Amazon is trying to solve the biggest problem with reading a long novel: forgetting who everyone is but being too afraid to Google it. The company has just launched Ask this Book, a new tool for the Kindle iOS app in the US that works like a spoiler-free guide, keeping you in the story without interrupting the flow.
What Happened: Kindle gets an in-book AI reading assistant
If you read on an iPhone, the Kindle app is now much smarter. Amazon has quietly introduced Ask this Book, which allows you to query the text directly. Instead of closing the app to search the internet, you can now highlight a confusing passage or open a menu to ask about plot points, character backstories, or specific topics.
The killer feature here is the “spoiler protection”. Amazon claims the AI only knows what you’ve read up to that exact page. It’s no coincidence that the friendly supporting character is actually the villain. It works more like a reading partner sitting next to you than a search engine, providing instant context for thousands of bestsellers so you don’t have to leave the app.
You don’t even have to think of the questions yourself; The app automatically suggests relevant suggestions, but you can enter your own specific confusion if necessary.
Why this matters, why you should care, and what comes next
We’ve all been there. You’re 300 pages deep, a character’s name appears and you have no memory of who he is. Usually looking them up online is a gamble – one wrong click and the ending is ruined. This update addresses that fear. This keeps the help in the book so you can dive in instead of having to scroll through a wiki page.
It pairs perfectly with another new feature called Recaps. Think of “Recaps” as the “Previously on…” section of a TV show, but for books. If you’re picking up a sequel after a year-long hiatus, here’s a quick refresher on the storylines and characters so you don’t lose track. This is already available on Kindle devices and iOS for supported series.
For anyone who reads multiple books at the same time or takes long breaks between chapters, these tools are a real revolution. They eliminate the friction of “getting back in.”
Looking forward, Amazon won’t keep this exclusive to iPhones forever. There are already plans to bring Ask this Book to Android phones and true Kindle e-readers next year. It’s a clear signal that Amazon wants the Kindle to be more than just a screen – it wants it to be an active companion that ensures you actually finish the books you’re reading.
