George R.R. Martin Unveils the Surprising Challenge Facing A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Next Seasons

So, George R.R. Martin has been busy hyping up A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the next Game of Thrones offshoot. He keeps saying it’s going to be its own thing, not just a clone of what came before—probably a relief if the creative crater of late Thrones still haunts your nightmares. And Martin’s so confident about this new series, HBO already has a second season in the pipeline. The next round will adapt the second Dunk and Egg novella, The Sworn Sword.

Wait, How Many Dunk & Egg Stories Are There, Anyway?

Here’s where the saga gets a little messy. There are only three “Dunk and Egg” novellas actually published so far. That’s it. Martin’s been talking up a bunch more, but... the man is not exactly fast. Or even medium-paced, if we’re honest.

Martin himself admits he’s getting nervous about the TV show catching up to him—been there, done that, cue the infamous Thrones cliff dive. He told The Hollywood Reporter:

'The big issue is that I have only written three novellas, and I have a lot more stories about Dunk and Egg in my f—king head. I’ve got to get them down on paper. I began writing two at various points in the past year. One is set in Winterfell and one set in the Riverlands…'

Martin says he wants to write six more novellas (yes, six), to bring the grand total to nine, but—no surprise—none of those new stories have made it to print yet. And let’s not even talk about the ever-absent Winds of Winter. Oof.

The Writing Timeline (If You Can Call It That)

• First Dunk and Egg story: 1998
• Second: 2003
• Third (most recent): 2010
• Started talking about The She-Wolves of Winterfell: 2011
• Put it on pause for Thrones (and, apparently, everything else): 2013
• Current number of new stories written since: Zero

According to Martin's own blog, he keeps meaning to get to more Dunk and Egg tales, but bigger projects—like The Winds of Winter—keep elbowing their way to the front.

Will the Series Outpace the Books? Seriously, We’ve Been Here Before

I think everyone knows where this train could be heading. Martin has been here already: showrunners run out of source material, things get weird, and fans lose their minds. It’s a legitimate worry that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could fall into the same trap if Martin doesn’t pick up the pen (or, knowing him, at least the keyboard) and get cracking.

At least with House of the Dragon, the source book (Fire & Blood) was finished and ready. No such luck here.

So, with season 2 penciled in for 2027, the clock's ticking. Either Martin works faster than he ever has (not exactly his brand), or HBO’s writers get adventurous, for better or worse.

The Show at a Glance

TV Series: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Showrunner: Ira Parker
Based on: Tales of Dunk and Egg
Release Date: January 18, 2026
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% (no small feat!)
Where to Watch: HBO

Any bets on Martin actually finishing another book before season 3? Honestly, at this point, I’d be shocked. Drop your predictions in the comments—because if there’s one thing this fandom loves, it’s holding out hope.