A Game of Thrones - Tyrion I (Chapter 9)

Dany and Tyrion are the only two non-Stark POVs in the first book, which is quite interesting. Tyrion's first POV comes right after we see Jaime throw Bran out the window, though it's some time later (I'm not actually sure how much later, whether we're talking days or weeks here.) Mostly this chapter is all about how Tyrion is the "good" Lannister, quite different from his siblings. We already got a tiny glimpse of this in his conversation with Jon, but now we get to see what makes him tick. Warning: This will be VERY LONG because I really like the Lannister family dynamics and because Tyrion and Jaime (Handless and Noseless!) are endlessly fascinating to me! So … diving in:

Other halves ... or better halves? Jaime, Cersei and Brienne

I’ve jumped ahead a bit in my reread to reread the “good” bits of A Feast for Crows (that is to say, I like the entire novel, but I was really interested in focusing on the Jaime, Cersei and Brienne chapters), and specifically in talking about Jaime’s last chapter where he throws Cersei’s letter onto the fire.

From the beginning of Jaime’s POV, Martin has juxtaposed Jaime, Cersei and Brienne for us, and the burning of Cersei’s letter is another of these instances, (though not as immediately obvious as it was with Jaime’s weirwood dream in which Cersei takes away the “only light in the world” and leaves him in darkness but then Brienne lights that darkness with her glowing blue sword - Oathkeeper - or maybe Lightbringer?)

Still, the parallels between Jaime’s being sent away from Brienne by Roose Bolton, and returning for her when she is in mortal danger and Jaime’s being sent away from Cersei by Cersei and refusing to return for her when she begs are completely intentional.

A Game of Thrones - Bran II (Chapter 8)

“The things I do for love” - and we come to the fateful moment when Bran discovers the Queen and her brother are a little bit closer than they should be. Jaime Lannister may not get a POV until Book 3, but his actions - fifteen years earlier with Aerys and now - drive the story to a considerable extent. (And because I love Jaime and this is SUCH a pivotal chapter, it got really long! Sorry. No, I’m not! Also, it’s taken me FOREVER to do this (like, literally seven months, I think) because I wanted to do this chapter justice.)

Without further ado … the chapter at hand: