Game of Thrones app to ease nervous HBO viewers into Martin's novels 

but the prospect of actually picking up a novel and reading it has you overwhelmed and apprehensive? Then look no further than the new

George R.R. Martin’s publisher released an app on Thursday that’s designed as a “bridge product” for fans of the TV series who have not yet read the books (trailer below). 

Here’s how it works, according to UK site The Bookseller: You tell the app where you are in the TV show, then it suggests a spoiler-free selection of over 40 extracts from the 

saga covering scenes you’ve already watched (like, say, The Red Wedding), along with handy maps. These extracts take between five and 25 minutes to read and, according to a HarperCollins spokesperson, “and are designed to allow new readers to relive iconic moments from the show, while getting a taste of George R R Martin’s writing.” 

The app was designed after focus groups suggested to the publisher the need for a way to read

One would think sampling excerpts from the books out of context would be confusing given the number of differences — and increasingly so — between Martin’s novels and the show. If you’re not reading from the beginning, it’s hard to keep track of all the narrative differences.

Martin is a partner on the product, so he’s clearly on board, though it’s hard to imagine him being truly thrilled about having his books digitally dissected — the man wrote page-turning epic fantasy, not 

Here’s a trailer for the app with perky accessible music. It admittedly does look pretty cool. 

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