To all of the folks whining that it doesn't follow this chapter or that chapter or complain that "it didn't happen like that..." : Welcome to the wonderful world of storytelling. It was never intended to be a visual retelling of the books. The "Based on" part of the line that says: Based on the book series by... should have given it away.

The writers and creators have the opportunity to reimagine an excellent story and explore new possibilities that can make the show even better than the books at times. It doesn't take anything away from the books or their author. A great read, and an excellent series. They're not identical, and that's even better.