George R.R. Martin Teases Big Twist In Books That Game Of Thrones TV Show Won't Be Able To Do

02/26/2016 02:40 pm EST

Some Game of Thrones are worried that the upcoming sixth season of the HBO series will spoil the source material, the still incomplete A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, because they are progressing past the ending of the most recently released book in the series. Author George R.R. Martin is now reassuring fans that there are some things the show just can't spoil.

"Some of the 'spoilers' you may encounter in season six may not be spoilers at all … because the show and the books have diverged, and will continue to do so," Martin said.

More specifically, Martin has had a twist in mind that involves a character who is still alive in his books, but who has been killed off in the television series. The character's TV death gave the author some pause, but he tells IGN that he's decided to go forward with the twist after all.

"I have decided to do it," Martin said. "Will you know it? I don't know. It is fairly obvious because it is something that involves a couple of characters, one of which is dead on the show, and not dead in the books. So the show can't do it, unfortunately, because they have killed someone I have not killed."

Of course, Martin did not specify which character he was referring to, but candidates include Barristan Selmy, Jojen Reed, and Stannis Baratheon – all of whom are now deceased on Game of Thrones, but still alive as of the ending of Martin's most recent novel, A Dance with Dragons.

There's no telling when we'll find out what that twist is. Martin missed deadlines set to ensure that the sixth book of A Song of Ice and Fire, titled The Winds of Winter, would arrive prior to the Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere. The novel currently has no official release date.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 24.

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