George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin, author of the "Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series that is the basis of the television series "Game of Thrones", gestures during his masterclass at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) in Neuchatel July 10, 2014. Reuters/Denis Balibouse

Alejo Cuervo, the editor of Ediciones Gigamesh, has confirmed in a recent interview that “Winds of Winter” will be released in 2016. The long awaited book by George R.R. Martin is the sixth book in “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series. The book will reveal the fate of several characters after the cliffhanger ending of “A Dance of Dragons.”

According to a report by LosSieteReinos, Cuervo has revealed that the next book by Martin will be released in 2016. The difference between the release dates of the Spanish version and the English version are not expected to be much, as the manuscript will be made available to the Spanish publishers well before the book is out in the market.

The editor did not reveal the exact release date of the book and only confirmed that it will be released in 2016. He, however, joked that although this is the plan right now, the release date may be altered if a meteor should fall.

Martin is aware of how much the fans are looking forward to “Winds of Winter” and has been keen on releasing the book before the next season of “Game of Thrones” airs in 2016. In a previous interview to Entertainment Weekly, Martin said that launching the book before Season 6 has been important to him “all along.”

Martin said that he has cancelled his plans to go to two conventions, and has turned down many interview requests to clear his schedule to make sure he has enough time to complete the book.

Martin teased that he had come up with a new “big, revealing twist” for a “long-time character” and he expects this twist to drive the readers “crazy.” The author had described it as a “great twist,” but had still not decided about using that plot direction in his forthcoming book.

Describing some of the challenges he faced while writing “Winds of Winter,” Martin said that one day he would feel that what he has written is the “greatest thing” he has ever done, but the next day he would feel that what he has written is “all garbage.” The author has so far not announced an exact release date of the next book in “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series.