'A Song of Ice and Fire' jigsaw puzzle leaves fans struggling to find the missing piece - The Winds of Winter

Famous fantasy author, infamous in Twitter comments today, George R.R. Martin has decided to grace the world with a brand new look for his beloved 'A Song of Ice and Fire' book series. You heard it right - new covers. Because what fans want is a fresh coat of paint on those old books, not the long-awaited conclusion to the story.

The new design, which Martin claims "tries to capture the vastness of Westeros and the dangerous journey readers will encounter," has only agitated the fandom further.

The design process paired linocut artist Mark Seekins and designer Tim Green, with art direction from David G. Stevenson.

Reactions on social media have been nothing short of scathing, with one fan aptly noting, "Covers?? COVERS???

George, we said Winds of Winter... Not new covers..."

While another said "He's doing everything except writing his own book"

Another frustrated reader summed it up saying: "Instead of new covers, go back and edit that last two books, both of which are a slog, filled with unending descriptive paragraphs and chapters that have so little to do with the actual narrative. It is clear why the television series tailed off so much during those last two seasons."

A person commented "This Friday, July 12th, will mark 13 years since the last book came out. It's becoming a near certainty ASOIAF will never be finished."

There's a growing certainty that 'A Song of Ice and Fire' will never see a proper conclusion. As one fan so eloquently put it, "Why would anyone buy this story that will never have an ending?"

Martin pacified the readers regarding his upcoming novel saying,

"When WINDS OF WINTER is done, the word will not trickle out, there WILL be a big announcement… where and when I cannot say,"

George R.R. Martin's long-awaited sixth book in the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, 'The Winds of Winter,' continues to face delays. The fantasy author has revealed that the novel is still a work in progress, and he has not yet planned a release date.

This book has been in development since 2010, and Martin has provided numerous updates over the years about its progress. However, in his latest blog post, he addressed the speculation that arose after he mentioned meeting with his editor in London last year. Martin apologized to his fans, explaining that these trips are simply part of his standard publishing routine - a chance to catch up with the people he works with, rather than a sign of any imminent book release.

The author emphasized that his communication with editors and publishers is typically done through digital means, and these in-person meetings are simply a way to maintain relationships and enjoy a nice meal. Martin assured fans that when 'The Winds of Winter' is finally completed, the announcement will be a big one, but he cannot provide a timeline for when that might happen.

"Last year, when I mentioned seeing my Voyager editor in London, the internet went nuts, throwing up all sorts of theories about how this meant that WINDS OF WINTER was done and a huge announcement was at hand. Uhhhh… sorry guys, but no. That’s not how it works. Making contacts… which often turn into friendships… is a huge part of publishing. Most of my communication with my editors and publishers is conducted via emails, phone calls, zooms, and texts (in the old days, we had letters written on paper too)...

... This is just the standard way of doing business, guys. It does NOT signify that some momentous announcement is at hand. It doesn’t signify anything, actually… except a desire to touch base, catch up, renew old contacts or make some new ones… and enjoy a nice meal," said Martin.

In 2022, Martin reported that The Winds of Winter is "three-quarters of the way done." In case you need to examine what has as of now been composed, it was said that the first 11 chapters of the upcoming novel have been published in different places. Martin has made various declarations in the past approximating the novel's release date, but none of them came to fruition, likely why he's presently keeping his lips sealed when it comes to the book publishing. As for its association with HBO, the creator has affirmed that the book will be different as compared to what was seen by us so far.