“It seems that the rebels found the chaos of transition more difficult to accept than the tyranny they had known before. They joyfully welcomed back authority-even oppressive authority-for it was less painful for them than uncertainty.”

“The life of a person is more than the chaos of its passing. Emotion, Ruin. This is your defeat.”

“Joy was more than just an absence of discomfort.”

“A man can only lead when others accept him as their leader, and he has only as much authority as his subjects give to him. All of the brilliant ideas in the world cannot save your kingdom if no one will listen to them.”

“However a man who was honest and clever was always, ALWAYS more difficult to scam than someone who was both dishonest and clever.Sincerity. It was so difficult , by definition, to fake.”

“We create things to watch them grow, Ruin, she said. To take pleasure in seeing that which we love become more than it was before.”

“Authors also create lovable, friendly characters, then proceed to do terrible things to them, like throw them in unsightly librarian-controlled dungeons. This makes readers feel hurt and worried for the characters. The simple truth is that authors like making people squirm. If this weren't the case, all novels would be filled completely with cute bunnies having birthday parties.”