‘The Winds Of Winter’ Release Date: Is Sixth ‘Game Of Thrones’ Book Delayed Till 2016?

“Game of Thrones” fans may not be getting everything on their Christmas list this year because it seems like George R.R. Martin is still in no rush to write, finish and release the sixth book of his “A Song Of Ice and Fire” series. The book series, which celebrated it’s first in release in 1996 with “Game of Thrones” has gained a massive following due to the succes of the first and then the four consecutive novels, however it has recently become a genuine cultural phenomenon due to the series being adapted for an HBO show, the TV series which took it’s name from the collection’s first installment premiered on HBO in April of 2011.

Since the TV series premiere only one furhter book installment has been released, “A Dance of Dragons” which made it’s debut in July of 2011. Since then readers of the series have experienced a serious drought, with no confirmed release date for the sixth book, “The Winds of Winter.” So is there any good news on the horizon for “A Song of Ice and Fire” loyalists? Well not in terms of release date, which is reportedly slated between 2015 and 2017, and judging by Martin’s past performance when it comes to “speed writing” fans should prepare to wait till the end of that two-year gap.

But there is some silver lining to the delayed release date, the plot is set to be one of the most action filled yet. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Martin reveals, “we’re going to start out with a big smash with the two enormous battles.” At the end of “The Dance of Dragons” fans saw the army of Roose Bolton and the approaching army of Stannis Baratheon tensed for an enormous Northern, snow filled clash. The other battle, the author is most likely referencing is the mounting tension across the Narrow Sea between the formerly liberated Yunkai against Daenerys’ current holding, Meereen. In addition, Martin says, “We have more deaths, and we have more betrayals. We have more marriages.”

More on fan-favorite Dany was revealed during the interview, in “A Dance of Dragons” and Season 4 of “Game of Thrones” fans anticipated the meeting between Daenerys who is currently ruling in Essos and Tyrion Lannister, who is fugitive on the run, mainly due to the trickery of the Tyrell’s and Littlefinger and of course the accusation of his sister Cersei who desire his head on a pike. Due to these prominent figures both wandering in the East, it can be easily assumed that the stories will collide, and GRRM provided some insight as to how the meeting will go down. “Well, Tyrion and Dany will intersect, in a way, but for much of the book they’re still apart,” he says. “They both have quite large roles to play here. Tyrion has decided that he actually would like to live, for one thing, which he wasn’t entirely sure of during the last book, and he’s now working toward that end—if he can survive the battle that’s breaking out all around him. And Dany has embraced her heritage as a Targaryen and embraced the Targaryen words. So they’re both coming home.”

These plot spoilers are enough to make any GoT fan go insane, however there is one large issue. Season 5 of “Game of Thrones” has already caught up to several plot lines in “A Dance of Dragons” meaning that the TV show will essentially spoil the book, or the TV series will languish for a full season not accomplishing much of anything in terms of character arcs, either way it's not good. What do you think about “The Winds of Winter” being released after the Season 5 premiere of “Game of Thrones?” Comment below and let us know!