Amazon's 'Ask This Book' feature gives Kindle users spoiler-free answers

Amazon's new 'Ask This Book' feature lets Kindle users ask questions about books they're reading and get spoiler-free answers, with no opt-out option for authors or publishers

Amazon has introduced a new AI-powered feature in the Kindle app for iOS that lets readers ask questions about the book they are currently reading and receive spoiler-free responses. The company has also clarified that authors and publishers do not have the option to disable this feature for their titles.

 

In its announcement, Amazon describes Ask This Book as an “expert reading assistant” that can respond to queries related to “plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements” without giving out spoilers. The feature works like an in-book chatbot and can be accessed either through the book’s menu or by selecting a specific passage and asking a question.

 

A report by The Verge quoted Amazon spokesperson Ale Iraheta as saying that the responses are “non-shareable and non-copyable” and are limited to users who have purchased or rented the book. Iraheta added that the feature is permanently enabled, stating that “there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.”

Ask This Book is currently available for thousands of English-language titles in the US through the Kindle app on iOS. Amazon said support will expand to Kindle e-readers and the Android app next year, but did not share details on availability in other regions or languages.

Other updates for Kindle readers

Earlier this year, Amazon added a new feature called Recaps to the Kindle platform, aimed at helping readers catch up on storylines and characters in book series. The feature is designed for users returning to a series after a gap between books or long breaks in reading.

 

Recaps is available on Kindle e-readers and the Kindle app for iOS in the US. It provides brief summaries of plots and character arcs from earlier entries in a series, covering Kindle books that users own or have borrowed.

For supported series, users can access summaries through a “View Recaps” option on the series page in their Kindle Library. On Kindle devices, the option appears in the three-dot menu within the series grouping, while on the Kindle iOS app it becomes visible after pressing and holding the series grouping.