George R.R. Martin has FINALLY given us an update on the next installment in the book series A Song of Ice and Fire. And now that I’ve gotten you all excited about that, let me tell you that it’s bad news. The release of The Winds of Winter, which would be the sixth book in the series, has been further delayed. The Winds of Winter will follow after A Dance with Dragons which was released in 2011.
Readers have waited five years for the book to come out and it seems like you’re not going to be able to read it anytime soon. The popular HBO show Game of Thrones, which is based on the books, was released when the show was first telecast. However, ironically, now the books are lagging behind the show!
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And from the looks of it, the show will continue to maintain a lead in the rat-race as The Winds of Winter has now been delayed to 2017. It was originally supposed to be released this year but, at the Guadalajara International Book Fair recently, Martin announced that that was his last public event for 2016. He also stated that although the story is finally ready, it needs to undergo the last stages of production (proofreading, publishing, etc.), which might take another few months.
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Game of Thrones season 7 will premiere in Summer, 2017. Although the two stories parted ways around the same time, major things as to what happens to the Seven Kingdoms is expected to be consistent. So, to have the story out through the show before the books can catch up, doesn’t make much sense.
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“This is my last scheduled event for 2016. My appearance schedule for 2017 is very limited and will remain so until WINDS is completed. So if you want to meet me or get a book signed, this will be the last chance for a good few months…,” Martin wrote in his journal.
A Song Of Ice And Fire will have seven books with the last one titled A Dream of Spring. I wonder how long that one would take to come out.
