WARNING: POTENTIAL "WINDS OF WINTER" AND "GAME OF THRONES" SEASON 6 SPOILERS AHEAD!
The "Winds of Winter" release date is rumored to take place before the premiere of "Game of Thrones" Season 6.
The last book that author George R.R. Martin released in his "A Song of Fire and Ice" series was 2011's "A Dance of Dragons," therefore it's quite understandable that fans are searching for every bit of info or rumor about the "Winds of Winter" release date.
"Winds of Winter" release date rumors started since Martin released "A Dance of Dragons," but speculations of a nearing release came following the delay of the "Game of Thrones" Season 6. It's now believed that "GOT" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are waiting for Martin to finish "Winds of Winter" before they premiere the sixth season of the HBO series.
According to The Inquisitr, Benioff and Weiss wanted to pay tribute to Martin, whose books made the "Game of Thrones" universe possible.
The show reasoned that the delay was due to HBO's new musical drama by Martin Scorsese, "Vinyl." However, fans doubt this and believe that the network is simply waiting for Martin to finish his work.
Earlier "Winds of Winter" release date rumors claimed that a Polish publishing house is in the process of translating the book to Polish as they have acquired the manuscript already. In addition, a Spanish publication house has reportedly claimed a release of the book in Spanish in the coming months. If these speculations prove true, it's highly likely that "Winds of Winter" will be released early next year, according to Yibada.
Meanwhile, as fans eagerly await Martin's upcoming book, the author has hinted at a few shocking twists in "Winds of Winter."
"People ask me how "Game of Thrones" is gonna end, and I'm not gonna tell them. But I always say to expect something bittersweet in the end. I think you need to have some hope. We all yearn for happy endings in a sense. Myself, I'm attracted to the bittersweet ending," Martin said in a Vulture interview.
He added that the "Game of Thrones" ending will be inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's "Return of the King."
Martin also hinted at Jon Snow being alive in the book despite his tragic death in Season 5 in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
According to the Huffington Post, GRRM wants to surprise fans with a shocking twist in "Winds of Winter." However, the author said he's still not sure about it.
"I'm still weighing whether to go that direction or not. It's a great twist. It's easy to do things that are shocking or unexpected, but they have to grow out of characters. They have to grow out of situations. Otherwise, it's just being shocking for being shocking," Martin said.