Game Of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin has confirmed the highly anticipated Winds Of Winter won’t be releasing in 2018, but there’s another book to tide fans over.
The next instalment in the author’s A Song Of Fire And Ice saga has almost become mythic due to repeated delays, with the last book A Dance With Dragons being released in 2011.
After previously hinting the release of Winds Of Winter wouldn’t make 2018, the author has now confirmed in a new blog post it definitely won’t be coming this year.
In the post, George writes: ‘No, winter is not coming… not in 2018, at least. You’re going to have to keep waiting for THE WINDS OF WINTER.’
A journey back into Westeros lore however will be on the cards, with George confirming the first half of his history of the Targaryen kings spin-off, Fire & Blood, will be releasing on November 20.
The first volume isn’t short on material either, being a whopping 989 pages and charting the Targaryen kings from Aegon I (the Conqueror) to Aegon III (the Dragonbane), along with wives, siblings, wars, children, friends, rivals and other details along the way.
There’s also set to be dragons too, ‘lots of dragons’, in case you were hankering.
The second volume of Fire & Blood will be ‘a few years down the pike’ with George adding: ‘So don’t get too impatient. Gyldayn will get to it eventually, but he’s old, and so am I, and we both have other projects to tend to as well.’
The author was also keen to stress his new work isn’t a novel but ‘imaginary history’ which will help flesh out details and blank spots in Game Of Thrones lore.
George also teased a future spin-off of HBO’s show could be based on Fire & Blood, writing: ‘HBO is presently developing a number of different prequels to Game Of Thrones.
‘I know I am going to be asked whether those shows are going to be based on material from Fire & Blood. It’s a logical question. The only answer I can give is… ah, well, no one is sure yet, and anyway, I am not allowed to say. So let’s move that to the side.’
That answer is not satisfactory, George. Release the dragons.
This probably indicates Winds Of Winter won’t be released ahead of the show’s final season, so could there be some major changes to the narrative in Martin’s books?
George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood will be released on November 20, while Game Of Thrones season eight will be released next year.
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