Game Of Thrones: 8 Changes To The Books That Were Completely Justified

7. Making More Of Margaery

When it comes to the Tyrells, the show has giveth and taken away. While Show Loras may be nothing compared to the novel's Knight of Flowers, his sister Margaery became one of the most fascinating characters in the series and a great player of the game of thrones.

Although regarded as clever, the format of Martin's books means we never really get a closer look at her and there's less chance for depth to be added. Instead, she's someone who tends to be a part of other people's games, with her mostly seen through the jealous and vindictive eyes of Cersei.

Brought to life by Natalie Dormer on the show - some of Thrones' finest casting work, even in a very crowded field - Margaery is transformed into a much bigger player. Her conflict with Cersei is more head-on, as she hatches her own schemes with grandmother Olenna Tyrell and trades sly barbs with her mother-in-law.

She's intelligent, shrewd, cunning, and hilarious too, making for a winning combination that allowed her to become not just a fan-favourite but a character of real strength, something the books never fully allowed for. It's true she deserved better than her death in the Sept of Baelor, but everything leading up to that point was expertly done by the writers and Dormer.