Had already watched the first season of HBO's Game of Thrones series and was surprised at how well the series followed the book. However, as with most transformations, the series does make some changes and does leave out some information. I thought the book was excellent with the added information and small differences. I did, however, find myself imagining the characters as they were in the series. I'm now reading the second book, on which the 2nd season of the season is based.