'The Winds of Winter' release date update: more disappointment as book's launch delayed further

No release date has been set yet for "The Winds of Winter," bestselling novelist George R.R. Martin's next book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. However, there are already reports it will take longer to get here.

The author is expected to take a break from writing as he got sick after the Balticon. He revealed on his online journal that he acquired "some kind of con crud" after the event, where he read a chapter from "The Winds of Winter."

Now, he is suffering from "coughing, fever, headache, congestion, more coughing." However, his case is "milder" compared to his friends who was with him.

"We're all still under the weather, though recovering," "The Winds of Winter" author told his fans via the blog post.

"Lots to report on, lots to catch up on, but just now I don't have the energy. More sleep and more fluids... I should be my old self shortly," Martin promised.

While there's no assurance it will affect his "The Winds of Winter" writing, right now, fans want nothing more than to see Martin be back on his feet again.

Whether or not this will impact the release date of the book remains unclear, but seeing that there's no specific detail about it anyway, it might not matter.

In other related news, the "Game of Thrones" season 6 finale was given the title "Winds of Winter." This behemoth of an episode will be 69 minutes.

It is expected to feature the return of the White Walkers and will see the culmination of what has always been said in the past—"winter is coming."

The penultimate episode is titled "The Battle of the Bastards," which will run for a whole hour. It is expected to depict the war between Ramsay and Jon Snow for Winterfell.

As fans wait for "The Winds of Winter," which some rumors say might be out later this year, these two "Game of Thrones" season 6 spectacles should be more than enough for fans to get by.

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