Ever since season six of Game of Thrones moved away from George R. R. Martin’s source material into the (very bloody) unknown, book fans haven’t had much to be smug about. Until now.
The Thrones author has teamed up with Apple to create a series of A Song of Ice and Fire enhanced editions for the 20th anniversary of the release of A Game of Thrones, the first novel in the saga.
“Enhanced editions?” They’re essentially iPad/Phone versions of the novels with added features, such as in-depth illustrated character maps at the start of each chapter that show a) where the point-of-view character is, and b) details of nearby castles and important landmarks.
But it’s not just going to make following the sprawling plot easier. Quite the opposite. Throughout the text you’ll find small crown icons that, when pressed, will reveal annotations approved by Martin that offer more trivia about the world of Westeros and beyond.
Plus, the appendix at the end of each novel contains a feast for crows of yet more Ice and Fire details. With extra trivia and family trees of the great houses of Westeros, it contains even more insights into the original text. Because what the series really needs is more depth.
The new editions will also contain … drum roll, please ... a sneak peak at Martin’s ever-upcoming sixth instalment to the story: The Winds of Winter.
Still not persuaded you to become a book fan? Well, you’ll have to wait until HBO’s Game of Thrones returns to screens Summer 2017.
