I think most of the changes are to consolidate characters, because there are so many.  Remember GRRM is working with the producers and approves of everything, and he knows TV and the sacrifices needed to put a book to the knife for the medium.

Oh I don't mind the change to Snow's storyline. The two issues I take umbrage with (and I'll try to cut down on spoilers) are:

1. The change with Dany's bloodriders. That was a silly change that was unnecessary, and it has further implications later in the story. I guess they'll just replace said person with other people during key dialogues and such.
2. The change with Stannis. Holy crap! They just totally made him into a VERY shallow character, and he's not even the same person! Stannis is supposed to be honorable to a fault, to the point of not being human. Now you've got a guy who lets his emotions and lust overtake him, as well as the desire to have an heir being more important than his honor. It also firmly sets him as a "bad guy," and Melisandre as well, when neither of them are explicitly "bad guys" during the novel. It's like the HBO writers going "You're supposed to hate these people, we said so, look at this!"

And season 3 is already confirmed!  Back to not reading this thread.

There's no point at which it is obvious its happened, Airic. I've read the books over ten times. The implication is there, but part of the issue is the very fact that implication isn't enough.

And Stannis certainly is not a bad guy anywhere in the books, any more than Eddard, Jon, or Dany are "bad guys." he's doing what's right the entire time, and in fact comes across as more "good" than people like Robert, Robb, or Tyrion.

Also, why does burning the seven or being immune to poison make melisandre evil? After all, the most evil person around later on is the head of that seven-god religion.

Remember GRRM is Producing this, he greenlights EVERYTHING.  Stannis and Melisandre got it on between the pages.

I'm with Airic here. When I read the books I felt the physical relationship between Stannis and Mel was a given, even though we were never actually given a scene in the book of it happening. I think they specifically showed it on HBO because of the coming scene that Airic mentions.

Speaking of that scene, I'm interested in seeing how they do it. It was freaky just reading about it, I can't even imagine what its going to be like when they show it.

That quote doesn't say they had sex at all, Airic. In fact, for your argument there are two other passages that imply it more directly.

And Martin wrote for Beauty and the Beast; he knows TV well, and just because he greenlit this scene doesn't mean that they had sex in the books. Martin understands, just like others who know TV, that a television show is only as effective as the lowest common denominator allows it to be. Thus, "sex sells" here - it's just so much easier for the less-intelligent television audience to understand what is going on with the shadow baby.

Spoiler Alert for the story in this video!!!!   Much easier to follow if you read the lyrics

What If Game of Thrones Had Lyrics? (NSFW, Minor Spoilers)	Small | Large