It's been seven years now since fans were treated to A Dance with Dragons, the last book to be released in George RR Martin's A Song Of Ice and Fire series. 

And the sixth book still appears to be a long way off with all the indications being it will not see light of day any time this year. 

Martin said as much in an announcement on his blog back in April that did at least pacify concerns that the book wasn't being written at all.

At the same time as announcing a two-volume companion book called Fire and Blood, he confirmed that he was indeed still working on The Winds of Winter.

"Archmaester Gyldayn is hanging up his quill for a while. As for me, I'm returning once again to THE WINDS OF WINTER," he said.

He also revealed though: "No, winter is not coming... not in 2018, at least. You're going to have to keep waiting for THE WINDS OF WINTER." 

With Game of Thrones' final season set to air in 2019 - with a different ending from the book - it appears likely that the TV adaptation is going to finish before The Winds of Winter is published, not to mention A Dream of Spring, which is even further off in the distance.

Fire and Blood is set to release on Nov. 20, 2018.  The events in the spinoff take place prior to the main A Song of Fire and Ice, with the preview teasing: "300 years before A Game of Thrones, dragons ruled Westeros."

But why is The Winds of Winter taking so long when fan demand for it is so strong? 

Fans have been offering their theories on Reddit, with users suggesting that it is because Martin is under a lot of pressure to come up with a spectacular ending to cap off a spectacular series. 

In answer to the question of why it was being held up so long, Reddit user Griddamus wrote: "I think there are two main reasons.

"1. Writing dozens of connecting plot threads is hard. You might get through twenty of them, really like a new idea and have to go back to change the ones you'd already thought finished.

"2. Having the TV show basically spoil the ending of your three decade story has got to put a dampener on wanting to finish it.

"Bonus: GRRM is a temperamental man. All the negative stuff on the internet about it I expect just makes him stick his middle finger up and just says 'Well, f**k it then'."