Highly acclaimed author George R.R. Martin is currently still working on "Winds of Winter," the sixth book in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire." But fans are too eager to wait, so they come up with their own speculations and theories about what's going to happen next, both in the book and in the TV adaptation of the series, "Game of Thrones."

"It's a terrific feeling, knowing you have not only a lot of readers or viewers, but that they're so intense, and bringing so much thought and interest to bear," Mr. Martin said in an interview with Rolling Stone's Mikal Gilmore, published last April. "But maybe that's part of what's slowed me down – the knowledge that so many people are looking at every line, and waiting on every turn and scene."

But while fans can keep on speculating, no one can really tell for sure what the author has in mind for his characters. He did reveal way back in 2012 that "Winds of Winter" will open with two battles – the battle in the ice and the battle of Slaver's Bay in Mereen. The loose ends left in "A Dance with Dragons" will also be resolved early in the new book. And, the author promised, fans will see more of the Others.

Furthermore, the excerpt that he shared features Arya who has, by this period in the series, already become a very adept assassin. In the sample chapter, she takes on the face of Mercy, a young Braavosi mummer (or a stage performer) who lures and kills a Westerosi guardsman.  The guardsman is accompanying an envoy from the Seven Kingdoms. The chapter also reveals that the younger Stark daughter, having Warg abilities like her brother Bran, continues to bond with her direwolf, Nymeria.

So, when can fans expect "Winds of Winter" to come out? No one really knows, not even Mr. Martin.

"I've reached a point where I have to stop thinking about things like that (the amount of writing that needs to be done), because it's just too daunting," the author said. "I write one chapter at a time, one scene at a time, one sentence at a time, and don't worry about the rest. Step by step, sooner or later, the journey will get me there."

For the meantime, fans of the series can look forward to the "The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones," to be released on Oct. 28. They can then immerse themselves in a comprehensive history of the Seven Kingdoms, including the Dawn Age, the Coming of the First Men, and the establishment of the Iron Throne, among other events in the vast and intriguing landscape of the world of Game of Thrones. It is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Walmart.