History Awesome / AFeastForCrows

** The threat ''works,'' too. While even Jaime thinks of it as a KickTheDog moment, in real terms he [[IDidWhatIHadToDo did what he had to do]] in order to make Edmure Tully realise that [[HonorBeforeReason fighting to the end and dying for a lost cause]] would cost a lot more than just his own life, and Jaime's rightly proud of himself for managing to capture Riverrun without breaking his oath to Catelyn to bear arms against Tully or Stark again.

* The Blackfish [[ShutUpHannibal verbally abuses]] Jaime Lannister when the latter tries to parley during the siege of Riverrun, pointing out that Jaime's position isn't as strong as he thinks, and admitting that he only came out to parley because he was bored. And then he escapes the siege by swimming down a river. For least 10 miles. At night. Did we mention that he's 60 years old?

--> ''High Septon: No.''

* The Blackfish [[ShutUpHannibal verbally abuses]] Jaime Lannister when the latter tries to parley during the siege of Riverrun. And then he escapes the siege by swimming down a river. For least 10 miles. At night. Did we mention that he's 60 years old?

** To elaborate, Cersei arranges for Bronn to have an [[CutHimselfShaving unfortunate accident]] with his underlings, Ser Balman and Lady Falyse. Instead, Balman challenges to a jousting match on horseback (thinking that Bronn, not having any jousting experience, will get knocked off his horse and can be killed while he's lying stunned on the ground), only for Bronn [[CombatPragmatist to kill Balman's horse instead]] and kill ''him'' while ''he's'' lying stunned on the ground (though only after [[TortureForFunAndInformation getting Balman to admit Cersei put him up to it, giving Bronn leverage against her should she try again). Bronn then expels Lady Falyse from her castle, declaring it belongs to him and his new wife, Falyse's younger sister...and when she demands her guards arrest Bronn, they just laugh and reveal that they're loyal to Bronn now. Note that this is after Bronn has named his adopted son "Tyrion" when it would be suicide to do so, and has gotten away with it.

** To elaborate, Cersei arranges for Bronn to have an [[CutHimselfShaving unfortunate accident]] with his underlings, Ser Balman and Lady Falyse. Instead, Balman challenges to a jousting match on horseback (thinking that Bronn, not having any jousting experience, will get knocked off his horse and can be killed while he's lying stunned on the ground), only for Bronn [[CombatPragmatist to kill Balman's horse instead]] and kill ''him'' while ''he's'' lying stunned on the ground. Bronn then kicks out Lady Falyse. Note that this is after Bronn has named his adopted son "Tyrion" when it would be suicide to do so, and has gotten away with it.

*** Props to Podrick Payne's timely assistance in getting Shagwell to yield to Brienne via chucking stones at him, and for warning Brienne when Shagwell suddenly attacks after he finishes burying the murdered Dick Crabb.

* Margaery Tyrell gets an amazingly satisfying moment after [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Cersei]], in a fit of staggering paranoia, frames her for adultery and treason and has her arrested by the [[ChurchMilitant Faith]]. She goes to visit Margaery in her cell to show support (i.e., stealth gloating), but Margaery is having precisely none of Cersei's bullshit:

* Give Cersei some credit, while in the long term it does blow up in her face, arming the Faith Militant in the books allows for her to secure Tommen's blessing, wipe away the debt the crown owes to the Faith and deals with the sudden influx of refugees. It's a shocking contrast to the show where Cersei only does it to deal with the Tyrells.

* Euron Greyjoy's ascent to [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastardom]]: "''EURON KING!''"

* Speaking of [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastards]], Littlefinger running rings around the Lords of the Vale, who want to kick him out of the Eyrie. It is also quite satisfying to see Sansa finally picking up on his methods.

** This is especially fun, as it utterly deflates the previous [[SwitchingPOV Cersei POV]] chapters that she's spent congratulating herself for being a MagnificentBitch {{Chessmaster}} supreme and shows her up for the SmugSnake she truly is.

** In the next book, he gets wind of Cersei's plan to kill his son, with himself as a witness that she wasn't involved, and quickly alters his years-long plan by sending three of the Sand Snakes out to further keep an eye on everything in King's Landing. The man is officially a {{Magnificent Bastard}} to rival Littlefinger; not bad for someone who's long been crippled by gout.

* Euron Greyjoy's ascent to [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastardom]]: [[spoiler:"''EURON KING!''"]]

** Ser Kevan also flat out calls her a poor ruler and when she argues that [[spoiler: Joffrey was alive she ruled through him and intends to do the same through Tommen]] he simply points out that she is also a bad mother. Cersei is so enraged that she throws her wine in his face.
* When Brienne is down on the ground, pinned down by [[spoiler: Biter]], Gendry runs to him with a spear and kills him (remember, we're talking about [[spoiler: [[TheBerserker Biter]]]]). It's one of the few moments, especially this late in the books, that we remember that he is not only the bastard but the physical legacy of [[WarriorPrince Robert Baratheon]]. Gives us another look at just how powerful Robert, who had been trained and well-fed all of his life, must have been in his prime, or even just as a boy.

* Doran Martell [[spoiler:reveals his master plan to destroy the Lannisters and put the Targaryens on the throne, complete with those chilling words: ''Vengeance. Justice. Fire and Blood.'']]
** In the next book, [[spoiler:he gets wind of Cersei's plan to kill his son, with himself as a witness that she wasn't involved, and quickly alters his years-long plan by sending three of the Sand Snakes out to further keep an eye on everything in King's Landing.]] The man is officially a {{Magnificent Bastard}} to rival Littlefinger; not bad for someone who's long been crippled by gout.
** Oberyn may be the deadly viper, but as Doran rightly boasts, [[spoiler: he is the grass that hides the snake, and thus far more dangerous. He's been patiently plotting against the Lannisters for years, hiding this even from his own family.]]

** To elaborate, Cersei arranges for Bronn to have an [[CutHimselfShaving unfortunate accident]] with his underlings, Ser Balman and Lady Falyse. [[spoiler: Instead, Balman challenges to a jousting match on horseback (thinking that Bronn, not having any jousting experience, will get knocked off his horse and can be killed while he's lying stunned on the ground), only for Bronn [[CombatPragmatist to kill Balman's horse instead]] and kill ''him'' while ''he's'' lying stunned on the ground. Bronn then kicks out Lady Falyse. Note that this is after Bronn has named his adopted son "Tyrion" when it would be suicide to do so, and has gotten away with it.]]

** Even earlier than that, Bronn begins life as just a normal sellsword, smart enough to believe that when Tyrion says [[PhraseCatcher A Lannister always pays his debts]] he means it. [[spoiler: He then kills a seasoned knight in single combat, traverses bandit-filled country unscathed (in no small part with Tyrion's help, granted), fights in several battles, saves a city, THEN does the above jousting trick then, to top it all off, declares himself lord protector of his wife's lands with no protest from anyone.]]

** His [[ProphecyTwist final line]] in "A Feast for Crows", in which he [[spoiler:definitively leaves Cersei to her own doing, realising that she's been using him all their lives]].

* Jaime gets another MOA when he calls Jeyne Westerling's mother, who [[spoiler:actively prevented her daughter from siring a heir to the throne and plotted the death of her son-in-law]], out for her general sliminess.
** He even says that Jeyne is worth ten of her mother, although Jeyne's true loyalty is with [[spoiler:her late husband King Robb Stark who she's defiantly mourning]] and not with the Lannisters.

** [[spoiler: Cersei proceeds to get imprisoned and unable to invoke a trial by combat she might actually win, guarded by the militant orders of the church against any rescue attempt. Her own actions are directly responsible for the restriction on her champions and the existence of said militant orders.]]
* The Blackfish [[ShutUpHannibal verbally abuses]] Jaime Lannister when the latter tries to parley during the siege of Riverrun. And then [[spoiler: he escapes the siege by swimming down a river. For least 10 miles. At night. Did we mention that he's 60 years old?]]