'The Winds of Winter' Release Date: Finished Book Will Not Be Published This Year; Fans React

"The Winds of Winter" release date remains to be a mystery to a lot waiting fans. While some patiently await more details about George R.R. Martin's upcoming novel, some readers have seemingly lost their interest because of the long wait.

In a Reddit forum, fans have aired out their concerns about "The Winds of Winter" release date. Many are vehemently expressing that they have lost all hope that a 2016 unveiling is bound to happen.

"It's 27th July. We're already halfway through 2016, Season 6 has come and gone like a candle in the wind, and TWOW still does not sit on my bookshelf," user stressedalmostwriter wrote. "GRRM made his infamous blog-post where he crushed our hype yet again about 7 months ago! 7 months!"

"Hold me, guys. Hold me. I don't think The Winds of Winter is being published this year, and I don't like it."

"GRRM just seems to be getting slower and slower as he ages and I've had all the optimism beaten out of me by past waits for AFFC and ADWD," user Seven Hells! seconded. "So yeah, I think we'll still be waiting this time next year."

At the recently concluded San Diego 2016 Comic Con, "The Winds of Winter" release date hopefuls claimed that they have seen author George R.R. Martin at the event. This fueled fans' excitement even more as they thought of Martin's alleged appearance as a sign that a significant update will be made at the annual gathering.

All hope was lost when "The Winds of Winter" author addressed the rumors on his personal blog. Turns out, the person fans saw at the event was not Martin, but a cosplayer dressed as the author.

"It's not me," Martin said on his blog, Christian Post noted. "It's some other old fat guy in a Greek sailor's cap and pair of suspenders, maybe. Who may or may not be consciously cosplaying as me."

"And just to be clear, no, I do not disapprove of fans cosplaying as me... so long as they don't actually pretend to be me," he added.

Stay tuned for more "The Winds of Winter" release date rumors here!