It was previously reported that "The Winds of Winter" may not release until late 2016 or early 2017. Now ,author George R.R. Martin has officially confirmed on his Live Journal that the book is not done and will not release prior to the premiere of "Game of Thrones" season 6.
As noted in his post, this will come to the disappointment of many fans who fear that the sixth season of the show will spoil events that are set to take place in "The Winds of Winter." However, he does note that there are many differences between the books and the series and that even though the show gets to tell the story first, it won't necessarily spoil everything.
Martin reveals that he was initially given a Halloween 2015 deadline, which he could not meet due to numerous "distractions" such as his travels. He was then given an extension to finish the book by the end of 2015 in order for it to release by late March of this year but he has also been unable to hit that deadline.
"I won't make excuses. There are no excuses," Martin explained. "No one else is to blame. Not my editors and publishers, not HBO, not David and Dan [the 'Game of Thrones' showrunners]. It's on me. I tried, and I am still trying."
The author has also stated that he is still working on "The Winds of Winter" at the best pace he can go at, citing that there are "good days" and "bad days" and that despite his age, his writing speed is still relatively the same as it was when he was in his youth.
In regards to a new deadline, the author simply stated, "It will be done when it's done. And it will be as good as I can possibly make it."
The previous book in the seriers, "A Dance with Dragons," launched in 2011, approximately five years after the book that preceded it. In the meantime, "Game of Thrones" season 6 will premiere in April.
