George R.R. Martin finally delivers good news about ‘The Winds of Winter’ | Books | Entertainment

After over a decade of speculation, frustration, and fervent fan theories, George R.R. Martin has finally delivered a long-awaited update that will thrill Game of Thrones fans worldwide. In a live-streamed interview with Penguin Random House, the legendary author confirmed that The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in his epic A Song of Ice and Fire series, is not only well underway but it’s shaping up to be the longest instalment yet.

“It’s a big, big book, I’ve said that before,” Martin explained. “It’s a challenging book. It’s probably gonna be a larger book than any of the previous volumes in the series.”

Martin revealed that he’s currently written around 1,200 pages, with another 400 to 500 still to go, pushing the final total close to 1,700 pages, which would make it longer than both A Storm of Swords and A Dance with Dragons, the previous page-count heavyweights of the saga. He estimates that roughly 75% of the novel is now complete.

The update comes after 14 years of anticipation and intermittent blog posts that often left fans guessing.

The notoriously complex structure of The Winds of Winter is partly to blame for the prolonged wait, with Martin admitting that the sheer scale of the narrative, and the number of major characters still in play, has made the writing process especially daunting.

One of the main hurdles is what Martin calls the “Meereenese Knot”, a tangled storyline involving Daenerys Targaryen and the multiple factions and characters converging on her city of Meereen, including Tyrion Lannister, Victarion Greyjoy, Quentyn Martell, and Ser Barristan Selmy.

Each has their own goals, backstories, and timelines, making it a “logistical nightmare” to weave their arcs together cohesively.

Although Martin still refrained from offering a specific release date this latest progress report has finally provided a glimmer of hope for fans who feared the book might never see the light of day.

Martin also confirmed that while certain events from HBO’s Game of Thrones will be present in his books, readers should expect major divergences. “Some things will be the same, but a lot will not.

“The journey is different, even if the destination might sometimes look familiar,” he teased.