The new book from George RR Martin has been en route since its predecessor’s release back in 2011. And as the sixth book in A Song Of Ice And Fire – of a planned seven – fans have been on tenterhooks for many years waiting to see what’s next for their favourite characters. Updates have been thin on the ground recently but there is a new encouraging sign that progress is being made.
Spanish fansite Los Siente Reinos published a report several weeks ago claiming to “confirm” that Martin had managed to really hit his stride with the manuscript whilst working in a cabin in the mountains outside of Santa Fe.
The site added that, especially in the first months of last year, the environment had a “great effect” on his creativity.
Fansite Wars And Politics Of Ice And Fire also published a detailed piece saying that same cabin was where he finished off Fire and Blood.
Elio Garcia Jr and Linda Antonsson, George RR Martin’s co-authors for The World of Ice and Fire, said: “George did use the cabin while completing [Fire and Blood], and he seemed to feel at the time that that had been helpful to his work process.”
And seeing as he occasionally ends his blogs with updates such as “in the bunker” or “the hidden fortress”, it seems fans can be assured that lots of work is being completed – and Martin is indeed knuckling down.
Recently, in another blog post, the Game of Thrones mastermind clarified that ASOIAF will be seven books long overall.
This came after fans had speculated that The Winds of Winter could end up being so dense that it’s split in two.
“For what it’s worth, I do not consider A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE to be a series,” he wrote.
“It’s one story. A huge complicated story, admittedly, one that will take seven volumes to tell (once I finish the last two).
“And in any case, FIRE & BLOOD is not strictly speaking a part of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE.
“It’s imaginary history set hundreds of years before any of the characters in SONG were born.”
Game of Thrones, meanwhile, returns for its final season in April.
