Differences between books and TV series - Season 2

The following is a list of differences between Season 2 of the television show Game of Thrones and the second novel of the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings.

The North Remembers

 * The book starts with Cressen's chapter on Dragonstone, which is also different than Cressen's storyline in the show. In the book, Cressen receives a message from the Citadel first, then Shireen Baratheon visits him. After that, he meets Ser Davos, then he visits Stannis and tries to convince him to not accept the Lord of Light. Cressen then appears at the feast where he is humiliated by Selyse Baratheon. Then he tries to poison Melisandre and dies in the process.
 * The show starts with Joffrey's tournament, which is the third chapter in the book. (Prologue's storyline is altered in series, the second chapter was moved to the first season)
 * Sansa is at the tournament when the scene opens in the show. In the book she is escorted there by Ser Arys Oakheart.
 * Sandor Clegane does not fight in Joffrey's name day tourney.
 * The tournament doesn't happen on the stadium in series, but on the walls of the Red Keep.
 * Also in the book, the participants of the tournament compete on horses with lances. In series, they compete in a fight with blunt weapons.
 * Tyrion does not bring Shae to the Tower of the Hand, he hides her in a manse outside the city's walls, which has access through tunnels under Chataya's brothel.
 * Maester Cressen dies several days before Stannis burns the statues of the Seven, which are not burned on the beach in the books.
 * Neither Robb Stark nor Jaime Lannister is a point of view character in the book A Clash of Kings.


 * Robb sends Cleos Frey with his terms to King's Landing. There is no Alton Lannister in the novels.


 * The scene where Cersei tells Petyr that "power is power" does not happen in the novels.


 * The scene where Cersei slaps Joffrey in the Throne Room does not happen in the novels.

The Night Lands

 * Littlefinger never has a conversation with any whore about the slaying of Robert's newborn bastard. Ros is not even a named character in the books.


 * Yara is named Asha in the novels. Her name was changed to avoid being confused with the wildling Osha.


 * Yara does guide Theon through Pyke, but it is his Uncle Aeron Damphair that greets him at the harbor and provides context as to what has transpired since Theon became a ward of the Starks.


 * The Gold Cloaks that attempt to arrest Gendry are met at an Inn in the novels.


 * Arya does not reveal her identity to Gendry until much later in the novels.


 * The meeting where Varys reveals he knows Shae's identity takes place in a manse outside the city's walls.


 * The warning Jeor Mormont send to King's Landing is not a letter, but a Wight's severed hand pickeled in a jar delivered by Ser Alliser Thorne much later in the book.


 * Bronn is not made Commander of the City Watch. That role is filled by Ser Jacelyn Bywater.


 * Salladhor Saan was recruited long before in the books.


 * The scene where Stannis and Melisandre make love is not shown in the novels.


 * It is Doreah, not Rakharro, whose dies in the Red Waste in the novels. She dies of a wasting sickness, while Rakharro is still alive in the books.


 * It is Jon Snow, not Sam Tarly, who rescues Gilly from Ghost.


 * The scene where Craster sacrifices his son to the Others is never shown in the novels. It is instead explained to Jon Snow by Gilly.

What is Dead May Never Die
-While Bran does confer with Maester Luwin about the interpretation of his dreams, in the book most of these exchanges happen between Bran and Jojen Reed, a young man from the marsh who also dreams "in green." (This is meant to dilineate between real dreams and those that are premonitions)

-Craster never expells the Night's Watch from his keep in the novels, they leave of their own accord.

-The scene where Sam gives Gilly a thimble never happens in the books.

-The scenes with Renly, Loras and Margaery never happen in the books. Infact, the relationship bewteen Loras and Renly is never shown in any of the novels, though it is sometimes implied.

-Balon Greyjoy's war council is also attended by his brother Victarion, who has yet to appear in the series.

-The scene where Theon is baptized happens in the novels the moment he sets foot on Pyke.

-Shae does not become Sansa's handmaiden in the novels, instead serving Lolys Stokeworth, though much later in the book.

-The scene where Tyrion tests Pycelle, Varys and Petyr happens slightly differently in the books. He tells Varys that he plans to offer the Martells gold, land, a seat on the small council, and to foster Prince Tommen in Sunspear.

-The battle between Yoren and his recruits and Amory Lorch is different. Yoren and his charges are holed up in a small stone keep, and a protracted battle takes place, with the same result. Arya is captured by Ser Armory Lorch and his host of Lannister men after Yoren is killed, however, in the books, Arya, Gendry, Hot Pie, and a few others escape the assault. Only later are they captured at a small seaside village by Ser Gregor Clegane and then taken to Harrenhal.

Garden of Bones

 * In this episode, Robb meets Lady Talisa, of which starts a budding romance. In the 2nd book, this character does not exist. Rather, this character is intended to be Jeyne Westerling, daughter of Lord Gawen Westerling from the Crag. After Robb marches west to defeat the Lannisters at the Crag, he returns to Riverrun already married to Lady Jeyne.
 * Notably the biggest difference between the book and show is Arya's role during her stay at Harrenhal. In the show, Tywin reveals her gender and believes her intelligent, and even brings her into his tower to serve him and his cupbearer. There transpires many scenes between her and Tywin. However, none of this occurred in the book. Arya serves in various roles while at Harrenhal, working for varying people.
 * It is actually Varys who suggests the whores for Joffrey in the book) not Bronn. In addition, the scene where Joffrey brutalizes Ros and the other whore never unfolds.
 * The Battle of Oxcross is never shown in the book, only mentioned.
 * Boros Blount also tortures Sansa alongside Meryn Trant. Tyrion is also accompanied by Chella in the Throne Room.
 * Kovarro does not appear in the books. Jhogo is the third Bloodrider, but he does not appear in the series.
 * In the novels, Danaerys takes up residence in an abandoned walled city for a time. There they eat fruit and drink water and regain much of their strength. They are not desperate to leave this city for Qarth, though Danaerys' followers do believe the abandoned city to be haunted.
 * In the novels, Danaerys is brought to Qarth by Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Pyat Pree and Quaithe. They are immediately let into the city, without the events at the gates from the series.
 * Petyr is not sent to Renly's camp in the books. He does treat with the Tyrells, but only after Renly's death long after Catelyn departed.
 * Catelyn does not receive Eddard's bones at Renly's camp, only when she returns to Riverrun later in the novel.
 * In the novels, the shadow Melisandre is seen to birth by Davos only appears after Renly's death, and is sent to kill Ser Cortnay Pentrose in the castle of Storm's End.

The Ghost of Harrenhal

 * The shadow in the books slits Renly's throat, cutting through his steel gorget "like cheesecloth".
 * Stannis and Davos do not discuss what transpired in the cave in the books.
 * Theon is given command of four longships in the book. In addition, his uncle Aeron Damphair is sent to watch over him.
 * Dagmer Cleftjaw is a famed Reaver and Captain in the novels, not Theon's first mate. His appearence is also drastically different, lacking the cleft-jaw from where he gets his name.
 * The Tickler is not the first name Arya speaks to Jaqen in the series. It is one of Gregor Clegane's soldiers, Chiswyck.
 * The Fist of the First Men is much different than in the books, being a cliffside rather than a hill surrounded by the Haunted Forest.
 * Jon Snow only leaves with Qhorin and his group much later in the book.
 * Daenaerys' dragons only breathe fire at the end of the book. She has to cook their food for them.
 * Pyat Pree never uses the tricks from the series in the books.
 * Daenerys does not learn of Ser Jorah's feelings in the second book.
 * Quiathe does not warn Ser Jorah in the book.

The Old Gods and the New

 * The scene where Luwin sends a raven to warn of the attack is not shown in the book.
 * Rodrik Cassel is not killed by Theon. The messy execution does happen, but with the kennel master Farlen.
 * Theon does accept Osha as a fighter in the book. He does not sleep with her.
 * Roose Bolton is not the one to deliver the news of Theon's betrayal to Robb. In fact, Roose Bolton does not meet up with Robb in the second book. He commands the northern footsoldiers of the eastern shores of the Trident.
 * Petyr never meets with Tywin at Harrenhal.
 * Amory Lorch is not Arya's second name spoken to Jaqen. It is Weese, an understeward who frequently beats her.
 * The royal procession that is attacked by the mob were all on horseback in the book.
 * Jon Snow kills the Wildling sentries much later in the book. In addition, it is only Jon and Stonesnake who kill them. Qhorin and the others arrive later.
 * Jon simply lets Ygritte go and continues on with Qhorin and their sworn brothers.
 * Daenerys' dragons are not stolen in the book.
 * Irri is not killed in Qarth in the book.

A Man Without Honor
-Theon was sleeping with a tavern wench named Kyra, not with Osha, when he is awoken to be told the Stark boys have escaped.

-Shae does not help Sansa burn her bloody sheets.

-Jaime's brief escape does not happen in Robb's camp. In the book, Jaime is held at Riverrun. Tyrion sends four Mummers disguised as Lannister guards to escort Cleos Frey (not Alton Lannister) with peace terms. Their true purpose is to free Jaime, which they do, but he is soon recaptured.

-The scene where Catelyn and Brienne speak with Jaime happens much later in the book.

-Jon Snow is captured much later in the book along with Qhorin Halfhand.

-Pyat Pree never kills the Thirteen in the novels, nor is he allied with Xaro Xhoan Daxos, nor does he kidnap Daenerys' dragons to lure her into the House of the Undying. She goes of her own accord.

The Prince of Winterfell

 * The cache of dragonglass weapons is discovered by Jon Snow and Ghost much earlier in the novel, the first night they spend at the Fist.
 * Asha (Yara in the series) does bring reinforcements for Theon, but only 10 soldiers. Also, Dagmer Cleftjaw is not at Winterfell, he is besieging Torrhen's Square.
 * Luwin is not aware that Osha is hiding with the Stark boys.
 * In the books, the prostitute that Cersei captures is Alayaya, not Ros (who is not a named character in the books). In addition, Tommen had been moved to Castle Rosby north of King's Landing long before Stannis arrives, but is captured by Tyrion's sellswords. Tyrion threatens to harm him if Cersei harms Alayaya, "the beatings and the rapes included."
 * Arya never asks Jaqen's help to escape. Instead, she uses his name to help her free a group of Northmen being held by Ser Amory Lorch.

Blackwater

 * In the book, Tyrion collects all of the armorers in King's Landing and orders them all to forge one chain link each. He collects them and has them linked together under the surface of Blackwater Bay. Once the majority of Stannis' fleet has passed the hidden chain, it is raised, creating a wall for the warships, preventing them from escaping once the wildfire has been released.
 * Varys and Tyrion never discuss the tunnel systems in the book, and Varys has long since told him how he was made a eunuch.
 * Cersei never obtains essence of nightshade from Pycelle, or anyone.
 * The room where Cersei and the highborn ladies gather for the battle is different. In the book it is akin to a small banquet hall. They are also guarded by several sellswords in Lannister armor, not just Ilyn Payne.
 * It is Osney Kettleback, not Lancel, who delivers the first message to Cersei.
 * Shae does not speak to Cersei or Sansa during the battle.
 * The Hound holds a knife to Sansa's throat when in her room and has her sing him a song, then leaves.
 * It is Ser Loras older brother, Ser Garlan Tyrell, who wears Renly's armor in the battle.
 * For a full list of the differences between the battle in the series and that of the book, see the "In the Books" section of Battle of the Blackwater.

Valar Morghulis

 * Tyrion has his entire nose and most of his upper lip cut off by Mandon Moore, not just a gash accross his face.
 * It is Maester Balabar, not Pycelle, who first visits Tyrion.
 * Shae does not visit Tyrion while he recuperates in the book.
 * Stannis is not seen in A Clash of Kings after his defeat.
 * Talisa is not a character in the books, Robb instead marries Jeyne Westerling and news of the wedding does not reach the reader until the subsequent book A Storm of Swords.
 * The Northern army besieging Winterfell is commanded by Rodrik Cassel in A Clash of Kings.
 * Dagmer was not in Winterfell in A Clash of Kings and did not betray Theon.
 * The House of the Undying is a flat, one-story building in the book rather than a tall tower.
 * Daenerys is told that she must enter alone in the book, with Pyat Pree, Jorah and her bloodriders waiting outside. In the show she is magically brought into the tower, separating her from Jorah and Kovarro.
 * The visions Daenerys receives in the series are different from the novel. She does not meet the Undying Ones and receives no prophecies about her future in the show.
 * In the book the dragons had not been captured but Drogon is present in the House of the Undying and does save Daenerys from the warlocks by burning the Undying Ones when they try to entrap her in the House of the Undying.
 * Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Doreah are not locked in a vault by Daenerys in the books. Xaro does not betray Daenerys and no vault is mentioned.
 * Daenerys does not plan to buy a ship with Xaro's looted goods in the books.
 * Bronn visits Tyrion's sickbed, not Varys.
 * Sam was inside the camp and not with Grenn and Edd when the White Walkers and the Wights arrived. The Wights attacked in the dead of night, not during the day.
 * In the book, Jon Snow is immediately forced to fight Qhorin when they are caught by the wildlings at the mouth of a cave; they are not led away first, but Qhorin does strike the first blow. Qhorin's last word is simply "sharp", not "we are the watchers on the wall".
 * Qhorin's leg was torn apart by Ghost, allowing Jon to kill him.
 * Ros and Varys' scene in the brothel does not appear in the books; neither is a point of view character.
 * Maester Luwin wasn't stabbed by Dagmer in the books. He did sustain a grievous wound during the Sack of Winterfell.
 * Gendry and Hot Pie weren't with Arya when she said goodbye to Jaqen.
 * Margaery wasn't in King's Landing during the second book but arrives there later.
 * Brienne and Jaime did not meet three Stark soldiers although they did find women hanged by Stark loyalists.