'The Winds Of Winter' Release Date Delayed To 2018? 'ASOIAF' Novel To Be Published After 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Premiere

The wait for "The Winds of Winter" is set to be much longer than initially expected. The sixth novel in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series was set for release in late 2016 but the author has already confessed that it is nowhere near completion. Now it looks like the highly anticipated follow-up to "A Dance with Dragons" will be delayed to a 2018 publication. Will Martin find the time to finish "TWOW" so it can be released after "Game of Thrones" Season 7?

A possible delay in "The Winds of Winter" release date is old news, especially since people have been waiting for the novel for several years. The sixth "ASOIAF" book was initially expected to be completed late last year but George R.R. Martin announced that he still has plenty of pages to write. But is it possible that "TWOW" will be published right after the "Game of Thrones" Season 7 premiere? Fans are advised not to hold their breaths.

CeleBeat has previously reported on "The Winds of Winter" release date being delayed due to George R.R. Martin's busy schedule. The author himself has confirmed that he is involved with several projects which include five different "Game of Thrones" spinoff shows which he refers to as "successor shows". Nevertheless, there is hope that Martin will prioritize the sixth "ASOIAF" novel since it is the one that has been delayed the longest. However, it is still possible that the book will not be published until 2018.

There are speculations that George R.R. Martin is close to finishing "The Winds of Winter", which will then be subject to editing and proof-reading prior to publication. Hopefully, the novel will be released by early 2018. In the meantime, "Game of Thrones" Season 7 will air on HBO on July 16, as per YouTube.