What do you think the title means?

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

To those looking for the meaning in ADWD, I assume it refers to the courtship/seeking out of Danerys by her many suitors (Hizdahr, Daario, Quentyn, Aegon/Young Griff, Euron, Victarion, and even Tyrion who seeks her though does not intend to marry her).

Perhaps it narrows it down too much, but I felt that ADWD referred to Quentyn's actions in the Dragons' pit/prison.

[OneEyed Other]

I'm of the opinion that A Dance with Dragons signified lots of the plot surrounding the various Targaryen claimants and their suitors. In the same spirit I believe The Winds of Winter will focus on the remaining Starks and their suitors.

DwD POVs:

Jon Snow (13 chapters): We're led to believe he may be a Targaryen, though likely still a bastard.

Tyrion (12): actively seeking out and finding Dany

Dany (10): is a Targaryen

Quentyn (4): Found Dany and her dragons

Barristan (4): Head of Dany's Queensguard

Jon Con (2): shuttling around Aegon, a new Targaryen claiment, albeit questionable

Victarion (2): Seeking and finding Dany

Areo Hotah (1): working with Doran and his grand dragon schemes

(Other DwD POVs are: Theon (7), Davos(4), Asha (3), Bran (3), Cersei (2), Arya (2), Jaime (1), Melisandre (1) )

Along my thought of Winds focusing on the Starks, I imagine we see some POVs from Mel to explain whats happening to Jon, as well as Arya, Sansa, possibly Davos, Bran, Theon (for as long as he lives), and Jaime or Brienne to bring us up to speed on UnCat.

Just my thoughts.

[Agrotera]

well being from the north, the winds are the worst because they can make the cold even colder. In the south the wind is soothing and nice but in the north it's cruel i think the title better much says "it's gonna' get worse" it leads me to think it will take place mostly in westernos.

...or that mumford and sons are randomly gonna cameo :P

[Melq]

For me Title means: The Winter has arrived (obvious), Others will show their real strength now and attack westeros and hopefully destroy the wall and the Nightswatch.

If Jon= Alive, R+L=J is true , Stannis is dead= True... Regarding the north I got this theories:

- Jon will recover from his wounds, while hes at it, we will see POVs of Mel from the wall... Bowen will be the Lord Commander and will just ask Jon and the Wildlings out of the Nightswatch, Bowen will follow his plan and block all the wall entrances thinking that will be enough to stop the Others.

- Jon&Mel will travel to Winterfell with an army of wildlings and with the help of Manderly who hopefully will have Rickon&Davos back, They will take Winterfell and destroy the Boltons, maybe this could be called the "Battle of Bastards".

- After Winterfell is back to Stark House ( I expect this to take around 6 months) , Jon will receive the news of the Others attacking/destroying the Wall, als the news of Targaryens&Dragons back to KL, and will travel south to KL to beg for the help of the Targaryens sitting in the Iron throne . On the trip to the south he will meet Howland Reed the only man that can confirm if R+L=J.

[TheeMikeHoncho]

What do I think of the coming title........"Winter is coming"!

[Gala]

I just get, why it couldn't mean all of those: winter getting severe, the Others' invasion, the concentration on the Starks' storyline, things getting even worse, the Wall's end…etc. It also reflects the Starks' words "Winter is coming", which means that not only winter and troubles are coming, but also that you should be prepared for winter (literally with food and so forth and symbolically). Plus, as somebody mentioned above, Starks and the North are the first (after the Wall) defense line against the Others and Winter, their family castle is called Winterfell, for God's sake...

By the way, I think that there is a specific connection between "a Stark in Winterfell" and a Stark at the Wall (many Starks of different generations were Black Brothers, it seem like a tradition or something) and their blood (the blood of the builder of both Winterfell and the Wall). probably, stabbing Jon and spilling his blood by hands of his sworn brothers would help the Others "to break" the Wall?

Please, don't be harsh with me, it's my imagination after all ;)

[AryaDayne]

I think it is an reference to Alliser Thorne's speech to Jon and Sam in Book1..

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

I think TWOW herald the coming of an upturn in the Stark's fortunes.

I've always felt that "Winter is Coming" had a double meaning. Yes it suggests that to an extent, life is suffering and dark times are always likely, but I also think it suggests that those who are best prepared for the Winter and are willing to face it are the ones who will emerge strongest. The Winds symbolise the Winds of Change to an extent. See also Aegon and Dany's return.

I also think that "Winds" may refer literal winds. All of our Essos characters are going to have to rely on favourable winds in order to return to Westeros swiftly.

[Slurms McKenzie]

That the wind will be bitterly cold......

[Nightfyre]

I hope it refers to the Stark's slogan "Winter is coming" and marks the turn of events to their favor.

Yeah I hope this happens aswell. The starks are awesome and need to prevail after so many hardships.

[Lord Bear Mormont]

The title to me means that the Others are coming and that all of Westeros 9even Dorne)will become cold for at least 4 years until they are defeated. The result will be a new Kingdom with Jon Targ as King with a council represented by each distinct area.

[K1NGSLAYER]

The title to me means that the Others are coming and that all of Westeros 9even Dorne)will become cold for at least 4 years until they are defeated. The result will be a new Kingdom with Jon Targ as King with a council represented by each distinct area.

Lol, I don't know how you got Jon becoming king from the title. I think the title means that Winter has come and with it the others.

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

It could be a generalization about the way things are slowly getting darker "colder."

this is how I see it, especially because his working title for #7 is A Dream of Spring. I think that this means the evil and darkness will climax in this book before being resolved in book #7. I like the sound of it though.

[Lourenço Marques]

Uhh, I think on its face it suggests that winter has come -- cold weather, winds, snow, those kind of things. There's a 99.9% chance you're reading into little specifics way too much.

[Lourenço Marques]

Double post

[MushRoss]

One troubling thing about the names and seasons is that,unless that each of the incoming books covers 4 or 5 years of story,we won't see the end of the winter.I believe Martin will end up making something about the Great Other being defeated,bringing a premature Spring,or simply showing us that all these difficulties were just the begining,leaving the rest of the winter up to the reader's imagination.

[Lord Bear Mormont]

Others are coming

[Stark@heart]

I see it as symbolic. Winter/ The Winds of Winter have come. Winter and the Others will sweep over the Seven Kingdoms and need to be defeated by Dany ala her dream/vision of bathing an army in dragonfire. An army that is armored in ice.

Don't know if we'll have time for a Stark family reunion with Others and wrights running around. I think Arya will make it back but once again she won't be able to reach Winterfell/ The Wall easily.

[Lord Bear Mormont]

In the prologue of AGOT, Gared and Will keep commenting on how cold it gets. When will is in the tree, he notices that it gets extremely cold as Royce fights with one of the Others. The Others bring the cold weather with them just like the Winds of Winter.

[The King of Worms]

TWOW obviously refers to winter finally arriving. I assume that this catastrophe will help force many of the disparate factions within Westeros (and most likely Essos, for that matter) to play together or die out.

As for whether the title indicates a resurgence of the Stark family, I do not believe it does. It is telling that the original title of A Dream of Spring was A Time for Wolves. I believe the final book will again pick up the Stark banner and re-plant it firmly in the North (or perhaps KL).

To those looking for the meaning in ADWD, I assume it refers to the courtship/seeking out of Danerys by her many suitors (Hizdahr, Daario, Quentyn, Aegon/Young Griff, Euron, Victarion, and even Tyrion who seeks her though does not intend to marry her).

Storm of Swords I thought had to do with the battle at the Wall...

Feast of Crows is about the suffering and aftermath of the war and all the scavenger people profiting from it... like Littlefinger, the Freys, Boltons, and all the little sycophants surrounding Cersei.

Dance with Dragons definitely has to do with Dany and her suitors, and Dany learning to ride Drogon...

Winds of Winter... the arrival of winter and I think...invasion from the North?? from Stannis, the Vale, the Others... forces from the North blowing in bringing death.