Differences between books and TV series - Season 2

Difference between the Season 2 of the show and the A Clash of Kings, the second novel. See also Comparison for the first season.

The North Remembers
-Neither Robb Stark nor Jaime Lannister is a point of view character in the book A Clash of Kings.

-Sandor Clegane does not fight in Joffrey's name day tourney.

-Tyrion does not bring Shae to the Tower of the Hand, he hides her in a manse outside the city's walls.

-Maester Cressen dies several days before Stannis burns the statues of the Seven, which are not burned on the beach in the books.

-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 fron 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 occured 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 the show). 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 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.

Blackwater
-In the book, Tyrion collects all of the armorers serving Kings 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 bottleneck of sorts for the warships. It is then that the wildfire is released into the fleet. The chain also serves to prevent the ships from retreating.

-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 The Battle of The Blackwater.

Valar Morghulis
The epic final scene of season 2 with the White Walkers marching does not exist in the book, seeing as Jon Snow is the only POV character in the book that is beyond the wall, and that scene did not include him.