While the world is in quarantine, Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin has squirrelled himself away in mountain cabin isolation to finish writing The Winds of Winter. The 71-year-old’s novel will be the penultimate and sixth entry in A Song of Ice and Fire. Fans have been trying to predict what could happen next, but an ASOIAF expert reckons the surprises Martin has in-store are far superior to any theories.

ASOIAF expert BryndenBFish recently tweeted: “Think back to your experiences at the end of STORM.

“You had inklings about the story direction. You may have been right in some predictions.

“But those predictions paled against the masterful narrative GRRM wrote in AFFC/ADWD.

“That’s how I feel about TWOW and all the theories.”

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In fact, one fan reckons the real reason for such a long delay waiting for the novel is because Martin wants it to be as masterful as A Storm of Swords.

Reddit user extremeq16 argues: “My belief is that the reason Winds has taken just so long is because it’s likely going to be GRRM’s final masterpiece single novel wise; something that will, as he likely intends at least, [to] top A Storm of Swords.

“I think by now the overall flow of the series is clear; whereas many authors follow the rising action [to] climax path on a book by book basis (and not to say GRRM doesn’t as well), ASOIAF has also developed a clear trend of building and building the overall tension over multiple books as plot threads develop and interweave.

“And then having them all explode in a single, action-packed book; a book to plant the seeds of what’s to come, a book to water them, and a book to harvest and reap the rewards of what’s been anticipated before you clear the board and begin to set the stage for a new climax.”

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They added: “This is what ASOS did after two books of building and building and from what bits and pieces we know about TWOW so far, it’s very likely that it will do the same.

“This is why I believe Winds has taken so long. GRRM wants to make it just as good as, if not even better than his best novel he’s ever written.

“So much of what he’s been writing for the past few decades of his life is going to culminate in this book.

“And if i were in his shoes, I can’t imagine I’d want to put it out to the world as anything but what I felt was perfect.”

Let’s also not forget that Martin’s A Storm of Swords lost the Hugo Award to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The 71-year-old has never won the prestigious Best sci-fi/fantasy novel prize for an A Song of Ice and Fire novel.

But no doubt Martin will be working hard at his best chances of The Winds of Winter picking up that prized gong.

Fingers crossed fans can finally read the long-delayed novel later this year.