“But everyone has some kind of power to hurt people.”

“Some people had too much power and too much cruelty to live. Some people were too horrible, no matter if you loved them; no matter that you had to make yourself terrible too, in order to stop them. Some things just had to be done.I forgive myself, thought Fire. Today, I forgive myself.”

“Everyone was willing to take some small risk to lessen the damage of their ambition and disorder and lawlessness.”

“Madlen: 'It's a relief to me, Lady Queen, that in your own pain, you take no interest in hurting yourself.'Bitterblue: 'Why would I? Why should I? It's foolish. I would like to kick the people who do it.'Madlen: 'That would, perhaps, be redundant, Lady Queen.”

“Everyone wants a bit of something beautiful.”

“Everyone wants a little bit of something beautiful.”

“I’m suspicious of the notion of a single book that would benefit everyone to read.”