The new year is certainly off to a hopeful start. 2018 might finally be the year when The Winds of Winter gets published. George R.R. Martin has just hinted at the possible release of the highly anticipated novel later this year. But there is also a possibility that the author may have been referring to another project that is somehow connected to A Song of Ice and Fire .
People have been keeping track of George R.R. Martin’s progress on all of his available platforms. Although the writer had occasionally offered updates on The Winds of Winter on his LiveJournal, Martin has decided to keep all details under wraps until the book is ready. Nevertheless, fans believe that the author still drops a few hints on his official Twitter account. There are speculations that Martin’s most recent tweet may have teased the release of the sixth A Song of Ice and Fire novel.
George R.R. Martin recently greeted his Twitter followers during the holidays, sharing that he “had a lovely Christmas Day with friends and family” and that “Santa was very good to me.” The second part of The Winds of Winter writer’s tweet wishes that “better times are ahead for all of us” along with the hashtag #hopeful.
The message is nothing new, as George R.R. Martin has previously posted it on his blog . However, the tweet was accompanied by an interesting photo showing Santa Claus’s sleigh being pulled by a dragon against the light of the moon. Some fans believe that Martin chose the picture to indicate that The Winds of Winter will be released by 2018.
… I thought 2016 was a bad year, but 2017 was even worse… if not so much for me personally, then certainly for a lot of my friends and loved ones, and for the nation and the world as a whole. I hope better times are ahead for all of us. #hopeful pic.twitter.com/mIFPTrYgin
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) December 30, 2017
It is easy to see why people are hoping the tweet is a secret update about The Winds of Winter . There have been speculations that the sixth ASOIAF novel will feature a lengthy account of Viserion’s fate, which has already been shown in Game of Thrones Season 7. On the other hand, some believe that the post confirms that the Targaryen bible Fire and Blood will be released much sooner.
George R.R. Martin has not yet announced The Winds of Winter release date. However, the book is expected to be published in 2018.