Game of Thrones‘ reign on HBO has officially come to an end, with the business of the Iron Throne finally being resolved, for better and worse. However, if you were to ask many fans on how well this final season did, chances are you’d be getting a laundry list of complaints having to do with events themselves, and perhaps most importantly, the overall pacing. Indeed, to many fans, the way this show ended was a bit less than ideal.

But what does this mean for the books? Fans know that the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which is the source material for the Game of Thrones TV show, still has two books left until it’s finished, but what does this mean in terms of what we’ll be getting from the story? Will it just be a reflection of what came first in the series, or will author George R.R. Martin pull a fast one on us and completely change the way it all ends.

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Here’s what Martin had to say on his personal blog.

“And I’m writing. Winter is coming, I told you, long ago… and so it is. THE WINDS OF WINTER is very late, I know, I know, but it will be done. I won’t say when, I’ve tried that before, only to burn you all and jinx myself… but I will finish it, and then will come A DREAM OF SPRING.

How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.

I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget. They had six hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them. And of course the butterfly effect will be at work as well; those of you who follow this Not A Blog will know that I’ve been talking about that since season one. There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… so if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet. And yes, there will be unicorns… of a sort…

Book or show, which will be the “real” ending? It’s a silly question. How many children did Scarlett O’Hara have?”

Long story short? There are enough pieces in the book still in play that never made it to the screen, and these pieces will undoubtedly have ramifications down the line when the ending finally happens. So, from a 20,000-foot perspective, things may end similarly, most of the details will likely be a whole lot different.

What do you think of Martin’s comments? Are you excited to read up on what happens to that long list of characters that never had their time to shine on the small screen? Anyone else wondering how the White Walker situation will end considering there is no Night King in the books?

I’m certainly very curious!

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SOURCE: George R.R. Martin