"Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin hinted a few details about the upcoming "The Winds of Winter" novel before its speculated release early next year.

Year 2016 is coming to an end, and winter is definitely coming. However, it looks like George R.R. Martin's latest book, "The Winds of Winter", would not be released on what could be a perfect time to release it.

According to reports, Martin's sixth book to the "A Song of Fire and Ice" series should have been completed on early 2016 but did not meet his release timeline, thus the speculated 2017 release date.

One factor that may have contributed to the the delayed release is Martin's lack of attention on writing the story, due to the fact that he has made several travels and seminar appearances this year.

Another factor, as theorized in a Reddit discussion, may be Martin's writing speed itself - fans think that he's not lazy, but has a very slow writing speed. The discussion also tackles the issues of gathering all the characters towards a proper ending.

An analysis from The Washington Post explained that a 2017 release date isn't overdue but is actually on time, when compared to equally famous books from other authors. The article also mentioned that the whole "A Song of Fire and Ice" series may conclude on or before 2023.

George R.R. Martin also mentioned earlier this year that the book would not be completed until at least after the beginning of 2017, citing his limited 2017 appearances schedule and the fact that his limited appearances would remain so until "Winds" is completed.

Meanwhile, Martin has stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that "The Winds of Winter" will have a gloomy setting, and further hints that "winter is the time when things die," implying that another major character will die in the novel, although it should not be surprising, at this point.

Stay tuned for more news regarding "The Winds of Winter" and its release date.