The book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which Game of Thrones adapts, does not yet have a completed ending. George R.R. Martin is still writing the final two books, so we do not know definitively how Game of Thrones end in the book.
The television series Game of Thrones concluded, but the source material, George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, remains unfinished. Many fans want to know how does game of thrones end in the book. This question sparks a lot of debate and speculation, as the series and the books diverged significantly, especially in later seasons. The future of the book series and its conclusion is still in progress.
How Does Game of Thrones End in the Book?
Okay, let’s dive into the big question everyone’s been asking: how does A Song of Ice and Fire, the book series that Game of Thrones is based on, actually end? It’s important to remember that the TV show went its own way, particularly in the later seasons. So, the book ending, if and when it arrives, will likely be different, possibly very different. George R.R. Martin, the author, is still working on The Winds of Winter, the sixth book, and A Dream of Spring, the planned seventh and final book. Because those books are not yet published, we can’t know the exact ending, but we can look at what Martin has said, the clues he has given, and the plot threads he has left dangling. This will give us a good idea of where things are headed, and how it differs from the show. This difference is the core of our conversation today.
The Known and the Unknown: Where Are We in the Books?
Before we can talk about the ending, we need to understand where the books left off compared to the show. The TV series largely followed the books up to the end of season five, which covers much of A Dance with Dragons, the fifth novel. After that, the show started to diverge, making up a lot of its own plot points. A Dance with Dragons and A Feast for Crows, the fourth novel, actually happen around the same time but focus on different characters and locations. This means that some major characters from the show haven’t even appeared or have drastically different storylines in the book, which significantly impacts the potential endings.
Key Divergences Between the Books and the Show
Let’s look at some of the key differences. This is important as these variations will lead to different outcomes than the show.
Lady Stoneheart: In the books, Catelyn Stark is resurrected as Lady Stoneheart, a vengeful figure leading the Brotherhood Without Banners. She’s missing from the show and this represents a big change to the storylines in the Riverlands.
Young Griff: A character known as Young Griff, who claims to be Aegon Targaryen, Rhaegar Targaryen’s son thought to be dead, appears in A Dance with Dragons. He is a major character and isn’t in the show at all. He has his own claims to the Iron Throne that will certainly conflict with the others.
Dorne’s Role: The storyline in Dorne is significantly different in the books, with many more characters involved, and many more complex plots and schemes. Arianne Martell, for example, plays a vital role.
Sansa’s Story: Sansa Stark’s experiences are very different in the books. She is in the Vale under the guardianship of Littlefinger. Her storyline has been far more isolated and more focused on the Vale, rather than moving to the North.
The Wall and the Night’s Watch: The situation at the Wall is far more volatile in the books, and the Night’s Watch has different leaders and factions. The Wildlings, for example, are more complex and have different interactions with the people of the Night’s Watch.
These differences are significant and mean that the final books will be very different from how the show concluded. It is impossible for the books to arrive at the same points that the show did, because they have traveled a different path.
The Big Players and Their Book-Specific Plots
Now, let’s look at the main characters and what’s happening with them in the books, keeping in mind that we don’t have any final answers.
Daenerys Targaryen
In the books, Daenerys is still in Meereen, dealing with political turmoil and her dragons. She hasn’t flown to Westeros yet, unlike in the show. She’s struggling to rule the city, and her relationship with her dragons is complicated, with them showing more wild and destructive behavior. Her path to Westeros is not as straightforward as it is in the show. A lot of her storyline is dedicated to governing, and learning how to do it, something she really struggles with.
Jon Snow
Jon Snow is in a more precarious position at the end of A Dance with Dragons. He has been betrayed by his own men at the Night’s Watch and is seemingly dead (though many theories suggest he will be resurrected). This death, though in a very different circumstance to the show, leaves his future uncertain. He also learns more about his parentage before his death, and his fate is tied to the Wall and the Others.
Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion has had quite a journey in the books. He has traveled to Essos and has met Daenerys. He does not become her Hand right away like he does in the show. He has his own path that takes him to the Queen, but has to work his way up. He’s also been struggling with his identity and his role in the grand scheme of things. He has his own plans and is not as aligned with Daenerys as the show portrays.
Sansa Stark
As mentioned before, Sansa is in the Vale, under the influence of Littlefinger. Her story is one of learning manipulation and politics, and she’s very different from the Sansa we see in the later seasons of the show. She’s not yet the strong leader she becomes in the show, and her journey is all about becoming that person.
Arya Stark
Arya is still in Braavos, continuing her training as a Faceless Man. Her future path is very unclear, she hasn’t returned to Westeros yet, and her storyline is very separate from the main story. She’s learning to be a new person entirely.
Major Unresolved Plot Threads
There are so many plot threads that remain hanging from A Dance with Dragons. These are very important when considering the potential ending of the series.
The Others: The biggest threat in the books, the Others, are still largely a mystery. They are not as easily defeated, as they were in the show. What they really want, where they came from, and how they are going to be handled will be key to the end of the series.
The Fate of the Iron Throne: Who will ultimately sit on the Iron Throne (if it even survives the end of the story) is still completely open. So many characters have a claim, so much is unknown, and no ending to this storyline has been written, not even partially. It is a very unpredictable storyline.
Magic and Prophecy: Magic plays a much more prominent role in the books than in the show. There are numerous prophecies and visions that haven’t been fully explored, such as the prophecy of Azor Ahai. These might provide key information about the upcoming ending.
The Greyjoy Family: The Greyjoy storyline is much more complicated in the books, with multiple family members having their own ambitions and claims. Euron Greyjoy, in particular, is a very powerful and frightening figure who plays a large part in the story. He is very different from the Euron we see in the show.
George R.R. Martin’s Hints
Martin has given some hints about the direction he is going. He has stated multiple times that the book’s ending will be different from the show’s.
He’s said that the ending is going to be “bittersweet”. This means that not everyone will be happy. There will be some victories, and some losses.
He has emphasized that A Song of Ice and Fire is a story about the human heart and not simply good vs evil. So, the ending will likely be more nuanced and complex than just a simple victory for the good guys.
He has said that magic will play a big role, and it will not simply just be a means to an end.
He has stated, many times, that he does not know the ending yet. This makes the end of this book series impossible to predict.
This indicates that the ending will likely be more character-driven and morally ambiguous than what we saw on the show.
Potential Endings: Speculation and Theories
Since the books are unfinished, all we have are theories and speculations.
The Long Night Returns: The Others could be a much more significant threat in the book’s ending, potentially leading to an even larger conflict than in the show. They could even win. This could mean that the series does not have a clear winner.
The Iron Throne Destroyed: It’s possible that the Iron Throne itself will be destroyed, symbolizing the end of the power struggle in Westeros. This could mean that a new form of governance will be created, or that Westeros will be split into multiple kingdoms.
A Stark Victory (of Sorts): With so many Stark children surviving in the books, it is possible, though not guaranteed, that they will have an important role to play in the final story.
The Magic Wielders Triumph: Magic is a very important plot point, and the people who can wield magic might take centre stage at the end. This could lead to a world that is very different to what we know from the books or show.
These are just a few possibilities, and the real ending might be something entirely different, something we haven’t even thought of yet.
The Waiting Game
The biggest problem with knowing how the books will end is that we are still waiting for them. The Winds of Winter has been anticipated for years, and we do not know when it will be released. Until that book is published, we can only speculate and analyze what we already know. The ending remains a mystery, and we will have to be patient to see what happens. George R.R. Martin is very methodical, and this adds to the wait time for the release of the books.
The book series ending of A Song of Ice and Fire is very different from the show’s ending, because of changes that were made to the book’s timeline and the omission of key characters. The future is unpredictable and it will be interesting to see what happens to our favorite characters when the next books are released. It is important to remember that the show and the books are two different entities at this point, and the ending of one does not predict the ending of the other.
How will George R.R. Martin’s final “Game of Thrones” books end?
Final Thoughts
The book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, remains unfinished. George R.R. Martin still needs to write the final two books. Thus, we currently do not have a definitive answer to how does game of thrones end in the book.
The TV series ending, therefore, is its own creation, differing significantly. Many key plot points and character arcs will must vary greatly in the books. We can only speculate about the final fate of Westeros.
