Perhaps the Real Dream of Spring Is the Release of The Winds of Winter

It’s been more than a decade since The Winds of Winter first danced on the horizon of readers’ imaginations, just out of reach, but ever-present. And while George R. R. Martin promised us A Dream of Spring as the seventh and final book in A Song of Ice and Fire, perhaps the real dream isn’t the end.

Perhaps the real Dream of Spring... is simply the release of The Winds of Winter.

New Song of Ice and Fire Theory?

Martin gave the gentle giant his name—Hodor—in Book 1, because, to put it bluntly, he had to hold the door against the Night King's forces to save Bran. Does Book 7, A Dream of Spring, follow a similar naming pattern?

Or is it a coincidence or just a fever dream of a fan that it has become the hope, nay the dream of many to see the Winds of Winter released by Martin?

We are currently enduring the long winter of sequels, with follow-ups to several major fantasy series delayed for a decade or more. Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive may not see its next installment until 2030, as he focuses on Mistborn: The Third Era and two upcoming books set in the Elantris universe. Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle faces a similarly prolonged delay. Yet fans have not given up, if the activity in their respective communities and subreddits is any indication.

No Spring Without Winter

The irony isn’t lost on longtime fans: we can’t reach A Dream of Spring, the final book in the series, until we’ve endured the full force of The Winds of Winter.

Martin’s book titles aren’t just poetic flourishes; they are narrative metaphors. The Winds of Winter is the storm of conflict, death, and chaos. A Dream of Spring is the peace or bittersweet resolution that follows.

And right now, we’re stuck in a narrative blizzard, waiting for the wind to finally howl.

The Winds of Winter Release Date

Let’s address the dragon in the room: there is still no official Winds of Winter release date.

George R. R. Martin has given hopeful updates over the years, promising “steady progress” and saying he’s back to writing. In 2020, he even said he was making good use of pandemic lockdown time. But 2025 is approaching, and there’s still no definitive release announcement. And with recent announcements that he is taking on a producer role for a series based on the 12 labors of Hercules, the fans are even more sure that the Winds of Winter is still some years away.

Fans continue to scour his blog and publishing events for any sign of change. Rumors swirl, clickbait articles speculate, but the truth remains cold: until it's in print, The Winds of Winter remains a dream deferred. And A Dream of Spring? It has become a near-mythical entity. It is my hope that my choice of title is now understandable by the readers of this post. My friends, the long winter of the sequels is not yet over.

Why The Winds of Winter Is So Important

In the narrative timeline of A Song of Ice and Fire, winter has come. The Wall has been breached. The Others (White Walkers) are moving. Westeros is fractured. And all the while, fan-favorite characters hang in limbo:

• Jon Snow, stabbed and bleeding in the snow.

• Daenerys, lost in the Dothraki Sea.

• Tyrion, plotting far from Westeros.

• Arya, deep in the House of Black and White.

And lest someone forget, the Winds of Winter is the only place you will find out more about the third Targaryen, who has breached onto the shores of Westeros.

George R.R. Martin has spoken openly about the challenge of writing under pressure. He has mentioned it as being "the curse of my life". With a story as sprawling and complex as A Song of Ice and Fire, every chapter is a web of interwoven plotlines. The expectations from fans and the broader pop culture world are enormous.

Despite the delays, Martin has continued to write, occasionally sharing updates on his blog, Not a Blog, and reassuring readers that The Winds of Winter is still on its way. The expectation is clear: we hope it will tell a different—but broadly similar, story compared to the final seasons of the TV show. After all, the third Targaryen isn't just filler, right? He's at least one of the potential consorts for Dany. His very presence introduces a dissonance that complicates the TV series' finale.