My point about the khopesh swords is that they were used in
ancient Egypt. They had been out of use for 1000-2000 years by
anyone by the later medieval years. And they were made of bronze, to be used by infantry and maybe a crazed charioteer who eschewed spears & javelins. A decidedly clumsy weapon with which to burden a cavalryman.
Somehow I doubt the horse-barbarians were engaging in a conscious, retrospective neo-egyptian homage in a way the neo-classicists in vogue at the time of the American Revolution were engaging in Greek & Roman revival.
I saw the first episode. Pretty good, and fairly true to the books from what I recall. The books are quite a bit darker and grittier (and more realistic to the sort of things history shows actually happened) than most things I've seen.(1)
Iirc the knopesh looking swords were used by the Dothraki, who are more analogous to the Mongolian hordes than generic Europe. Also, isn't it self-contradictory to complain that the setting is generic medieval Euro, then complain when the setting deviates from generic Euro? I also note that "high fantasy" is by definition not dark or gritty.(2)
As for the depth of world building in the books, it's not as anal retentive deep as Robert Jordan and his lengthy dissertations on the clothing, hair styles, and chief exports of every freaking nation in the world. And I am incredibly glad of it. I swear RJ was getting payed by the word towards the end...(3)
(1) There is some irony of claiming realism in a setting that is lacking internal consistency.
(2) No. Hence the "-ish." I wish they'd get it right or go home, rather than treat history as a buffet table.
Also, high fantasy != high medieval. They are different critters. One is a literary genre, another is an historical period.
(3)I never read anything by Robert Jordan. Judging his books by their spines, he could have used an editor wielding a meat cleaver.
Last, I can see where the series is headed without googling it. The story is going to rely more on its dark tones to bully through rather than a creative plot, the basis of which was shouted out all during episode #1. Perhaps the books are otherwise well-written and rewarding, though.