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George R.R. Martin Says 'Winds of Winter' is Not Finished


The good news: George R.R. Martin provided a detailed update about the highly-anticipated sixth book of the Song of Ice and Fire series; the bad news: it's a disappointing one. The 67-year-old author said wrote a long update on his Not A Blog page, saying that his next novel won't be released before April, when HBO's sixth season of Game of Thrones begins, saying that's he's not entirely sure when he will complete it – let alone when it hits the bookshelves.

The author explained on his site:

"Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to type those words. You're disappointed, and you're not alone. My editors and publishers are disappointed, HBO is disappointed, my agents and foreign publishers and translators are disappointed... but no one could possibly be more disappointed than me. For months now I have wanted nothing so much as to be able to say, 'I have completed and delivered The Winds of Winter on or before the last day of 2015'.
"But the book's not done."

Martin's published expected the book to be completed by Halloween, but extended his deadline to the end of the year, knowing that if he submitted the manuscript then, it could still be released in March.

Now, however, it's not clear when the novel will be released, but it's sad to know that it won't be released before the sixth season of Game of Thrones. Martin said that he didn't even know when it would be done. Although "hundreds of pages" and "dozens of chapters" have been written, "there's also a lot still left to write. I am months away still... and that's if the writing goes well."

After lengthy explanations about why he wasn't able to complete the novel as planned, Martin concluded: "I am going back to my stance from last March, before all this. It will be done when it's done. And it will be as good as I can possibly make it."

Martin went on to discuss the show's departure from the books: "Given where we are, inevitably, there will be certain plot twists and reveals in Season Six of Game of Thrones that have not yet happened in the books. For years my readers have been ahead of the viewers. This year, for some things, the reverse will be true."

As the author warned: if you haven't seen Season 5 of the show, you may want to avoid the following spoilery details:

"Mago, Irri, Rakharo, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Pyat Pree, Pyp, Grenn, Ser Barristan Selmy, Queen Selyse, Princess Shireen, Princess Myrcella, Mance Rayder, and King Stannis are all dead in the show, alive in the books. Some of them will die in the books as well, yes... but not all of them, and some may die at different times in different ways.
Balon Greyjoy, on the flip side, is dead in the books, alive on the show. His brothers Euron Crow's Eye and Victarion have not yet been introduced (will they appear? I ain't saying). Meanwhile Jhiqui, Aggo, Jhogo, Jeyne Poole, Dalla (and her child) and her sister Val, Princess Arianne Martell, Prince Quentyn Martell, Willas Tyrell, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Lord Wyman Manderly, the Shavepate, the Green Grace, Brown Ben Plumm, the Tattered Prince, Pretty Meris, Bloodbeard, Griff and Young Griff, and many more have never been part of the show, yet remain characters in the books.
Several are viewpoint characters, and even those who are not may have significant roles in the story to come in THE WINDS OF WINTER and A DREAM OF SPRING."

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