Keeping Track Of Everything In The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Books Just Got A Whole Lot Easier


If ever there was a book genre made for the digital age it would be fantasy, in particular, epic fantasy. The genre is known for long, sprawling series’ that include many characters and locations, along with cultures and religions that are confusing to keep track of. The current master of this genre at the moment is arguably George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series that HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series is based on.

Many readers get put off with George R. R. Martin’s books thanks to the vast amount of characters alone. The TV series, Game of Thrones, is equally confusing. However, imagine if you could find out exactly who that annoyingly partially-remembered character from the book series that you just read about could be looked up quickly and easily without having to flick back through pages, chapters, or, even, previous books?

[Image by Apple/Random House]

Apple has heard the endless complaints readers have had with identifying characters in the Game of Thrones books, characters that quite often get lost in among the bloodshed and introduction of new names and faces. So, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, Apple is releasing A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition exclusively on iBooks.

The Game of Thrones author is notably excited about this new release.

“We’re now entering a new period in the history of publishing,” George R.R. Martin said in a statement. “The digital book gives readers the ability to experience all this rich secondary material that had not been possible before. These enhanced editions available only on iBooks include sigils and family trees and glossaries. Anything that confuses you, anything you want to know more about, it’s right there at your fingertips. It’s an amazing next step in the world of books.”

So what exactly is A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition? According to Apple, it is an interactive digital version of the first book in the Game of Thrones series. With this edition, book fans will be able to access all the information they need about what they are reading without having to backtrack through everything they have read before. Included in the enhanced edition are interactive character maps, detailed annotations, glossary terms, house summaries, and more. As Engadget points out, the Game of Thrones interactive edition will remind you of where characters were and “what was happening the last time they were discussed in the text.” This, essentially, eliminates the main reason people never pick up these types of books. As new characters are introduced, the reader will also be able to instantly find out who they are just by tapping on their name.

[Image by Apple/Random House]

An added bonus with this new interactive edition is the fact that “each book will grow in glossary content as the storylines develop.” This will always keep readers in the loop in regards to what is happening in Westeros and its surrounding lands.

But, what about the other books in the Game of Thrones series? Apple is planning to not only release books two through five in the months to follow, but fans can also check out an exclusive preview of the sixth book, The Winds of Winter in the first interactive book.

A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition is already available exclusively on iBooks in English for $8.99. Enhanced Editions of books two through five in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series are available for pre-order at $11.99 each.

You can view the images released in conjunction with the Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition press release in the gallery below.

Are you excited about this latest version of the Game of Thrones books series? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below.

Game of Thrones will return to HBO with a shortened Season 7 in 2017. The release date for the sixth book in George R. R. Martin’s series has not yet been confirmed.

[Featured Image by HBO]

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