‘Winds of Winter’ Release, News Update: Martin Treats Fans to a New Chapter ‘The Forsaken’

Fans are awaiting the release of 'Winds of Winter' for a long time but author George R.R. Martin has admitted to working at snail's pace and also expressed his inability to meet deadlines.

The author has said that he has disappointed his fans, publishers, translators and almost everybody, including himself. But of late, he has become a little proactive and has been providing fans with regular updates about the progress of the book.

The latest, in line, is his new chapter called 'The Forsaken' that gives fans an account of the murderous villain Euron Greyjoy, who made an entry on the HBO show in the current season in Episode 2, when he killed Balon, by throwing him off the bridge.

The chapter was revealed by the author at the recently held Balticon 50 where he read out passages and gave the listeners a good idea about the villainous streak residing in Euron. The TV series has already shown him usurping the throne of the Iron Islands after murdering his brother. But the chapter throws more light on his evil deeds.

It talks about the ordeal of Aeron Greyjoy, the younger brother of Euron, who has been tortured by the elder sibling and made to live like a prisoner in the dungeons. The chapter talks about how Aeron fears Euron who has not only raped him but also killed their other siblings.

It ends with the Euron planning to fight a war against the fleets of the Iron Throne. And he is quite confident that he will win the war. Part of the confidence rises from the fact that he has festooned all the priests from different faiths on the prowl of his ship.

It may be mentioned here that the HBO series does not talk about Euron and Aeron at such great length. The latter was last mentioned in the show during the kingsmoot where he had tried to get away and form a resistance against his brother.