Game of Thrones season 5: George RR Martin hints at upcoming deaths but admits he has 'no right to veto' anything

The author advises HBO showrunners but cannot control what happens

George RR Martin has a reputation for being merciless when it comes to killing off characters in his books.

But the A Song of Ice and Fire author has confirmed he has “no right to veto or approve” anything that happens in corresponding TV series, Game of Thrones.

Gruesome fatalities are always a central part of the hit HBO show and it is not uncommon for those still alive and kicking in the books to meet their grisly ends (one example being Robb Stark’s pregnant wife Talisa, tragically stabbed at the infamous Red Wedding, and another the two Night’s Watch brothers Pyp and Grenn who died defending the Wall against a giant).

Season five, which premiered in the US last night after the first four episodes leaked, looks set to feature more of the same.

“I consult on [deaths], so I give my opinions, but I don’t have any right to veto or approval,” Martin told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Writing books, I literally have a cast of thousands. We don’t have that many named characters in the Night’s Watch on the TV show.

“We can’t afford to cast that many. So they’ll kill Pyp and Grenn and get an emotional response because the viewer knows who they are. These are the kind of adjustments you have to make in moving from one medium to another.”

Martin is staying tight-lipped on the twists and turns to come in season five, save to say that viewers should “be on their toes” for surprises.

The 66-year-old writer hinted that fans should watch out for characters dying in the series in place of those who die in the books but have no obvious counterpart on Game of Thrones. Intriguing…