George RR Martin releases a new chapter from The Winds of Winter

It follows Arianne Martell are her dealings with the Sand Snakes

A Song of Ice and Fire author George RR Martin is known for the long time he takes to write his lengthy fantasy novels (Getty Images)

George RR Martin really is taking his time over the sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter.

Despite his efforts, the novel failed to reach bookstores before the sixth season of Game of Thrones was broadcast, leading to many fans fearing the upcoming book would be spoilt by HBO’s series.

Thankfully, the author posted a new sample chapter from the book onto his blog, following Arianne Martell and her dealings with the Sand Snakes. Read the chapter here.

Unfortunately for show watchers wanting to get ahead, Arianne has yet to feature in Game of Thrones, with the chapter offering little insight into the events that unfolded earlier on this season in Dorne.

While optimists may be inclined to think this is a sign Martin is nearing completion of the book, in a separate blog post, the author wrote: “Just to spike any bullsh*t rumours, changing the sample chapter does NOT mean I am done.”

Season six of Game of Thrones marks the continuation of the series beyond the books. Since the show returned to our TV screens, numerous theories have sprung up on the internet, particularly about The Tower of Joy and Jon Snow being Azor Ahai.