"A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin thinks that the sixth book in his novel series, "The Winds of Winter," will finally be out this year. The author made the statement in response to a fan, who posted on his blog to ask for some updates on the status of the highly-anticipated book.
Since it has already been six years since Martin released his fifth book, "A Dance with Dragons," fans were disappointed when 2016 came and went without "The Winds of Winter." The author previously admitted that he failed to release the book after missing multiple deadlines, Game Spot reported.
Martin's propensity to take ages to release each of the books in his novel series has long been dismissed as a joke for fans. However, his recent response to a fan's inquiry seemed to offer a ray of hope, especially for those who have been waiting for years for "The Winds of Winter's" release.
On Jan. 10, a fan asked Martin to give some updates on the book and a statement that would hopefully placate fans. While the author seemed a bit dubious of the claim, he said he would try his best to answer.
"Not done yet, but I've made progress. But not as much as I hoped a year ago, when I thought to be done by now. I think it will be out this year," Martin said. He also tried to manage his fans' expectations by punctuating his response and pointing out that it was not the first time he felt that way. Martin said while he was hopeful to be able to release the book this year, he had also thought the same thing in 2016 but failed.
Martin's failure to release the book last year was a major disappointment for fans, especially since the "Game of Thrones" TV adaptation had already meaningfully surpassed the books in certain storylines. Since the wait for the sixth book has already been so long, some fans already speculate that Martin will release "The Winds of Winter" and the seventh book, "A Dream of Spring," at the same time.
"The Winds of Winter" will begin with a huge smash, featuring two new massive battles, allegedly Yunkai's siege of Meereen and Stannis' siege of Winterfell. Martin also promised more deaths and betrayals, NME reported. Watch the "Game of Thrones" Season 7 promo here: