They changed up a few key things to make the show more palpable for a new audience. The books are much darker and I hope season 2 shows that more.
Overall brilliant for anyone who knows the lore. I worry new viewers won't want to labor to figure out what part of the timeline they are watching. A simple year listed on cut scenes would of helped the audience a lot. My 8 year old was confused throughout the show even though he knows the story and charicters.