Jasmine

Honestly the books will probably be a letdown after watching the series.

And sure, writers block is real, but we're at 14 years and counting... How many entire series have other fantasy authors started and finished in that time frame? This isn't writers block anymore. This is a guy who is no longer interested in finishing his story. I've believed that to be the case ever since the Internet fans guessed the big plot twist of Jon Snow's parentage years and years ago. He wrote himself into a corner and it's not fun anymore. The negative response to the ending of the show can't have helped things either, since in broad strokes that is his ending too.

My personal theory is still that even before HBO adapted his major plot twists, his rabid Internet fans guessed them all. Took the fun out of writing it. So he tried to go bigger and think of newer, better plot twists. Totally lost control of the thing in the process, and whether he even wants to finish it anymore he's just stuck.

It needs a fresh author. His buddy Daniel Abraham would be terrific for that. Won't happen, I know. But still.

Agree with all that. And frankly I still don't understand why Sansa never mentioned to Jon that she has a massive cavalry force at her disposal. They spend most of the season scrounging around desperately looking for men, only for Jon to then squander the bulk of his force against the suddenly, inexplicably brilliant tactican Ramsay Bolton. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Neither does Varys teleporting across the globe. Dany failing to see the ships that are shooting at her. Tyrion suddenly trusting his sister against all evidence. The whole Arya/Sansa/Littlefinger conspiracy arc is weird.

Most of the last three seasons are kind of incoherent. And I say that as a huge fan.