Game Of Thrones: 10 Storylines From The Books The Show Ignored
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one."
For eight seasons, Game of Thrones entertained fans the world over, and though the final season did not live up to the expectations the previous seven had set, it will surely go down as one of the greatest series of all time.
This is partly down to the incredible casting, and the award winning performances of the likes of Peter Dinklage and Lena Heady, but most of all it is thanks to source material the show is built upon. George R. R. Martin has created an incredibly deep world, full of thousands of years of lore, dynamic characters, and intricate, intertwining story lines.
Throughout the series, even a grand total of 83 episodes was not enough to fit in every detail of Martin's as of yet unfinished Song of Ice and Fire saga. Some story lines and characters were adapted or merged with others, while some were dropped all together.
While this keeps the books and the show two separate entities, and allows the readers to continue with the final two books without knowing everything about to happen, it is a shame that those who have only watched the show won't know some of the incredible stories left out.
10. Sam And Arya Cross Paths
While Samwell Tarly is sent to Oldtown in the show, the journey, and his company, are slightly different in the books. It is not so easy as a straight shot from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to Oldtown. Instead the maester-to-be, along with Maester Aemon, Gilly, and a Night's Watch singer named Dareon, must go by way of Braavos.
Jon sent Dareon with Sam in the hopes of bringing some would be heroes to the Wall with his songs of the valor and honour of the Night's Watch. As soon as they reach Braavos however, the singer takes to the taverns, singing for money and spending it straight on drink and women, leaving Sam, Gilly, and the incredibly ill Maester Aemon cold and hungry.
One night Dareon even gets married, after which Sam loses his temper and attacks his black brother. This all happens while Arya is training with the Faceless Men. She sees Dareon for what he is, a deserter from the Night's Watch, and swiftly slits his throat. Arya's punishment for this is losing her sight.
All this happens after Arya saves Sam from being mugged in the streets of Braavos. Though she knows he is a man of the Night's Watch she doesn't ask about Jon, as she is trying to be no one, and Sam would have no reason to think the girl in Braavos was his best friend's sister.