How Far Will Game of Thrones Season 5 Stray from George R.R. Martin's Books?

Game of Thrones turned in some of its finest work in Season 4, yet some fans of the books were upset that the latest 10 episodes strayed farther from George R.R. Martin's source material than past seasons. So will Season 5 continue to separate itself from the books?

Showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and shed some light on the subject.

"We try not to talk about what's coming in future seasons, especially while the current season is still airing. And when we're not even finished writing the future seasons. I should probably be doing that right now, actually," Weiss said. "The books are the reason we're doing this, they're our road map, and they provide many or most of our destinations. But there are many ways to get to each destination, and some are more appropriate for our show than others, and I am totally losing the thread of this metaphor here, aren't I? Yup. No idea where I was going with that. Destination unknown." 

Benioff then jumped in and added the show must stand on its own two feet and not just exist as a literal representation of everything in the books:

"We have to make a show that succeeds on its own terms, and sometimes that means veering away from the books. Some people will be upset by that. Some people will like it. Obviously we hope for more of the latter, but if we ever write a scene (or avoid writing a scene) because we're afraid of pissing someone off, we're sunk. As for season five, we're still figuring out how we can afford everything we want to do. There are a few sequences that are absolutely terrifying from a production standpoint."  

What do you think, Game of Thrones fans? Were you okay with the changes made in Season 4, or would you like the show to stick more closely to the books? Let us know in the comments below.