The Rec That Was Promised: Jaime x Brienne Fic Rec
I’ve been meaning to put this rec together for a LONG TIME but as always, time got away from me! I fell in love with this pairing before I even was a fan of the show OR the books–the concept of their dynamic intrigued me so much, the double-reverse Beauty and the Beast, the unexpected commonalities, the bonding through my favorite trope: the odd-couple-road-trip. Then I started watching the show and comparing it to book canon, and before I knew it, they had reached an OTP status in my heart on the same level as my other long-term faves (Zutara, Eowyn/Faramir, Captain Swan, Luke/Mara Jade, Royai).
To ship Jaime and Brienne is to be committed to the SLOW BURN, and thankfully we have amazing writers in our fandom that pull us through, whatever ending these two have in canon. This is my love letter to the JB fandom as the show draws to a close, and to the writers who have explored and loved on these characters and enriched them for us. I’ll keep updating this as more fics come in!
Here’s some of my collection:
**= personal faves
Authors
janie_tangerine: I love the variety, the humor, and the poignant humanity of their stories. One of the most prolific writers for J/B. Faves include (and this was like picking a favorite child):
this is the power of love revealed (T)
bathe me up in light, call me when you drown (M)
winterlude (T)
and I’m never going to care about my bad reputation (M)
**scars like the number of stars (M)
ink on a pin, underneath the skin (T)
love has to be remade all the time, made new (T)
two cats are better than one (T) - It has CATS
**cat’s cradle (T) - You can tell I love cats
**and give all the love that you have in your soul (E): A beautifully written long-fic with an ending so perfect and earned and I love it (don’t forget to read the deleted scenes too!)
**more like the man you were meant to be: in which Robert, instead of keeping Jaime in King’s Landing after the rebellion, sends him to Winterfell.Or, alternatively: in which Jaime gets to keep his oaths, gains both Ned’s and Cat’s respect and Jon Snow finds himself growing up with his own sworn sword.Or, even more alternatively: in which Brienne’s father sends her to be a warden at Winterfell after she defies her last suitor and some things change and others stay the same. (T) - One of my absolute favorite JB stories, favorite take on Jamie-at-Winterfell, and favorite Jamie-as-awesome-surrogate-dad story
I’ll be the frosting to your cupcake, wench (E)
**where you invest your love you invest your life: In the dungeons of the Dragon Queen, Jaime saves his skin by telling her stories of his lady love. (T) - Just the idea of it is so romantic and haunting
searching for a heart of gold: where Jaime comes to the conclusion that no one in Westeros deserves knighthood more than Brienne and finds out what he really wants in the process. (M)
QuizzicalQuinnia: Their stories are hilarious, poignant, sometimes bizarre but refreshingly original
**O-T-P: A Saga of Epic True Love and Stuff saga: These stories are freakin’ HILARIOUS chronicles of Myrcella and her friends well-intentioned and completely dysfunctional plans to get Hot Uncle Jaime and Awesome Brienne together. I’m still mindblown by how the author comes up with the most bizarre scenarios and weaves so much believable human drama and emotion into them (M)
Madonna of the Balcony: Jaime Lannister hides away at an isolated Sothoryos resort, mired in the loss of his identity as a sculptor after a devastating injury. Fate is cruel and allows his muse to be found only after he can no longer capture her form, but perhaps she’s there for another purpose entirely. (M)
Rellie: Their stories often break my heart, but they write Jaime and Brienne so poignantly that it’s a good kind of hurt
**The Covering Sky: AU, from the end of 3x07 in which the timeline is changed slightly and Brienne ends up as the reluctant guest of the Lannisters in King’s Landing. - Wonderful characterization and I love the exploration of J/B navigating King’s Landing and finding a way out
Everything Broken (G)
As Loud as Lions: Cersei will not stand for having what is hers stolen. (T)
astolat: Characters are vividly realized and the voices are both humorous and poignant
**Traveling Far: Three weeks into their delightful slog across Westeros, during yet another charming day of shitting in the woods, eating half-raw squirrel, and trudging his feet bloody, the single most dour and uninteresting woman Jaime had ever met in all of Westeros stopped in the middle of a field, drew a deep breath, and said… (E) - This story probably has the most unexpected and delightful ending of the fics I’ve read and one of the few I’d LOVE to see continued as a miniseries
**Laying Siege: “Marry me instead,” Jaime said. (E) - I’ve read this story so many times and never get tired of the wry humor and sweetness of it. Jaime’s voice is just so spot-on and clever.
The Red Fork: "It’s a choice every time,“ she said. (E)
dreadwulf: I adore this writer’s exploration and expansion of canon, their introspective and honest characterization, and the organic, effortless quality of their storytelling.
**A Man for All Seasons : Jaime Lannister is riding North to join the fight against the Night’s King. At last he is free of his family, doing the right thing, and becoming the hero he was meant to be. Unfortunately, nothing is going according to plan.(M, WIP) - The BEST Jaime characterization I’ve read so far. It packs a powerful emotional punch and builds a compelling Season 8 alternative and love story for Jaime and Brienne. I literally would marry this fic if I could…
Terrible Love: Brienne seeks out Jaime in the Lannister encampment to conclude her quest and return his sword. This time, her doesn’t want to let her go. But is Brienne ready to stay? (T, WIP)
ssstrychnine: Adept at capturing the push-and-pull of Jaime and Brienne, their camaraderie and the kindredness that draws them together in so many different scenarios
lavender: jaime helps brienne with her armour. brienne takes a bath. they share a bed. (T)
The Lion Prince: Brienne comes across a lion who wasn’t always a lion. (T)
Wouldn’t You Prefer A Maiden Fair?: That was what men wanted, wasn’t it? Soft helpless women that they needed to protect? (G)
**It’s Like Weather: Modern day Medieval Times style restaurant AU.(M) - You would think this premise would be cheesy, but it’s really not. It’s completely believable and you end up rooting for these characters so much
Miss_M: Writes evocative pieces grounded in realism and a keen understanding of how Jaime and Brienne work as a partnership
On the Night’s Watch: Detective Brienne Tarth transfers to the King’s Landing Police Department and is assigned to permanent nightshift duty: the Night’s Watch, where careers go to die. As if that weren’t bad enough, her new partner is the infamous Jaime Lannister. When they land a time-sensitive missing person case, trusting each other is the only way they might solve the mystery. (M)
**Where the Wind Takes Us: A year after the events of A Dance with Dragons, Jaime and Brienne arrive in the Free Cities to look for Arya Stark.A storm blows their ship all the way to Volantis, forcing our intrepid knights to go about their quest the long way around. (T) - I love the comfortable intimacy and the world-building in this one, plus it’s one of the few that send J/B to Essos
A Song of Thunder and Comfort: In which Jaime discovers Brienne is afraid of thunder and reacts accordingly. (T)
The Twenty Deaths of Brienne of Tarth: What could have been, what may yet be. (T)
Love is Not Love: Brienne never expected to be a mother. (G)
RoseHeart: Their pieces always manage to feel like a breath of fresh air and craft such compelling character interactions
**I Will Not Close My Eyes: What could happen much later than the events from ADWD… (M) - A painful premise, but where it goes from there is worth it
Nothing That Is So, Is So: Brienne must go to King’s Landing, pretending to be her brother and grow up living a lie, waiting for the day she is sent back home, away from being a knight and away from the man she meets there. This is a Twelfth Night inspired story. (T)
**The Alcove: Jaime and Brienne have survived war and winter. But now they must try to find their new lives amidst something they have never truly experienced before: peace. - There’s a simplicity and serenity to this piece that I love as an ending for these two
**The Seven Bind Their Fate: What if Jaime became a prisoner of Renly Baratheon, instead of Robb Stark, and he met Brienne earlier? This story delves into the changing nature of Jaime and Brienne’s relationship in a time of war and shifting alliances and then explores how their journey, and the land, is changed by this small twist of fate. (M) - This is a sprawling epic of a story that I was totally enthralled with
One-Shots
**hold my hand as I’m lowered by dollsome: In which Jaime Lannister never shuts up, and Brienne of Tarth discovers that perhaps she does not want his silence. (T) - It’s the last line that gets me every time
Kismet with a Side of Fries by francoeurs: “You’re the last person I expected to see in here,” a very familiar voice interrupted her pity party. “Bad night?”Oh, no. Brienne looked up and froze with her burger halfway to her open mouth. A glob of sauce landed on her tray with an annoyingly loud plop.Jaime Lannister — her co-worker, friend, and possibly the love of her life — was standing next to her table, holding his own loaded tray and looking almost as surprised as she felt. (T)
Thaw by francoeurs: He didn’t miss the way Brienne leaned into his touch immediately, even as her eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t miss the way they fluttered shut, her near-white lashes fanning over her flushed cheeks. When he removed his hand, he didn’t miss the quick flash of distress on her face before she remembered to hide it behind a mask of indifference.Jaime didn’t miss any of it. (M)
Rescued Again by kirazi: Jaime and Brienne, still fighting their way side by side through the aftermath, in the twenty-four hours after the Battle of Winterfell (T)
ardently admire by NotusLethe: They fought off the army of the dead. Now, the real impossible task begins: Jaime Lannister deals with feelings. (T)
Evenfall by arlathahn: Lord Selwyn has a singular daughter. Brienne-centric (G)
**Mercy by arlathahn: The truth is, there’s one thing left Jaime Lannister can believe in, and it has nothing to do with himself at all. (T) - Beautiful introspection
a hundred thoughts to make this one disappear by lodessa: He cannot deny that Brienne is the reason he is here. (E)
On the Shadow by lodessa: Asshai is the end of the world (T)
Smiles Await You When You Rise by goldenslumber: The first time Jaime hears Brienne sing. (T)
Season 6, Episode - 10 After the Siege by Nurdles: In anticipation of episode ten of season six of Game of Thrones, this is a continuation of Jaime and Brienne’s story from episode eight.
**Blizzards Makes Strange Bedfellows by CommaSplice: After his impractical sports car fails him, Jaime Lannister catches a ride to his hotel with Brienne Tarth. Before long, they are caught in a brutal blizzard that causes them to take shelter with an unlikely host. (G) - Because this one has a creepy Roose Bolton and made me laugh
Honourable Intentions by Eloisa: Most men engaged in fighting a duel for a woman’s affections would not find themselves fighting the woman. (E)
**The Only Prayer by sea_spirit: Brienne stumbles upon a sept on her journey back to Winterfell. As she ponders and prays within its walls, Brienne has no idea that someone unexpected is on his way to find her. (T) - Sweet oneshot
until my breathing stops by qqueenofhades: Shamelessly, utterly fluffy one-shot. Jaime and Brienne return to Casterly Rock for their wedding. (T)
The Blue Lion by sbarmarj: Brienne returns to Winterfell and her husband, but something is rotten in the North. (T, part of a series)
**Little Does My Lady Dream by openmouthwideeye: Great men weave lives into tapestries, making powerful pictures from forgotten bits of straw and string. This thread is worth her weight in gold. (G) - Dreamy, subtle and fantastical
Open Your Eyes by ellaria: Brienne of Tarth has come to learn that when alliances shift faster than the wind, oaths are a double-edged sword. (M)
Father. Mother. Warrior. Maiden. Smith. Crone. Stranger. by H3L: Jaime Lannister is judged. (G)
Homecoming by Who Shot AR (akerwis): At some point, homecoming had become Brienne’s favourite part of journeying. (G)
Daylight Dreaming by queenofthorns: "I am not the man you think I am.“In King’s Landing, at the court of Queen Cersei, First of Her Name, Jaime thinks about what he used to want, and what he wants now. (T)
**Remember Spring Swaps Snow for Leaves by orphan_account: Whatever happened to the Kingslayer and the Maid of Tarth after A Dance with Dragons. A Brienne-centric endgame fic for A Song of Ice and Fire. (T) - Beautifully written
Blossoming Roots by gnosiophobic: Reconciliation. (M, part of a series)
Salt Wife by Lady_in_Red: After the war, Jaime and Brienne begin a new life at Casterly Rock in the shadow of the dragon queen’s rule. (T)
Home is Wherever I’m with You by BrienneofThrace: Brienne makes an embarrassing mistake. Jaime decides to torment her over it. Because he’s Jaime. Fluffy stuff. (T)
At the Close of a Winter Day by beachglass5387: Four times Brienne didn’t kiss Jaime and one time he kissed her. (T)
Checklist by SandwichesYumYum: My random tune was ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Ol’ Blue Eyes. (T)
Golden Sunbursts Over A Silver Lion by CourtingDisaster: “When are you going to tell your lady knight you’re in love with her?” (G)
Multi-Chapter
In a Lengthening Sun by trulily: Brienne rides north with Podrick to rejoin the Starks and prepare for the coming battle of their time. Back in the south, Jaime Lannister begins his own journey.They find each other where their paths intertwine. (T, WIP)
**Fever by Lady_in_Red: As a professional bull rider, Jaime Lannister cheated death, eight seconds at a time, for more than a decade. When his luck finally runs out, Brienne Tarth becomes his unlikely savior. A slow-burn romance set against a backdrop of dangerous sports and pop culture geekery in a Westeros-flavored United States. (M) - Because I never thought I would read a bull-riding fic yet here we are
Sparring in the Vale by Lady_in_Red: Brienne and Jaime face their feelings for each other as the search for Sansa Stark comes to an end. (M, part of a series)
Unsure and Certain by Angelic_Temptress: As Jon and Daenerys settle into their roles as monarchs in the North and South, it is their advisors who make the move to treat. (M, multiship)
**Before Your Judgment by lionoftarth: Directly after ADWD. Mostly j/b and canon compliant, except if I forgot things. Brienne and Jaime point of view. (M) - Rich characterization and a believable continuation of ADWD
**Tale As Old As Time by BrienneofThrace: An AU inspired by Beauty and the Beast, where Jaime is the crippled and bitter Lord of Casterly Rock, wallowing in his own misery, until a stubborn and homely girl from Tarth shows up, demanding he release her captive father.When Brienne agrees to be a hostage of the Rock to ensure Selwyn’s loyalty, she changes Jaime’s life in ways he never could have imagined. (T) - I’m a SUCKER for a good BATB story
The Road North by Priestess_of_Groove: It was one thing to leave King’s Landing. It was entirely another to escape Queen Cersei. Jaime embarks on his journey north to face the Long Night and reunite with Brienne of Tarth. Spoilers for S7E7. (M)
**Affiancing by H3L: PROMPT-Totally AU-Brienne receives a proposal from someone else which she plans on accepting, thinking it’s the best offer she’ll ever get and Jaime can’t handle it. Brienne can’t figure out what’s wrong with him since he’s acting really strange and stand-offish until Jamie finally snaps and confesses his love to Brienne. Brienne thinks it’s just a bad jape, so Jaime sets out to court her and show her just how much she really means to him. (M) - Another J/B classic
Consign Me Not To Darkness by karevsprincess: The Night King is marching on Winterfell and winter has come to Westeros. The living must band together to end the Long Night, while also dealing with family matters and affairs of the heart. Love is the death of duty and a war is no time for romance, but some things can’t be helped.The Great War from thirteen perspectives, told in thirteen parts. (T, multiship)
**Before Destruction by renaissance: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young governess must be in want of a more exciting way of life – and if she does not want it, it will nonetheless seek her out. When a new family moves into the area, Brienne Tarth finds her comfort turned on its head, sweeping her away into a life of society, intrigue, and romance. As she balances between pride and destruction, will she lose her way, or will she adjust to the changes around her? (T) - Because I saw “Regency” and couldn’t resist
**A Tale of Spring by WackyGoofball: Jaime and Brienne encounter an uncertain future, following the Long Night.They have to make some life-changing decisions, come to terms with their old and new demons, and wrestle with those things left unspoken for so very long.They now live the Dream of Spring, whatever dreams that spring may hold is history, a tale yet to be told. (T) - Poetic, thoughtful, and a lovely denouement for these two characters
Seven Days of the Seven by greyathena: Jaime Lannister arrives in the North, bringing his gods with him. (T)
**Living Fiction by Archetype_ElectraHeart: When Brienne Tarth is assigned to be Jaime Lannister’s new editor at Winterfell Publishing, she knows he has a reputation for being difficult, but she has never been one to back down from a challenge. (M) - Really interesting take on a more confident Brienne and I love how her relationship with Jaime develops
**Austenland by imagineagreatadventure: Sansa Stark is rich, bored, and desperate for her own Mr. Darcy - an almost disastrous combination that leads her to buy a trip to Austenland - the resort where you get to practically live as if it was 1814 and find your own Austen happily ever after! When she finally gets her much poorer (and about twice as Austen obsessed) friend Brienne Tarth to agree to go with her, they both find that the land of Jane Austen is not exactly what they expect. (T, multiship) - Fun, fluffy, and the chemistry between Jaime and Brienne is right on and perfectly Austen
**Irony by kuolettava (salainen): Daenerys, now queen of the Seven Kingdoms, advised that she can’t feed every last one of her enemies to her dragons, arranges what she assumes are a lot of unwanted marriages amongst the nobility.It doesn’t go as planned. (T, multiship) - I LOVE the hilarious thread weaving these love stories together and watching them unfold just makes me smile. Funny, sweet, and so pure
Beast and the Beast by SigilBroken: Anyway, it’s a Modern AU version of Westeros where things like Google, American Football, Mary Poppins, and fascists all exist. Just…roll with it (or don’t). (E)
Honor Thy Regard series by SigilBroken: Canon continuation after ADWD
the summer queen by honey_wheeler: It had taken her quite some time to name her Queensguard. Not to choose them; Sansa had been choosing them for a great deal of time – since the day she watched her father die, in truth – her choices growing and expanding over the years until she’d known with no doubt who would make up her Queensguard before she knew for certain she would be Queen. women-centric (T)
**A Dance with Ice and Fire by ShirleyAnn66: This is how it ends (or Jaime and Brienne and End Game). (T) - Plotty with some well-drawn political scheming and lots of twists and turns
A Change of Heart by Ladyoftarth: Jaime finally comprehending the source of the rope burn on Brienne’s neck asked, “What have you done?”“Jaime, I’m sorry….” she said her voice mournful and blue eyes watering.A woman so slight in figure it could not be believed emerged from the thicket of brush, along with several men, all armed. The woman was hooded, but Jaime recognized her. Book-canon (E)
**A Wreath of Thorns by LadyNormaOfTheWesterlands: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Bastards and the destruction of the Great Sept in King’s Landing, new allegiances are forged and family ties will be tested, as two Queens dance around a blood-dripping throne and a new King rises in the North. The day of reckoning is getting closer, for princes and commoners, for friend and foe, while cold winds bring the longest of winters, and, with it, an enemy who doesn’t respond to honour, nor love. (M, multiship) - Great post-Season 6 fic with nuanced characterization
Sworn by the Noose by gnosiophobic: No matter what you do, you’re forsaking one vow or the other.After finding Jaime at Pennytree, Brienne must make a choice. Book-canon. (E)
**Nights Without Armor by bratanimus: An unlikely trio – Jaime, Brienne, and Podrick – set out to rescue Sansa from Petyr Baelish. Can they return the last known Stark heiress to Winterfell and fulfill their oath to Catelyn, thereby releasing them all from Lady Stoneheart’s death sentence? (M) - Great tension and chemistry, and I always love a good team-up of Pod, Brienne, and Jaime
Three Nights on the Run by BrienneofThrace: After fleeing from Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood with Podrick Payne, Jaime and Brienne work out some feelings and tensions in unexpected ways. Book-canon. (M)
**A Septa’s Advice by Currawong: Jaime Lannister never expected to survive the war, but sometimes the gods are kind. A gentle romance between two people who have travelled a long way together. (T) - Sometimes you just need a sweet story about people who love each other and this is one of those
**The Gentlest Schism by SandwichesYumYum: The war is over. Some of them hadn’t thought that they would outlive it. And yet… (E, unfinished) - This story made me tear up several times and while lengthy in parts, it’s a gem
More Bunny Fic Recs:
My Top 10
The Next Top 10
Game of Thrones
Merlin
Makorra
LOTR/The Hobbit
Captain Swan
Star Wars: Romance One-shots
Star Wars: Gen One-shots
Star Wars: PT Multi-Chapter Fics
Star Wars: OT Multi-Chapter Fics
oh wow, such a thorough, extensive rundown of J/B fics and a lot of new things to try! passing this along so that others can enjoy
