There’s one trend that’s becoming overused in fantasy books in recent years, andThe Winds of Wintermakes me incredibly wary of it.The Winds of Winteris the upcoming sixth book in George R.R. Martin’sSong of Ice and Fireseries, and the sequel is now known for the lengthy wait leading up to it. In fact, many havegiven up onThe Winds of Winterever coming out, as it’s been 14 years sinceA Dance With Dragonsfirst hit shelves. In that time, Martin has given updates and timelines, but they’ve been pushed back repeatedly.
The Winds of Wintertaking so longwould be frustrating under normal circumstances, and there are manyfantasy books readers have been waiting years forthat have sparked similar disappointment. However, the success ofGame of Thrones— and the fact that the HBO show went downhill after passing the source material — made the book’s delays particularly infamous. Andanother factor contributed to the frustrations surroundingASOIAFbook six as well: the way the last one ended.
The Winds Of Winter Taking So Long Makes Me Wary Of Fantasy’s Cliffhanger Trend
Leaving Off On A Shocking Development Makes Longer Waits & Unfinished Stories More Frustrating
The wait forThe Winds of Winterwas already frustrating, butthe fact thatA Dance With Dragonsended on a massive cliffhanger made matters worse. The fifthSong of Ice and Firebook concluded with Jon Snow being stabbed by the members of the Night’s Watch, a devastating and unexpected turn of events for the character. Although Jon’s resurrection inGame of Thronesheavily suggests that Martin is planning to bring him back in the source material, it’s still an agonizing place to leave a series.
Of course, there are many things left unanswered at the end ofA Dance With Dragons,butJon’s fate is so sudden and shocking that it demands a follow-up— ideally one that’s delivered in a somewhat timely manner. Cliffhangers like this can be great ways to keep readers invested in a story, but when the next chapter of that story gets delayed, it can feel like a betrayal of sorts. And if the next installment takes too long to arrive, it can leave readers more frustrated and disengaged than anything else.
Even with many publishers turning around sequels faster than ever,The Winds of Wintermakes me a bit wary of them.
This is true even when the wait isn’t quite as long as Martin’s. Unfortunately,The Winds of Winteris far from the only fantasy book to leave readers hanging when it comes to a major development. Although cliffhangers have always existed, more and more of them seem to be cropping up in the fantasy and romantasy genres. And even with many publishers turning around sequels faster than ever,The Winds of Wintermakes me a bit wary of them. After all, any series can get delayed or be left unfinished, and cliffhangers make an especially disheartening end point for those.
Cliffhangers Can Work Well For Fantasy Novels, But There’s One Important Caveat
They Need To Feel Natural & Not Leave Things Feeling Too Unfinished
Cliffhangers aren’t necessarily a bad way to end a fantasy book; ultimately, it depends on how they’re handled.Fourth Wingis a prime example of a novel that concludes with a big revelation — one that introduces the series' main villains — but does so properly. The book’s conclusion wraps up the first novel’s narrative, but it makes a good jumping off point for the sequels. The important thing is that book one doesn’t feel unfinished, and the cliffhanger doesn’t feel shoehorned in for the sake of shock value.
By contrast, some of the laterEmpyrean Seriestwists feel a bit less natural, placed specifically to get readers coming back for more. And many modern fantasy and romantasy books seek to capitalize on the use of cliffhangers, throwing in a major twist just as things are coming to a close. It’s clear why this is the case, as publishers want to ensure readers pick up the next chapter. However, the wait forThe Winds of Winterproves this isn’t always the best strategy, particularly when dealing with stories that could take a while to be completed.
