Game Of Thrones Season 5: 9 Book Changes And What They Mean For The Show

8. The Lack Of Ironborns

In the show: Yara Greyoy, Theon's sister, was last sen at the end of season 4, making a hasty retreat from the Bolton's after a failed attempt at rescuing her brother. Baron, their father, hasn't been seen since season 3 - when he received a certain part of his son's anatomy, and Yara informed him that she would be setting out to rescue Theon. Thus far, the show hasn't introduced other members of House Greyjoy. In the books: Yara is called Asha, for a start, changed because Weiss and Benioff were concerned it would sound too similar to Osha (the wildling currently off-screen somewhere with Rickon). Meanwhile, large parts of A Feast For Crows are taken from the Ironborn perspectives, not just Asha but also her uncles Euron, Aeron, and Victarion, all of whom are vying to claim the crown vacated by Balon's mysterious death (on which there are a couple of different theories). The feuding family holds a Kingsmoot to decide who will get to rule the Ironborn: Asha, the eldest child of Balon; Aeron, a priest of the Drowned God; Euron, a vicious warrior; or Victarion, religious, calm, and a bit of an idiot. Euron ultimately wins, which sets in motion events that lead Asha to Winterfell, and Victarion en route to meet with Daenerys Targaryen. What it means: The Asha/Yara storyline has already had the same result, albeit in a different way. As for Balon, he is still believed to be alive in the show, meaning that there would be no need for a meeting to decide on his replacement. The show hasn't introduced any of the uncles yet, so it would appear that the Kingsmoot isn't going to take place. If it does reveal Balon's death, it's likelier they would simply name Euron his successor. The focus on the Iron Islands was probably one of the worst parts about A Feast For Crows, and would have proven problematic in introducing so many new characters (especially when the Dorne storyline had to be introduced as well). The only reason it could be of importance, and the show might still bring it into play, is that Victarion sails to meet Dany with a marriage proposal from Euron. This would give her the ships she needs to sail to Westeros, and perhaps more pertinently, he possesses the dragon horn, believed to give the user the ability to control dragons...