ADWD Release July 12th!

**Werthead** · January 20th, 2011, 01:40 PM

Interesting. Via Twitter, Bantam have revealed they are currently working on the maps for ADWD, but are having issues with one (possibly the new Free Cities one) due to GRRM's handwriting being hard to read.

That's intriguing, as I'm sure I read something from Bantam a while ago that the maps were done and ready to go. Of course, they may have meant they were simply re-using the existing maps from the earlier novels and didn't know they were supposed to have at least one new map in the book (maybe two, if GRRM has decided that the map of Braavos he drew for AFFC is needed in ADWD).

Oh yeah, and Bantam have committed to spending a very large sum of money on a major marketing campaign for ASoIaF in the near future, including TV spots, as revealed in the PDF for the relaunch of the series in new covers (which is now missing from their website; even more bemusing). I am sceptical that they'd spend all that, then spend a ton more cash months or even a year down the road for ADWD's marketing. My guess is that this is all part of the same plan. So I'd read 'imminent' as 'maybe by late March', which is when all this marketing is supposed to kick in at the latest.

**sweetmartin** · January 20th, 2011, 05:19 PM

i thought at least George has delivered the maps since then.it seems he will revisit,re-write and re-paint the whole map.it cant take long.

after so many dead-ends and wrong turns George is on the finishing line

if only the Meereeneesee jam were not there

**Werthead** · January 21st, 2011, 03:09 AM

Ah, it appears that Bantam feel the existing maps are a bit cack, especially in comparison to this fan map, so they're redoing them. This appears to be a recent decision.

Whether that means we're getting colour endpaper maps in the hardcovers like WoT, I'm not sure. That could be one conclusion.

**Evil Agent** · January 21st, 2011, 01:39 PM

I wonder how good of a job they do with the new maps, and the new tie-in covers. I already own two versions (the US paperbacks with Stephen Youll artwork, and the US hardcovers with simple heraldic logos). Will the new maps and cover art be good enough to make someone like me buy a third set? Probably not, but we'll see.

Question: will the US hardcover of ADWD still look like the image below? Or is it going to be changed, to go along with the UK cover art? If so, I will be annoyed that it doesn't match the rest of my hardcovers anymore.

**Werthead** · January 21st, 2011, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Evil Agent

I wonder how good of a job they do with the new maps, and the new tie-in covers. I already own two versions (the US paperbacks with Stephen Youll artwork, and the US hardcovers with simple heraldic logos). Will the new maps and cover art be good enough to make someone like me buy a third set? Probably not, but we'll see.

Question: will the US hardcover of ADWD still look like the image below? Or is it going to be changed, to go along with the UK cover art? If so, I will be annoyed that it doesn't match the rest of my hardcovers anymore.

My current understanding is that that cover has been ditched altogether (possibly because the government of Wales wanted to know WTF was going on with their flag

). The 'new' ADWD cover apparently is the current UK cover of AGoT (yes, this will get confusing):

**Loerwyn** · January 21st, 2011, 02:21 PM

So, Wert, we'll get the AGoT cover for AGoT and ADWD for ADWD, but the US will have AGoT for ADWD and ADWD for AGoT?

**Evil Agent** · January 21st, 2011, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Werthead

My current understanding is that that cover has been ditched altogether (possibly because the government of Wales wanted to know WTF was going on with their flag

). The 'new' ADWD cover apparently is the current UK cover of AGoT (yes, this will get confusing):

That's hilarious, I never realized how close that was to the flag of Wales!

Anyways, I do prefer the UK cover art, so maybe this is good news... but I'm still annoyed that my books won't match.

**Jussi** · January 21st, 2011, 03:20 PM

There is also this version of the image:

**Werthead** · January 22nd, 2011, 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by Cheerwell

So, Wert, we'll get the AGoT cover for AGoT and ADWD for ADWD, but the US will have AGoT for ADWD and ADWD for AGoT?

Yup. The British GoT cover (which isn't showing up above for some reason) has a dragon's skull on the cover, so they've presumably thought, "Ah, put the dragon pic on the book with the dragons in the title!" Although the skull is actually from one of the Targ dragons kept in the basement of the Red Keep that Arya checks out in AGoT, but whatever

**kater** · January 22nd, 2011, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Werthead

My current understanding is that that cover has been ditched altogether (possibly because the government of Wales wanted to know WTF was going on with their flag

Technically we don't have a government but yeah wtf

first time I've seen that, quite funny

**Mithfânion** · January 29th, 2011, 10:06 AM

You know, sometimes I have moments where my impatience gets the better of me. Reading some of the discussion threads on the various hot topics on Westeros forums really isn't good for you when you want to tone down your anticipation for "Dance". It is * such* an important book for the overall story, and for us to finally catch up with our favorite characters, many of which last read about 10+ years ago.

I want this book to finally be done now. Please, George. Come on.

I was looking at his schedule and it does show that he has a clear schedule up until June, when he goes to Poland. Which makes you think that he will surely finish it soon as we all keep hearing. Even with major setbacks, you'd expect it done by June.

But then I went to his Ice and Fire update page, which as we all know was last updated in January 2008

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html

This summer I am scheduled to travel to Spain to speak at Semana Negra in Gijon, make some appearances in Madrid and Barcelona, and then head over to Portugal to visit with my publishers and readers there. I want to have A DANCE WITH DRAGONS done and delivered before I leave. If that happens, the book will likely be published in the fall of 2008 in the U.S, and somewhat earlier in the U.K. I am pleased with the way the writing is going at the moment, and I think these projections are realistic ones... but as you all know, I've been wrong before

And I just get depressed and feeling exhausted with this endless, ceaseless wait. If in January 2008 you thought you would be done by the summer, and now more than three full years have passed and you are still thinking it will be done soon, maybe we are just deluding ourselves in thinking that this book is still going to come out this year, or at all. The sad thing is that this series is just so good that even after all these years, you still care.

**Werthead** · January 29th, 2011, 12:25 PM

The frustration factor recently (by recently I'd mean the last year or so) has been high, I agree. I remember talking to George in Belfast in November 2009 and he seemed highly optimistic he was on the home straight, although he did say the Knot remained problematic.

With the recent news from around Christmas and then his illness, I was thinking that the completion announcement would most likely come in February or March. Given his illness cost him only a couple of weeks maximum, even with him on a restricted schedule the impact should not be colossal. Of course, we are introducing logic to the ADWD situation, which has never worked out well before

**Corporal Blues** · January 29th, 2011, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Mithfânion

I want this book to finally be done now. Please, George. Come on.

I was looking at his schedule and it does show that he has a clear schedule up until June, when he goes to Poland. Which makes you think that he will surely finish it soon as we all keep hearing. Even with major setbacks, you'd expect it done by June.

But then I went to his Ice and Fire update page, which as we all know was last updated in January 2008

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html

And I just get depressed and feeling exhausted with this endless, ceaseless wait. If in January 2008 you thought you would be done by the summer, and now more than three full years have passed and you are still thinking it will be done soon, maybe we are just deluding ourselves in thinking that this book is still going to come out this year, or at all. The sad thing is that this series is just so good that even after all these years, you still care.

I pretty much feel the same way. I used to check up on his progress via his website at least once a week, but it has been at least a year since I have visited now. Yeah, there is other great fantasy out there but none of them are ASoIaF and that's the one I want to read.

This whole waiting business is reminiscent of all the drama surrounding Guns and Roses' Chinese Democracy album in the sense that it is sort of a joke at how many delays, promises and disappointments there have been

**Lordwalker** · January 29th, 2011, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Corporal Blues

I pretty much feel the same way. I used to check up on his progress via his website at least once a week, but it has been at least a year since I have visited now. Yeah, there is other great fantasy out there but none of them are ASoIaF and that's the one I want to read.

This whole waiting business is reminiscent of all the drama surrounding Guns and Roses' Chinese Democracy album in the sense that it is sort of a joke at how many delays, promises and disappointments there have been

I still check almost daily along with the Westeros board and Wertzone. Obsessed? Maybe. But at least there is always news of other goings on on these boards.

**Erfael** · February 9th, 2011, 09:29 AM

REMINDER: Only post in this thread if you have on-topic, relevant things to say about the release date of Martin's next book. We'd like to keep this one open, but only if it sticks the rules. And for this thread, that means no comments that don't directly pertain to info about the release date.

I've now had to remove the last three posts in this thread because they were minor pokes about the book not being out. And they're from familiar names that liked to stir things up in the old thread. Let's not have that, folks.