FINALLY!!!

A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the most beloved fantasy series of the last two decades, and is respected around the world. It debuted in 1996 with A Game of Thrones, and only got better with 1998's A Clash of Kings and 2000's A Storm of Swords. Then author George R. R. Martin hit a snag, and the long wait started. His next volume quickly shot past the 1000-page mark, and decisions had to be made. Eventually, the decision was made to divide the fourth book into two parts based by dividing the characters, rather than just cutting the timeline in half. This required some revisions, but in 2005 the public finally received A Feast for Crows. Martin was certain that he would have the next book revised in a year's time, at most. He was wrong.



Yesterday, Martin finally announced an official publication date for the fifth book. A Dance with Dragons will be available on July 12th, 2011. This is convenient, as it will probably be about two weeks after the conclusion of the first season of Game of Thrones, the new HBO series based on the books. Fantasy fans have a lot to celebrate this weekend.