Brace yourself (for disappointment): George R.R. Martin’s Winds Of Winter is not coming soon

Martin’s last, A Dance With Dragons, was released in 2011. The author recently published excerpts from The Winds Of Winter on his blog, leading some to believe the rest of the novel might be forthcoming. Martin was quick to quash speculation over encoded release dates hidden within the excerpt, however, writing:

“I am still working on Winds. When it’s done, I will announce it here. There won’t be any clues to decipher, any codes or hidden meanings, the announcement will be straightforward and to the point. I won’t time it to coincide with Xmas or Valentine’s Day or Lincoln’s Birthday, the book will not rise from the dead with Jesus on Easter Sunday. When it is done, I will say that it is done, on whatever day I happen to finish. I don’t know how I can make it any clearer.”

As if to sweeten the bitter pill of one more year in the dark, this October HarperCollins will release illustrated versions of four already-published novellas set in Westeros. Bundled together, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” “The Hedge Knight,” “The Sworn Sword,” and “The Mystery Knight” tell separate stories from A Song Of Ice And Fire but “give fascinating insights into the ongoing story,” according to Johnson. Of course, readers would rather be shivering in winter winds than placated by a fleeting ray of sunshine.