'The Winds of Winter' plot rumours, release date update: Has George R. R. Martin finished the book?

"The Winds of Winter," the sixth instalment in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, is one of the most awaited books of this year, and according to a new report by The Bit Bag, author George R. R. Martin has already completed the book and it will be published in May.

Other reports claim a date closer to the end of 2016 is more likely as Martin has been complaining about writer's block and his struggles to complete the book are well documented. There hasn't been any official confirmation on the release date yet and, therefore, it is wiser to take all these reports as mere speculations.

As for the plot, Martin has released excerpts online, giving fans a vague idea of what to expect in the next instalment. The author has also claimed that "The Winds of Winter" will contain clues about Jon Snow's parentage, and earlier this month he took to Twitter to drop a major hint as to who Jon Snow's parents are.

"I'll give you a little hint: Jon's parents names rhyme with "Schmobert Schmaratheon" and "Schmatelyn Schmark," Martin's post, which he deleted later on, read. However, it did not take long before speculations started on how Robert Baratheon and Catelyn Stark would become Jon's parents, especially as Catelyn loathed Jon Snow. It is also impossible for Catelyn to have given birth to Jon Snow and not know about it.

It remains to be seen if Season 6 of "Game of Thrones" will deal with Jon Snow's true parentage.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Martin has revealed the plot unknowingly. He had previously mentioned about the Red Wedding before it aired.

"I get so excited when I'm able to talk about my books to my fans, and sometimes I just say stupid things," Martin told Unleashed Reality about his habit of blurting out things without thinking. "I'm sorry if I've spoiled anything for anybody, but what's done is done, and I think we should just move on."