As a huge fan, it feels like forever – seriously, 17 years! – that we’ve been waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Thankfully, we got the Game of Thrones TV show, which was amazing for a while, but the ending really let a lot of us down. Still, HBO hasn’t left Westeros behind! We’ve also had House of the Dragon, and season three is coming this summer, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms just dropped this spring – it’s fantastic and has me wanting even more stories from that world.
Rumors are circulating again that George R.R. Martin’s next book, The Winds of Winter (the sixth in a series initially planned as a trilogy, but now expanding to seven books), may be released sooner than expected. This has sparked mixed reactions from fans – some are excited, while others remain doubtful. A recent anonymous online post claims Martin’s publisher received the completed manuscript in January and that an announcement could come around Comic Con, with the book potentially hitting shelves in the fall to coincide with the holiday shopping season. As you might imagine, fans are strongly divided on whether or not this information is accurate.
The ASOIAF Fandom is a Fandom Divided
Apparently TWOW will be announced soon!
— Ned Stark (@FantasyWorldW1) April 12, 2026
It’s not surprising that fans of A Song of Ice and Fire disagree about things, and the recent news about the potential release of Winds of Winter is proving to be no different. Some fans doubt the source of the information, while others are accepting it as fact. Many are complaining about the rumored length of the book, and a common sentiment is frustration with the long, almost twenty-year wait between installments. One fan expressed concern about a possible 1600-page book, remembering that George R.R. Martin had previously mentioned working on both The Winds of Winter and the series finale, A Dream of Spring, simultaneously. Another fan quickly countered, suggesting that anyone unhappy with such a long book isn’t a true fan of Martin’s work.
The possibility of the book being released this fall isn’t just based on recent leaks. George R.R. Martin said back in December 2025 that he was almost finished with Winds. However, some fans are skeptical because they’ve been waiting a long time since A Dance With Dragons was published. One fan pointed out that Martin previously stated he wouldn’t write any more of the Dunk and Egg stories until Winds was complete, and he mentioned wanting to write more Dunk and Egg stories in mid-January, which supports the idea that Winds might be finished soon.
One fan perfectly captured the intense reaction, stating that if the rumor was false, the person who started it deserved the worst possible fate. But if it was true, that person would be a legendary hero, fulfilling an ancient prophecy and blessed by all the gods of Westeros.
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2026-04-12 19:41