When you get to the part of A Clash of Kings with the Greyjoys, the first thing you notice is that they are...basically Cthulhu cultists. I mean, it is like Innsmouth was an island. So right there, you realize...these guys are going to be a problem. I mean, for a second it looks like it might all line up for Rob Stark-- send your dude Theon to go get a navy, make piece with Renly & merge your armies with a promise of independence when the war is done, negotiate with Jaime for your sisters-- it looks like it is all about to fall into place. The Iron Islands are the first big monkey wrench. The thing is, the Greyjoys & Iron Islanders aren't just pirates, they aren't fictionalized Vikings but something worse. They have an internally consistant ideology supporting their raping & murdering. When Baelon Greyjoy confronts Theon about his jewelry, asking if he paid the gold price-- if he bought it-- or the iron price-- if he pillaged it-- & then calling him a whore for having gotten it with money...yeah. That is when you realize that they Greyjoys are scary. They are fanatics who follow a religion of pillaging, where things like kidnapping & rape are pillars of the community, where salt-wives & iron-prices drive a whole empire. Ned Stark kicking them over was probably the most noble thing he did, never mind the Mad King. & they really chew up the scenery in Game of Thrones, as you'd expect. I think visually they are coming off great-- the super salty sailor look is a great way to temper people's Norse assumptions, & everybody loves a little incest. I will say that renaming Asha as "Yara" isn't really necessary-- oh, so the name sounds like the Wildling who is a bit character?-- but whatever. Oh, unless they just nix the marshwiggle Reeds & fold them into Osha. That is probably it. I am okay with tweaks & changes-- like making Salladhor Saan a black guy, that is a smart way to diversify your cast. I think all the changes serve an economy of storytelling-- sure, in the books Bron isn't made Captain of the Gold Cloaks, but it is a good way to shorthand that Tyrion is putting those close to him in power, & it provides a reason to give him more screen time. Stuff like that; I don't see the story making any substantial divergence. & Arya's storyline is about to hit like a ton of bricks; we've met Hot Pie before but we see him again, as well as getting a proper introduction to Jaqen H'ghar, Biter & Rorge. Given how cool Pyke looks, I can't wait to see Harrenhal.
