'The Winds of Winter' Could Arrive Following End of 'Game of Thrones'
It is no secret that "The Winds of Winter" has been delayed for quite a while now, but it looks like fans may need to wait until next year at the earliest in order to get their hands on the next installment in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel series.
Rumors are rife that "The Winds of Winter" will not be released until after "Game of Thrones" season 8 airs. That means the novel may only arrive after the HBO series concludes. There were previous rumors that claimed the book would drop before the seventh season, but that is definitely not the case since "Game of Thrones" returns this July.
George R. R. Martin has kept rather quiet on the novel's status, leading some fans to believe that "The Winds of Winter" may be far from completion. Martin's last entry in the series, "A Dance with Dragons," was released all the way back in 2011.
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It is also believed that the author is far too busy to work on the novel, and that was before the "Game of Thrones" spin-offs were announced. As previously reported, his schedule is expected to become even more hectic now that he will be working with two writers, Jane Goldman and Carly Wray, on two different spin-off stories. In addition to Goldman and Wray, Max Borenstein and Brian Helgeland have also been tapped by HBO to pen potential spin-offs.
The "Game of Thrones" franchise has certainly become a lucrative one, so it comes as no surprise that HBO would capitalize on it and expand its universe. After all, there are plenty of possible stories to tell and a number of other characters to get to know.
It should be noted, though, that Martin will not be contributing to the writing of the spin-offs; rather, he will help Goldman and Wray with the story and structure.
Since the release date cannot be confirmed at this point, readers are advised to take this news with a grain of salt.
