In Hild, both digital and print, there is a map. And pronunciation guide. And glossary. And note about Hild-the-real-person. And family tree. ALL RIGHT THERE IN THE FINISHED BOOK (though not the galleys). You just have to look for them.
For those who are reading on Nook or Kindle or Kobo or other app, and don't like popping in and out of the narrative to look at the extras (I've tried it; it's a bit of a chore) I recommend downloading PDFs of said extras (available here) and keeping handy on another device or--gasp--as print-outs.
Obviously if you have a hardcover you don't need to do any of that, because you can just flip to the map and family tree (at the front) or the biographical note, glossary, and pronunciation guide (at the back). Thumbs + print = radically efficient technology. Though digital is cheaper and much, much lighter...
But whether you're reading print or digital, you might also want to check out the 140+ character list, or Dramatis Personae, which I put together last week.
Enjoy. And, seriously people, I do not want to hear, ever again, that "There should be a map!" or "a glossary might be a good idea" or "the author should at least have indicated how to pronounce all those names..." I have, I did. Go look.
