Background Image

...

I Swear The Sparrows Called Us Ten Kinds Of Idiot When We Did It.

-Tamora Pierce

...

Please Wait....
Translating....

I Swear The Sparrows

Tamora Pierce

...

I Swear The Sparrows Called Us Ten Kinds Of Idiot When We Did It.

Views: 12

Topic

More From Tamora Pierce

Why Do I Get The Feeling That If You Give Me A Hard Time, I'll Tell All Of Our Year-mates Your Family Nickname Is Meathead?

He Doesn't Need My Help Coming Up With Pranks. He's Got Too Many Ideas Of His Own. - Daja Referring To Briar In Their First Year At Discipline Cottage

This May Be My Only Chance To See Humans Before These Two Are Made Into Fertilizer For Moonwind's Rosebushes.

Why Does This Mean So Much To You, Jon?" The Prince Turned. "because He's My Friend. Because I Always Know Where He Stands, And Where I Stand With Him. Because I Think He'd Die For Me And--and I Think I'd Die For Him. Is That Enough?

Without Patience, Magic Would Be Undiscovered - In Rushing Everything, We Would Never Hear Its Whisper Inside.

"i Am Silly, Now And Then," Sandry Admitted. "my Mother Said I Was, Anyway." "if You Know, You Can Stop It." Carefully Daja Placed A Candle Behind Trader Koma's Image. "then You've Never Been Silly, Or You'd Know It Just Creeps Up Without Any Warning."

If I Say You're A Goatherd's Son, You Say, 'yes, Lord Ralon.'" Alanna Gasped With Fury. "i'd As Soon Kiss A Pig! Is That What You've Been Doing-kissing Pigs? Or Being Kissed?

Didn't They Realize That The Only Way To Change Things Was To Act?

Curse Him For Being All Tight Muscle, With Ivory Skin And A Mouth As Soft As Rose Petals. Curse Him For Having Hair As Fair As The Sun, And Eyes As Black As Night. Curse Him For Having The Grace Of A Cat And Deft, Cool Hands. And Now I Am Having The Same Argument On Paper That I Have In My Own Head On Too Many Nights. I Know My Choice Is Sensible, But It Isn't My Common Sense I Think With, Those Times Rosto's Stolen A Kiss From Me.

I--buy, And I Sell." "you're A Thief.

After I Recovered From 'lioness', I Wanted To Write Something About Animals Because I Really Like Mythical Creatures, Especially Dragons. At 12, I Was One Of Those Semi-recluses Who Did Better With Animals Than People. Out Of That, Came The Character, Daine, Who Could Communicate With Animals.

If Cape Wasn't Your Last Name, What Was Your Real One?" I Asked, Deathly Curious Now. "ahhhh," He Complained. "pincas Huckleburr.

Wouldn't--" Kel Began To Say, But The Words Stuck In Her Mouth. She Swallowed And Tried Again. "wouldn't It Be Well, Not Nice To Flirt With Somebody You Don't Want To Fall In Love With?

Falling In Love

Someday I Must Read This Scholar Everyone. He Seems To Have Written So Much--all Of It Wrong.

What People Tell Me They Take Away From My Books Is That They Can Shape Their Lives, They Can Achieve Their Own Dreams. And Certainly That's What I Want Them To Take Away.

Briar: "so I Guess I Was The Last To Know." Rosethorn: "of Course You Are. You're A Man, Aren't You?

Dale: "no, No--curse It, Beka, You're The Prickliest Woman I've Ever Met!" Goodwin: "no, I Am. But She Comes Very Close, I Have To Say." — Dale Rowan And Clara Goodwin When Beka Didn't Want To Accept Money For Being Dale's "luck

Indeed Not. Stop Kicking Me, Daine. You Understand, She Is Very Important To A Number Of Powerful Nobles And Mages In Tortall." Numair's Voice Was Quiet, Almost Friendly; His Eyes Were Hard. "their Majesties. Lady Alanna And Her Husband, The Baron Of Pirate's Swoop. Me. All Of Us Would Take Iit Amiss If We Thought For A Moment She Was Being Trifled With, Particularly By A Young Man Who Wasn't Free To Do The Right Thing By Her." "numair," Daine Growled. "can I Speak To You Privately For A Moment? "no. Stepping On My Foot Won't Work Either. Do I Make Myself Clear, Prince Kaddar?

So Long As There Are Nobles And Commoners, The Wealthy And The Poor, Those With Power Will Be Heard, And Those Without Ignored. That's The World.

At Last Niko Dropped His Hands, And Opened His Eyes. His Perfect Tree Illusion Solidified And Settled. "very Nice," Said Briar With Approval. "couldn't Have Done Better Myself" "couldn't Do It At All Yourself," Muttered Tris. Briar Ignored Her. "but You'd Never Find A Cork Oak In These Parts. Too Cold." Niko Looked Down His Nose At The Boy. "i Beg Your Pardon?" Briar Shrugged. "just Thought I'd Mention It." Niko Glared.

I Will Be Known Forever As The Puppy Who Chased A Cutpurse And Caught Fish Garbage Instead. My Descendants Will Pretend I'm Not In Their Bloodline. No – No One Will Want To Make Descendants With Me. [from Beka Cooper's Journal Of Her First Day As A New Dog I.e. Cop]

Oh! I'm Stupid As Well As Insane.

As I Recall, This Word's Use Means Somewhere There Is A Tree That Is Now A - A Two-legger. -numair Salmalin

Why Do You Look Like Cheese, Beka?" Nestor Asked Me Quietly. "we've Got Help." I Was Too Flummoxed To Tell Him I Hadn't Expected Help To Come So Fast. Miracles Aren't For The Likes Of Me, Didn't Nestor Know That? Only The Nobility Gets Them.

Well, Laddie, If You've Let An Old Buzzard Like Me Hurt You Confidence, You Couldn't Have Had Much In The First Place.

Don't Die On Me," She Whispered When The Clock Struck Midnight And He Still Had Not Moved. "it's Only A Little Shoulder Wound. Goddess, George-don't Die On Me." His Eyes Flickered Open And He Smiled. "i Didn't Know You Cared," He Whispered. "and Why Insult Me? I Won't Die For A Wee Nick Like This; I've Had Worse In My Day." Alanna Wiped Her Wet Cheeks. "of Course I Care, You Unprincipled Pickpocket!" She Whispered. "of Course I Care.

I'm About To Commence Four Years Of Obeying The Cause Of A Bruiser On A Horse. I Refuse To Put Down What Might Be The Last Book I See For Months.

You'll See. I'm As Good As Any Boy. I'm Better. - Kel

Without Reading, We Are All Without Light In The Dark, Without Fire In The Cold.

Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Asking Questions?' 'never. They're Mother's Milk To Me.

Asking Questions

Gran, For The Gods' Love, It's Talk Like Yours That Starts Riots!" I Said Keeping My Voice Down. "will You Just Put A Stopper In It?" She Looked At Me And Sighed. "girl, Do You Ever Take A Breath And Wonder If Folk Don't Put Out Bait For You? To See If You'll Bite? You'll Never Get A Man If You Don't Relax." My Dear Old Gran. It's A Wonder Her Children Aren't Every One Of Them As Mad As Priests, If She Mangles Their Wits As She Mangles Mine. "granny, "i Told Her, "this Is Dead Serious. I Can't Relax, No More Than Any Dog. I'm Not Shopping For A Man. That's The Last Thing I Need.

Never Before Had She Seen Such Creatures, Though They Looked Much Live Very Large, Very Shaggy White Goats. Thin Black Horns Punctuated The Top Of Their Long Faces. You Look Like A Collection Of Grandfathers, She Thought, Amused.

Never Break A Promise To An Animal. They're Like Babies—they Won't Understand.

There Is A Saying In The Islands. Beware The Women Of The Warrior Class, For All They Touch Is Both Decorative And Deadly.-yuki

Her Free Hand Was Clenched In A Fist. I Held Still, Waiting For Her To Say Something, To Tell Me She Should Have Never Left Me Here, Where Her Friends Might Look To Me For Help. Finally She Looked At Me. Her Eyes Were Hard, But She'd Let No Tears Fall. "this Is Where We Blame Those Who Are Responsible, Cooper, She Told Me, Her Voice Very Soft. "the Colemongers, And The Bought Dogs At Tradesmen's Kennel. We'll Leave An Offering For Him With The Black God When All This Is Done, And We'll Occupy Ourselves With Tearing These Colemongers Apart. All Right? We Put Grief Aside For Now.

He's Just Rather More Lively Than Most Fossils.

Daja: "he And Rosethorn Work Together? They Hate Each Other." Lark: "i Didn't Say They Liked It. - Daja And Lark Referring To Rosethorn And Crane's Cooperation On Finding The Cures For New Diseases

Working Together

You've Been Nipping At Cook's Wine!!

I Come From A Dysfunctional Family, So My Views Of Parents And Parenting Used To Be Highly Mixed.

Dysfunctional Family

Have I Mentioned That I Hate It When You're Right?", She Asked Instead. Alanna Shook Her Head. "no, I Don't Believe You Have. As Far As I Could Tell, You Never Thought I Was Right.

A Crow May Put On Human Shape Or Crow Shape, But We Remain Crows,” He Replied Firmly. “hawks, Too, Are The Same, Whether They Are Born In Human Nests Or Hawk Ones. The Nestlings Must Always Be Protected. Since You Have Chosen To Protect These, I And Mine Will Protect You.

Would I Serve You Or (prince) Jon Stolen Goods? He Asked. "no, Don't Answer Me.

The Bravest Person I Know Is Afraid Of The Dark. She Sleeps With A Night Lamp Always, But If Her Friends Are Threatened? She Suddenly Thinks She's A Bear Twelve Feet Tall And Attacks Whoever Scared Her Friends.

Tortall And The Queens Riders!

You Know Something? There Are Sandstorms That Strip Man And Horse And Bury Them — I've Seen Them. I Saw Bones Piled Higher Than My Head For The Folly Of A Bad King And Those Who Wanted His Throne. I Lived Through A Blizzard That Froze Every Other Living Creature Solid. Against Those Things, You're Only A Man. I Can Deal With You.

Better To Have It And Not Need It Than To Need It And Not Have It.

I Was Nuts For Stuff In The Middle Ages When I Was Just In The Third And Fourth Grades.

Teen Problem Novels? I Can Go Through Them Like A Box Of Chocolates. And There Are Fantasy Books Out Now That Need A Lot More Editing. Fantasy Got To Be So Popular That People Began To Think 'we Don't Need To Be As Diligent With The Razor Blade,' But They Do.

Not Too Fast," Called Raoul. "let's Not Scare Anyone." "his Majesty Said With All Deliberate Speed!" Chirped The Courier. He Flinched Under Lerant's Glare. "that's How We're Doing It," Raoul Told Him. "deliberately.

I've Written Short Stories In First Person, But You Have So Much More Control Writing In Third Person. Third Person, You Know What Everybody's Thinking. First Person Is Very Limiting, And I Could Never Sustain A First Person Novel Before.

Sometimes There's Nothing You Can Do. [...] Sometimes They Don't Have Enough To Fight With.

We Can't Just Act Without Thinking Anymore, Tris. They've Been Trying To Teach As That All Along. I Guess If We're Mages, We Can't Exactly Be Kids, Can We? - Sandry After The Pirate Attack

Ozorne, My Precious, Where Are You? - Rikash Moonsword

Free Time Is An Illusion. It's What You Get When You Die And The Gods Reward You For A Life Spent Working From Dawn Until Midnight.

Does Anyone In This Land Act Like They're Supposed To?

Thus Went My First Court Day. I Think I'm Going To Puke.

Dreadful Sorry Mistress. Ma Always Said I Was Too Silly To Die

Men Don't Think And Differently From Women - They Just Make More Noise About Being Able To.

Tris: "i Was Reading." Sandry: "you're Always Reading. The Only Way People Can Ever Talk To You Is To Interrupt." Tris: "then Maybe They Shouldn't Talk To Me.

Does Your Ma Know You're This Silly?" She Demanded Tartly. He Nodded, Comically Sad. "the Few Gray Hairs She Has On Her Head Are My Doing. But" — With An Exaggerated Change Of Mood — "i Send Her Plenty Of Money, So She Can Pay To Have Them Dyed!" "i Hope She Beat You As A Child," Onua Grumbled.

Anyone Who Tells You They Don't Need To Rewrite, They're Usually The Ones Who Need It Worst.

Yes Headwoman Azaze. But I Never Lie To Rosethorn. She, Um, Discourages It." "evvy And I Have An Understanding." She Grabbed The Teakettle And Poured Hot Water Into The Mug. "she Tells Me The Truth, And I Don't Hang Her In The First Well We Come To. It's A Solution That Works Tolerably Well For Both Of Us.

I'm Not So Fond Of People Myself, Evvy, But I Took My Vows For A Reason. There Are Two Classes Of People In The World, The Destroyers And The Builders. I Want To Build, Not Destroy. You Need To Ask Yourself Who You're Going To Be.

You Have An Audience That Is Fairly Well Grounded In The Real World. You Serve Them And Yourself Best By Making Everything As Real As Possible.

If You Aren't Having Fun, If You Aren't Anxious To Find Out What Happens Next As You Write, Then Not Only Will You Run Out Of Steam On The Story, But You Won't Be Able To Entertain Anyone Else, Either.

I Want To Marry Her, When I Grow Up To Be A Man.

Folk Caught Up In A Riot Aren't Our Cousins And Sisters, Our Brothers And Uncles. They Are Part Of A Big Animal With Many Arms And Claws, Armed With Stones And Sticks.

These Mages," Kol Asked, A Wicked Glint In His Eye, "what Kind Of Fees Will They Charge? Will I Get A Two-for-one Discount, Since They're Twins?

I Don't Write From Dreams Because I Don't Remember Mine, But I Had A Fragment Of An Image Left About Twins, Whose Father Was Telling Them How Their Lives Were Going To Go For The Next Eight Years. I Wrote A Scene About That, And Then Another And Then Another And Then Another, And After Five Months I Had 732 Pages.

It's Harder To Heal Than It Is To Kill.

As Long As There's Life, There's Hope.

If I Were Useful, You Wouldn't Know It Was Me.

You Must Tell Lady Alanna That Sometime. I'd Do It From A Distance.

Don't Call Me 'gentleman'. I Work For A Livin'.

She Has Teeth Like Stars And Hair Like Sheep Fuzz

I Swear The Sparrows Called Us Ten Kinds Of Idiot When We Did It.

Oakbridge Did His Work With Dramatics And Prophecies That All Would Go Horribly Awry. Having Dealt With Him Over Midwinter, Kel Wondered Why The Man Hadn’t Died Of A Heart Attack. Instead He Seemed To Thrive On Disaster And Finding People Seated In The Wrong Places.

I Forgot My Purse Of Laughter When I Dressed This Mornin'," She Told Me. "have You Not Bought Anythin' The Last Few Days? Prices Have Gone Up. Pay Or Starve, It's All One To Me.

Goodwin Scowled At Her Cup. "with All Due Respect, My Lord, I Hate It When You Make Sense.

Scary With You Is Better Than Scary Without You

No More Is Your Master A God, Nobility, But He Wants Offerings From All. When Black God Claims Us, Who Will Be Punished For Giving Worship And Power To A False God? The Prince? Or Banjiku?

You Aren't A Bit Romantic, Are You?" He Asked, Amused. She Sat Back And Stared At Him. She Was Beginning To Think That Neal Required A Keeper. He Seemed To Have The Craziest Ideas. "romance? Isn't That Love Stuff?" She Asked Finally. "it's More Than Just Love. It's Color, And-and Fire. You Don't Want Things Magnificent And Filled With-with Grandeur," He Said, Trying To Make Her Understand. "you Know, Drama. Importance. Transcendent Passion." "i Just Want To Be A Knight," Kel Retorted, Putting Her Used Tableware On Her Tray. "eat Your Vegetables. They're Good For You.

Girl, Boy Or Dancing Bear, You're The Finest Page-the Finest Squire-to-be-at Court." (jon To Alanna)

Just Because I'm No Jaw Clacker Doesn't Mean There Should Be A Ruction Put Up Whenever I Have Sommat To Say.

Feelings, She Learned, Were Hard To Fight. She Treasured His Smiles And Compliments And Tried Not To Dwell On The Fact That He Gave This Things To His Friend Kel. His Dreamy-eyed Gazes, Poems, And Fits Of Passionate Melancholy Were For Uline. It Was Hard Not To Resent The Older Girl.

No One Expects A Woman Busy At Her Sewing To Pay Attention To What’s Being Said Around Her. Nevermind If A Man’s Mother And Sister Showerd Them They Heard Everything While They Stictched, He’ll Still Think A Woman Who Plies Her Needles Saves All Her Brains For The Work. You’re A Far Better Spy Hemming Sheets Than If You Clank With Daggers.

I Am Not Wise, But I Can Always Learn.

Either I've Turned Stupid, Or Life's Turned Hard.

I Wish We Had A Sign That This Flaming Dragon Is Part Of An Attack Or Something. Those Dung Heaps Might Think It’s Just One Of Their Own Monsters Enjoying The Sunrise.

If Her Rump Were Any Stiffer, She'd Break It Every Time She Rides', I Thought To Pounce. 'if She Fell On The Steps, They Would Never Be Able To Put Her Together Again', He Replied.

Marriage Is For Noblewomen With Nothing Else To Do.

Evvy: "is She Going To Eat Jooba-hooba? She Looks Like She's Going To Bite Him, At Least." Briar: "no — If She Bit Him, He'd Die.

They Had Almost Reached Their Horses When Neal's Unmistakable Drawl Sounded Through The Stable: "joren Is So Pretty. Say, Garvey, Are You Two Friends Because You Can Have Him?

He Has Artistry," He Repeated. "because That's What It Takes To Blow Things Up. And Cook His Arm.

You Didn't Kill Him. He Would Have Killed You, But You Didn't Kill Him." "so? He Was Stupid. If I Killed Everyone Who Was Stupid, I Wouldn't Have Time To Sleep.

Men Broke Into Their Homes, Killed Their Families, Threatened You--and You Won't Let Them Do Anything For Fear You'll Be Hurt. That's Selfish. How Would You Like It If I Took Your Bow And Said I Cared Too Much About You To Let You Fight?

You Know, Ogres Only Sound Stupid. Most Are Pretty Smart." "and It's A Shallow Person Who Judges Anyone By The Way They Sound. I'm So Shallow I'm Surprised I Don't Reflect Myself.

"i'm Sorry," She Said Humbly. "i Haven't Wanted To Lie To You." "i Should Hope So. You're The Worst Liar I've Ever Met." He Thought About It For A Moment, Then Added, " - Or The Best. Now I'm All Confused.

Do You Know, Sire, I Think That If We Live To Tell Our Grandchildren About This War, They Will Accuse Us Of Making It Up.' -marielle

A Good Friend Will Help You Up When You Fall. A Best Friend Will Laugh And Try To Trip You Again. - I'm Not Sure

Why Does He Speak Of Them That Way?" The Crow-man Wanted To Know. "they Are Humans, Just Like He Is." "i Don't Think He Sees Them As Just Like Him." Ally Explained. "he Is Foolish Then," Said Nawat. "there Are More Raka Than Bronaus.

Sadly For My Wedding Plans, I Learned That Nestor Is A Bardash. I Envy The Men Who Enjoy His Favors. He Has Always Treated Me With Friendship Which I Now Value More Than My Old Romantic Feelings.

She Would Have Kissed Him, If She Kissed Stupid Men.

We'll Be Chopped Up Before You Can Say 'king Maggot'.

Threats Are The Last Resort Of A Man With No Vocabulary.

Once She Was Certain, She Didn't Waiver. I Had To Make Her Stop For Water Or A Bite To Eat. She Obeyed, But She Was Restless. As Clear As If She Spoke To Me, She Was Saying, "very Well, I Know You Want To Keep My Strength Up, But Scent Fades, You Know!" And I'd Say, "i Know, Girl, Buy You're What I Have And I'm Going To Take Care Of You.

Money Talks And Walks, But It Does Not Bark.

A Cat Understands How To Be Pleasant In The Morning. He Doesn't Talk.

Daja Doesn't Exactly Need To Be Tested On Whether She's Honorable Or Not." "doesn't She? Don't All Of You? This Is Your First Taste Of The Things Which May Come From Your Being Powerful Mages. People Will Offer You Gold, Status, Even Love. I Want To Know How You Will React. If Want To Know If Your Teachers Will Release Greedy, Thoughtless Monsters Into The World.

Horses Are Calmer People. They Also Don't Throw Things At Cats.

It's Always Better To Attack Than To Defend," Coram Had Told Her When They Talked About Fencing Late At Night. "always. Ye Don't Win With Defense--ye Only Hold The Other Feller Off, Or Wear Him Down. Attack And Have Done With It!

I Said I Fell Down. Ah. The Ground Bloodied Your Nose, Split Yer Lip, And Punched Ye In Th' Eye, All At Once. I Said I Don't Want To Talk About It.

Waves Are The Voices Of Tides. Tides Are Life," Murmured Niko. "they Bring New Food For Shore Creatures, And Take Ships Out To Sea. They Are The Ocean's Pulse, And Our Own Heartbeat.

But, Sergeant Osbern, Sir, I Like My Head.

I Myself Have Noticed My Growing Resemblance To A Daffodil.

I've Said It Before And I'll Say It Again, My Lord. You Are An Evil Man.

What's Dry?' 'good Question. Next Question!

Frostpine Made A Face. Lifting The Cup, He Dumped Its Contents Down His Throat. “auugghh!” He Yelled, His Voice Stronger Than It Had Been Since His Return From The Harbor. "are You Trying To Kill Me, Woman?" "if I Mean To Kill Someone, I Do It," Rosethorn Told Him. "i Don't Try.

Sweetheart, Never Listen To What My Enemies Say. They're Very Confused People. I Know They Are Because I've Spent Years Making Them That Way.

I Will Tell The Stork-man.

I Truly Love Our Code Of Chivalry. We Are Taught That Noblemen Must Take Everything And Say Nothing. Noblemen Must Stand Alone. Well, We're Men, And Men Aren't Born To Stand Alone.

Lord Raoul Asked Me To Tell You That If You Get Yourself Killed, He Will Never Speak To You Again.

If You Have To Hit--hit Low.

Alan, You Seem To Think We Won't Like You Unless You Do Things Just Like Everyone Else. Have You Ever Thought We Might Like You Because You're Different?

Being Different

If Arrogance Were Shoes, He'd Never Go Barefoot.

If I Have To 'catch' A Man To Get A Husband, I Don't Want One.

Books Are Still The Main Yardstick By Which I Measure True Wealth.

If You've A Story, Make Sure It's A Whole One, With Details Close To Hand. It's The Difference Between A Good Lie And Getting Caught.

And Now You're Off To Port Caynn. Watch Them Sailor Lads. They'll Have Your Skirts Up And A Babe In Your Belly Afore You Know What You're About." "everyone Keep Warning Me About Sailors," I Complained. "why Can't Someone Tell The Sailors To Stay Clear Of Me?" Granny Snorted. "oh, You're The Fierce One Now! Just Take Care No One Else Catches You Unawares And Knocks You On The Nob!

A Library Is A Gateway To Others' Minds, Hearts, And Lives.

If We Pick A Fight, Then We're Just As Bad As Them. Combat Should Be Used Just To Help People Who Can't Defend Themselves, Period." "well, If I Don't Fight Back And They Pound On Me, Then I'm One Of The People I Should Be Defending.

Moral Issues Rarely Have Yes Or No Answers. -myles To Alanna When She Asks About The Gift

He Was Overconfident”, She Told Him. “and I Won So The Gods Must Have Thought I Was Right. Otherwise They’d Have Made Me Lose. You Know How Trial By Combat Works.” “you Won Because You Were Good” He Corrected Her. “i Find It Hard To Believe The Gods Sit Forever About The Divine Realms Betting On Jousts And Trials By Combat.

Girls Are 50% Of The Population. We Deserve To Represent 50% Of The Heroes.

The Fantasy That Appeals Most To People Is The Kind That's Rooted Thoroughly In Somebody Looking Around A Corner And Thinking, 'what If I Wandered Into This Writer's People Here?' If You've Done Your Job And Made Your People And Your Settings Well Enough, That Adds An Extra Dimension That You Can't Buy.

There Is Power And There Is Power, My Dear. My Power Can Be Vast, In The Right Places.

If We Just Allowed Women And Men More Leeway In Our Culture And More Acceptance, I Think They Would Be Able To Make Better Compromises.

When People Say A Knight's Job Is All Glory, I Laugh, And Laugh, And Laugh.

Men Died As She Watched, And They Didn't Care About What They Had Fought For.

I Imbue This Place With My Essence, Every Stone And Every Drop. My Visit Will Do Wonders For The Flowers." Aly Propped Her Chin On Her Hand. "so Does Manure," She Observed.

Sandry: "there Has To Be Something We Can Do." Lark: "we're Mages. We Do What We Can, But Some Problems Are Too Big To Fix." Sandry: "then I Wish I Weren't A Mage. What Good Is Magic, If You Can't Use It To Help People.

Why, I’m Just As True And Honest As Dirt. And I’m Even More Charming Than Dirt.

Libraries Are Places Where The Damaged Go To Find Friends

I Distrust Any Advice That Contains The Words 'ought' Or 'should'.

I Wish You Would Thrash Him. He Deserves It." She Looked Back At Him. "i Will One Day, Sir. I'm Getting Tired Of Falling Down.

I'd Like To Find Whoever Taught The Stump That Extra Work Builds Character And Push Him Down The Stairs," Neal Told Kel At Lunch.

When It Was Her Own Doing, She Was Always Tempted To Skip A Day, Or Just Glance Down, Then Get Back To The Ground. Kel Had To Force Herself To Keep Her Vow.

One Of The Things I Strive For Is Realism. I Need To Be As Real As Possible In The Dilemmas My Characters Face.

Excuse Me," She Said Politely. "but You Can't Have Him. Not Yet. He's Going To Come Back With Me.

The First Thing Every Mage Should Learn Is That Magic Makes Fools Of Us. Now You May Call Yourself A Mage. You Have Learned The Most Important Lesson.

Daja Doesn't Exactly Need To Be Tested On Whether She's Honorable Or Not.

Raoul: Age And Treachery! Neal: Youth And Skill!

Shouldn't You Know What Love's Like, Before You Begin Renouncin' It" George Cooper

You Are Brave, Kicking A Chained Prisoner. They Must Sing Heroic Ballads About You On Winter Nights!" (alanna)

Your Life Might Be Easier If You Were. A Fool For Love Is Happier Than A Dog With A Heart That's All Leather.

Nestor Beckoned To Me And I Dismounted With Care.i Handed The Reins To The Boy With Thanks. I Do Not Wish To See That Hard-charging Bag Of Bones Again, Unless It Is In My Soup.

Not All Nine-fingered Girls Have Hatchets, She Said In Tradertalk. Some Of Us Just Tried To Have A Conversation With A Snapping Turtle. (sandry To Daja, Referring To Her Conversation With Tris.)

Most Humans Think The Appearance Of Quiet Is Quiet. They Do Not See That Sometimes The Enemy Is As Quiet As The Serpent. Only When It Has Stolen All Of Their Eggs Will They Know Bad Walks In The Quiet As Well As The Noisy.

Waves Are The Voices Of Tides. Tides Are Life.

I Told Ersken, "lately It's Been Like Living On The Knife's Edge, Never Knowing Which Side I'll Fall Off On" Ersken Clapped Me On The Shoulder As We Stepped Into The Street. "cheer Up, Beka. Maybe You Were Going To Fall Off That Razor's Edge Before, But Not Today," He Said, As Good Humored As Always. "today We're Doing To Jump.

Publishers Have Realized That, Unlike The Previous Time Period, American Teenagers Are Both Smarter And Require More Topical Material Than They Had Been Giving Them Before That. For One Thing, They'll Read Thicker Books. Besides, Has Anybody Looked At The News Or Read The Newspapers Recently?

I Love Meeting Fans. They're Always Fun, They Always Have Good Things To Say, Smart Questions To Ask, And Plenty Of Ideas For Me To Explore In The Future.

George Looked At Her For A Long Moment. Finally He Replied, "and Why Do You Find It So Hard To Think Someone Might Like You And Want To Do Things For You?

You Are The Protector Of The Small. You See Real People In The Humans And Animals Overlooked By Your Peers. There Will Always Be Work For You.

Ishabal: "if You May Correct Your Vision As You Like, Why Do You Wear Spectacles?" Tris: "because I Like Them. Because I Have Better Things To Do With My Magic Than Fixing My Vision When Ordinary Glass Will Do.

I Believe That We Haven't Begun To Understand The Many Forces That Bind The Physical World, Any More Than We Understand Our Own Minds And What They're Capable Of.

I Met The Oddest Little Fellow Today, Alan Of Trebond.

Mithros's Spear, Kel!" He Exclaimed. "when Did You Turn Into A Real Girl?" "you Said She Was A Girl Already," Muttered One Of His Cousins... "but Not A Girl-girl, With A Chest And All!" Protested Owen. ..."i've Been A Girl For A While, Owen," Kel Informed Him. "i Never Realized," Her Too Outspoken Friend Replied. "it's Not Like You've Got Melons Or Anything, They're Just Noticeable.

Fear Is A Good Thing. It Mean You're Paying Attention.

Haven’t You Ever Noticed That People Who Win Say It’s Because The Gods Know They Are In The Right, But If They Lose, It Wasn’t The Gods Who Declared Them Wrong? Their Opponent Cheated, Or Their Equipment Was Bad.

With Each Book, In Each Place, I Have To Keep An Ongoing Map As I Write Because Otherwise I Don't Know Where I Am.

A Bully Fights People Littler And Weaker Than He Is Because He Thinks It's Fun.

Reflect As If You Have All Of Time, Even When Time Is Short.

Briar: "they Never Tell You Some Things. They Tell You Mages Have Wonderful Power And They Learn All Kinds Of Secrets. Nobody Ever Mentions That Some Secrets You Don't Ever Want To Learn." Rosethorn: "all You Can Do Is Learn Good To Balance The Bad. Learn And Do All The Good Within Your Reach. Then, If You Wake In A Sweat, You Have Something To Set Against The Dream.

You're An Obnoxious Canker-blossom. Go Ooze Somewhere Else.

The Lower City Is Mine, Its People Are Mine. If I Find Them That's Doing All This Kidnapping And Murdering, They'd Best Pray For Mercy, Because Once I Get My Teeth In 'em I Will Never Let Them Go.

[p]ride Is Something Only Folk With Money Can Afford.

Alanna: All I Know Is That I'm To Jump When I'm Told And I Have No Free Time.

What Happens To Each Of My Female Heroes, Certainly, Is They Find Something Bigger Than Themselves That They Are Honored To Serve. It's Not Giving Up Your Family.

You Haven't Been Bit Till A Dragon Does It.

We Live In A Dark Time. Books Are As Dark As What Is Available To Teenagers Through The Media Every Day.

You're More Trouble Than You're Worth." "i'm A Girl. That's My Job.

What Trouble Have You Brought To My Doorstep, Beka" She Asked. "i Don't See Where Blaming Me For Things That Began Months Ago Will Be Useful," I Replied.

My New Knight Mistress Is Famed For Wielding Sharp Edges: Sword, Knife And Tongue!

You Get Too Excited Over Big Flashes, Tunstall. Mages Rely On That To Make You Think They Have More Power Than You.

A Friend Had Commented Once That Neal Had A Gift For Making Someone Want To Punch Him Just For Saying Hello.

You Look As Scary As A Buttered Muffin.

"i Love You, Jonathan," She Whispered. A Long Arm Snaked Around Her, And He Pulled Her Against His Side. "i Know," He Said. "i Just Wanted To Be Sure You Knew It, Too."

It's Been Interesting, "frostpine Said Casually. "i Wanted Daja To Get Some Experience Of Other Smiths'-and Other Mages'- Ways Of Doing Things, If Only So She Can See Mine Is Best.

Curiosity Killed The Cat,” Fesgao Remarked, His Dark Eyes Unreadable. Aly Rolled Her Eyes. Why Did Everyone Say That To Her? “people Always Forget The Rest Of The Saying,” She Complained. “‘and Satisfaction Brought It Back.

"hello," He Greeted Her Cheerfully. "you Must Be Alan Of Trebond. You're Very Hardy To Have Made It This Far The First Day. Has Anyone Said What We Try To Learn In Here?" Alanna Said The First Thing That Came To Her Lips. "the Only Thing I Know Is That I Jump When I'm Told To And I Have No Free Time."

I Think It's Fair Rude To Make Him A Tree And Not Know What Kind He Is.

It's Your Own Fault For Encouraging Him..., You Know. Now He Thinks He's A Human Being. Neal Of Queens Cove

We're On A Hunt, Cooper. When You're On A Hunt, You Do Whatever It Takes.

Whatever It Takes

The Tall Thief Rushed Down The Stairs And Grabbed Her, Swinging Her Around As He Laughed. "and I've Been Thinkin' You Forgot Me," He Said, Placing Her On Her Feet Once More. "just Look At You! Tan And Fit And Wearin' The Clothes Of A Bazhir-" Alanna Looked Up Into His Friendly Hazel Eyes And Broke Into Tears.

Alanna Didn't Approve Of Lying, But In A Pinch A Lie Was Sometimes Better Than The Truth.

Rosto Cupped Laddybuck In One Hand And Grabed The Back Of My Neck With The Other Pulling Me In And Kissing Me Right On The Mouth. I Should Have Punched Him But His Lips Were Soft And Sweet. I Will Punch Him Next Time. -beka After She Realizes That Rosto The Piper Is The New Rouge

Don't Let Him Upset You," Niko Told The Four Softly. "he's Old And He's Frightened." "you're As Old As Him, And You Aren't Scared Of Us," Briar Pointed Out. Niko Glared At Him. "thank You So Much," He Retorted Waspishly.

Every Now And Then I Like To Do As I'm Told, Just To Confuse People.

There's Plenty More Fish In The Sea Than Prince Jonathan," He Told Her Softly. "and This Particular Fish Loves You With All His Crooked Heart." -george To Alanna

Trending Author

C. Wright Mills

Alistair Darling

Rebecca Harding Davis

Category