“You worry that we're becoming monsters. Merlin, we already were monsters. You didn't make us any worse.”

“Oh," the girl said, shaking her head. "Don't be so simple. People adore monsters. They fill their songs and stories with them. They define themselves in relation to them. You know what a monster is, young shade? Power. Power and choice. Monsters make choices. Monsters shape the world. Monsters force us to become stronger, smarter, better. They sift the weak from the strong and provide a forge for the steeling of souls. Even as we curse monsters, we admire them. Seek to become them, in some ways." Her eyes became distant. "There are far, far worse things to be than a monster.”

“We were king’s men, knights, and heroes . . . but some knights are dark and full of terror, my lady. War makes monsters of us all.”“Are you saying you are monsters?”“I am saying we are human. You are not the only one with wounds, Lady Brienne”

“You become the monster you fear the worst, so the monster won't overtake you.”

“You will always be a monster - there is no turning back from it. But what kind of monster you become is entirely up to you.”

“The person who fights monsters should make sure that in the process, he does not become a monster himself. Because when you stare down at an abyss, the abyss stares back at you.”