'Winds of Winter' Release Date, Spoilers: Sixth ASOIAF Novel to End Differently than 'Game of Thrones'?
"Winds of Winter," the sixth installment in George RR Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels, will likely end differently than "Game of Thrones." Fans think that the author will steer the books in a different direction than the HBO series.
For one thing, Martin added chapters in "Winds of Winter" that will no longer happen on the show. The author published excerpts from the point of view of the character Arienne Martell, who hails from Dorne.
The Dorne storyline in the TV series essentially became non-existent in "Game of Thrones" season 7 with Ellaria Sand languishing in the dungeon at King's Landing. Actress Indira Varma confirmed that while her character did not die, Ellaria won't be back on the show anymore as she met her cruel end at the hands of Cersei Lannister.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
House Martell and Dorne, however, continues to exist in "Winds of Winter" based on the chapter Martin teased. Next to Daenerys, Arienne remains an important figure in ASOIAF, but there's no chance now for her character to appear on the HBO show.
It's no secret that "Game of Thrones" long deviated from the stories and characters of its original source, hence a different "Winds of Winter" ending comes as no surprise. Business Insider identified at least 30 ways the HBO show changed its direction compared to "A Song of Ice and Fire."
Meanwhile, Martin still cannot confirm when a completed "Winds of Winter" will hit store shelves. The author last released an ASOIAF volume in 2011 with "A Dance with Dragons." It took him six years to complete this book.
Martin stated last summer that his work on "Winds of Winter" is still months off its completion. He surmised that he might finish writing the book in 2018 or 2019, along with a volume of his other series, "Fire and Blood."
