fantasy books readers have been waiting years for that have sparked similar disappointment. However, the success of Game of Thrones — and the fact that the HBO show went downhill after ing the source material — made the book's delays particularly infamous. And another factor contributed to the frustrations surrounding ASOIAF book 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 for The Winds of Winter was already frustrating, but the fact that A Dance With Dragons ended on a massive cliffhanger made matters worse. The fifth Song of Ice and Fire book concluded with Jon Snow being stabbed by the of the Night's Watch, a devastating and unexpected turn of events for the character. Although Jon's resurrection in Game of Thrones heavily suggests that Martin is planning to bring him back in the source material, it's still an agonizing place to leave a series.

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Of course, there are many things left unanswered at the end of A Dance With Dragons, but Jon'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.

This is true even when the wait isn't quite as long as Martin's. Unfortunately, The Winds of Winter is 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 Winter makes 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 Wing is 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 later Empyrean Series twists 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 for The Winds of Winter proves this isn't always the best strategy, particularly when dealing with stories that could take a while to be completed.