'The Winds of Winter' release date, plot rumors: George R. R. Martin reveals writing progress, novel's release date

Catherine Salvador Monday, January 16, 2017

Co-executive producer George R.R. Martin arrives for the season premiere of HBO's "Game of Thrones" in San Francisco, California, March 23, 2015. | Reuters/Robert Galbraith

Finally, the long wait may be over. It has been confirmed by George R. R. Martin himself that the anticipated "The Winds of Winter" ("TWOW") may finally be released this year.

The sixth novel of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" remains unfinished, but Martin wrote in his Live Journal blog that he already made substantial progress. His statement was released following the complaint about the long time interval between the novels.

He replied to the complaint with an explanation that he hopes to get the novel available this year, Time reported. The author may have been prompted to answer the numerous questions about the launch of "The Winds of Winter" as fans have repeatedly been asking for the release date for several months now.

The novel has suffered several delays, and one of the main reasons seen is Martin's slow-paced writing. Following the author's revelation of "TWOW's" progress, he said: "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."

However, he made sure to avoid his statement from getting out of hand when he said, "(But hey, I thought the same thing last year)."

Huffington Post reported that "The Winds of Winter" was planned to be released in 2016, but the novel has yet to be finished. There is also a rumor that "TWOW" is not the final novel in the series, as a seventh novel titled "A Dream of Spring" is said to come out. The seventh book is believed to be the final novel in the "A Song of Ice and Fire."

As for the plot, The Telegraph reported that "The Winds of Winter" will be darker than the previous installments. This is due to Martin's previous statement about the imminent novel, stating that "Things get worse before they get better ..."

In the meantime, enthusiasts may want to look forward to the seventh season of "Game of Thrones," which comes in the summer of this year, while waiting for the release of "The Winds of Winter."