Fans of the hit TV series "Game of Thrones" are still discussing the twists and turns that the finale of the sixth season brought, but those waiting for the next book in George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" series, the high-fantasy novels that inspired the HBO show, still have no idea when it will be released.

According to a report from The Star, Martin's publisher, Bantam Books, indeed confirmed that "The Winds of Winter" is still in limbo: "There is no current scheduled release date."

Martin has so far missed two deadlines set by his publisher. He was initially given until October last year to submit the draft of "The Winds of Winter," but obviously, that did not happen. He was then given a two-month extension, which he also failed to comply with.

This is despite the fact that the 67-year-old author has minimized his public appearances and stopped contributing to the "Game of Thrones" script to be able to focus on his writing. He nevertheless revealed some details of his plans for the books to the show's producers, who already introduced plot points to the series that has yet to be revealed in the books.

Nevertheless, a dedicated fan, blogger BryndenBFish, predicts that "The Winds of Winter" will be out by early 2017, based on the amount of time Martin took to publish his other books in the "A Song of Fire and Ice" series.

"I've seen a lot of anger about George R. R. Martin's slow progress," the blogger was quoted by The Star as saying. "And if I'm being honest, I have to fight similar feelings. However, what I do know is that the time, energy and slowness of Martin's writing ensures that the books are thematically and narratively fulfilling."

Nevertheless, Martin offered a preview of "The Winds of Winter" in his official website featuring a chapter from the point of view of Arianne Martell.