“His lack of condemnatory zeal gave him a reputation in the religious hierarchy that ensured he would always remain a humble teacher in a backwater town.”

“When a man you know to be of sound mind tells you his recently deceased mother has just tried to climb in his bedroom window and eat him, you only have two basic options. You can smell his breath, take his pulse and check his pupils to see if he's ingested anything nasty, or you can believe him.”

“they stand at his back on the cold - he can feel them there now - like new gods. like a fresh pantheon waiting to be born.It was warm, by the fire.”

“We all get our dreams stamped on from time to time, right? And if it didn’t hurt, what kind of second-rate dreams would they be?”

“And how exactly did you come by that murderous little item? Ringil reached up and touched the pommel of the Ravensfriend, where it rose at his shoulder. 'It was forged for me at An-Monal by Grashgal the Wanderer.' Yes - actually I was talking to the sword.”

“The human eye is a wonderful device. With a little effort, it can fail to see even the most glaring injustice.”

“The way I see it, anyone who's proud of their country is either a thug or just hasn't read enough history yet.”