For "Game of Thrones" fans that have only been watching the HBO series based on the books by George R.R. Martin, the next opportunity for more fantasy goodness comes on April 6, when the fourth season premieres.

Readers of the books, however, don't have the luxury of a hard date for new tales from Westeros. Martin is chipping away at a sixth "Song of Ice and Fire" tome, "Winds of Winter," but no publication date has been set.

Mercifully, Martin has just published a chapter of the upcoming book to his official web site.

Now, before you click through to find out what happens next to the handful of characters that survived the previous five books, a warning.

The excerpt is not some pittance thrown out to the desperate fans who are hungry for another read. The chapter, labeled "Mercy," has some serious spoilers in it. It is really only to be read if you can. not. wait. until "Winds of Winter" hits store shelves, whenever that may be.

If you're just a fan of the TV show, sorry, but this definitely isn't for you. Think about it. When it comes to the "Game of Thrones," its penchant for killing main characters means that even the mention of a single character name is a spoiler.

Someone's presence in "Winds of Winter" means that they at least survived the next few season of the show, and there goes some suspense. You'll thank us.

Anyway, for those of you brave enough to venture into the future of the "Song of Ice and Fire," a preview of what is to come is now live over at GRRM's site. Check it out.