• 'The Winds of Winter' is the sixth novel in George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series 'A Song of Ice and Fire.

'The Winds of Winter' is the sixth novel in George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series 'A Song of Ice and Fire. (Photo : YouTube/WindsThrones)

Only three months are left for 2016, and with no update about George RR Martin's sixth installment in "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, reports have surfaced suggesting that 'The Winds of Winter" will release in early 2017. Avid fans should be excited since the famous author has promised that after the conclusion of his series, there will be a spin-off for "Game of Thrones."

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Earlier this year, rumors were rife that "The Winds of Winter" will come out during the last quarter of 2016. So far, there is no hint that the sixth novel in "A Song of Ice and Fire" series is ready for publication and release in the coming months. Martin's publisher, Random House, debunked all rumors about the release date of "The Winds of Winter," according to Entertainment Weekly.

In any case, aficionados can expect the novel to come out in March 2017 at the earliest. The author previously stated that he is gearing up to release the book before HBO's "Game of Thrones" Season 7 premieres in 2017. The publication revealed that Amazon France has put up a listing for the release of the much-awaited book in March 2017, but it made it clear that readers will know once the date is confirmed.

While avid readers may be disillusioned by the delayed launch of "The Winds of Winter," the author may have an exciting surprise in store. Martin had an interview with the Deadline, revealing that even if the "Game of Thrones" creators decide the seventh or eighth seasons of the show to be the last, he will continue the epic saga of the Seven Kingdoms. A spin-off of the show is likely since Martin claimed to have sufficient materials to cover for it, and it will most probably come out as a prequel.

"I do have thousands of pages of fake history of everything that led up to Game of Thrones, so there's a lot of material there," Martin said. "I'm writing more."

The author is currently concentrating on the last two books in "A Song of Ice and Fire," particularly "The Winds of Winter" that is slated for a release before "Game of Thrones" Season 7 premiere. Here is footage for more information on the upcoming sixth novel: