After the upheavals of A Dance with Dragons, the world of A Song of Ice and Fire is left in a state of extreme uncertainty. Major characters are dead, missing, imprisoned, or on the verge of decisive confrontations, while political alliances continue to shift and supernatural threats become increasingly difficult to ignore.
Rather than beginning with a clean slate, The Winds of Winter is expected to continue directly from several unresolved crises across Westeros and Essos. The novel will therefore need to advance multiple storylines at once, bringing key conflicts closer to resolution while establishing the direction of the final stages of the series.
The Winds of Winter must resolve—or significantly advance—a large number of immediate crises. The sixth novel is expected to begin with several conflicts already in motion.
At the Wall, Jon Snow’s fate remains unresolved after the mutiny at Castle Black. Stannis Baratheon is confronting the Boltons in the north, while northern factions and surviving Stark loyalists are beginning to resist Bolton rule.
In and around Meereen, Daenerys has disappeared into the Dothraki Sea while multiple forces converge on the city. Barristan Selmy is defending Meereen, Tyrion has joined the opposing forces, and Victarion Greyjoy has arrived with the Iron Fleet. The outcome could determine Meereen’s immediate future and shape Daenerys’s eventual return to power and movement toward Westeros.
In the Riverlands, Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood Without Banners continue their campaign against the Freys and their allies. Jaime Lannister has been drawn back into the conflict and was last seen with Brienne, whose connection to Stoneheart places him in serious danger.
In the Vale, Sansa is being manoeuvred by Littlefinger into a more important political position. Her storyline must address the succession, Robert Arryn’s future, the ambitions of the Vale lords, and Littlefinger’s increasingly dangerous schemes.
In Dorne, Arianne Martell is travelling to meet Young Griff. Her mission could determine how fully Dorne commits itself to Aegon’s campaign and what role Dorne will play in the wider struggle for the throne.
Meanwhile, Euron Greyjoy is pursuing a strategy based on naval power, intimidation, and apparent sorcery. His actions may connect the political conflict in the Iron Islands with the novels’ larger supernatural developments, although the extent of that connection remains speculative.
Whether George R.R. Martin will ultimately finish the book remains to be seen, but the scale of the story awaiting resolution is already clear.