There have been plenty of hints dropped by "Game of Thrones" cast members about what fans can expect from the upcoming seventh -- and penultimate -- season of the HBO show, but according to Maisie Williams, viewers bracing for a big shock will still be woefully unprepared to handle everything that happens in the new episodes.

The actress teased big things ahead in season seven in a recent series of posts on Twitter, revealing that she'd just finished reading the scripts for the next seven episodes. And according to Arya Stark, "sh*t gets REAL" next season.

"i'd start preparing yourselves now," Williams tweeted, before immediately rethinking that strategy. "scratch that, nothing will prepare you for this," she continued, adding in a follow-up tweet, "holy BALLS."

That type of hyperbole certainly isn't unheard of when it comes to "Game of Thrones," but with each consecutive season seemingly outdoing the previous one in terms of shocking character developments and huge, WTF moments, it's hard to read Williams's assessment and not take her at her word. It's unclear if she shares her costar Kit Harington's view that season seven will be a bleak affair, but based on her words, it seems likely that they're on the same page.

We have a long, excruciating wait before we find out what all the fuss is about. Season seven of "Game of Thrones" has been delayed until summer 2017.

[via: Maisie Williams]

Photo credit: Helen Sloan/HBO