Game Of Thrones: 5 Major Book Changes From "In The Wars To Come"

On The Show: When Mance Rayder refuses to bend the knee at the Wall and direct his wildling army to serve Stannis, Stannis gives Mance up to Melisandre to burn for her god. Rather unambiguously, Mance Rayder is set aflame by Melisandre on his own personal pyre.

In The Books: Quite aside from Melisandre using a glamour to trade Mance for Rattleshirt, her ongoing crusade to make a sacrifice of royal blood in order to wake a stone dragon to serve Stannis’ cause motivates many of Lord Commander Snow’s actions. Fearful for the safety of King-Beyond-The-Wall Mance’s infant son and Maester Aemon Targaryen, he swaps Gilly’s child with Mance’s and sends Sam along with Aemon and Gilly away. Although the elderly Aemon dies as a result of the journey, Sam’s plan to direct Gilly to live with his family so that he can join the Citadel and become a maester for the Night's Watch remains intact.

What It Could Mean: Without Melisandre making mention of her need for king’s blood at the Wall, it is possible that the plot as recorded in the fifth book will be scrapped. Though all of the converging goings-on at the Citadel likely too important to be entirely left out, Sam’s role may not be what readers expected.