“He hated games they made the world look too simple. Chess, in particular, had always annoyed him. It was the dumb way the pawns went off and slaughtered their fellow pawns while the king lounged about doing nothing. If only the pawns would've united ... the whole board could've been a republic in about a dozen moves.”

“He is nothing more than one of my pawns. However, he is not a normal pawn. He is a pawn that can get across the whole board in one move.”

“Feronia played at politics the way she played chess--shrewdly, always thinking about her next move. In this game, Feronia was queen, and Byrony a pawn. Normally, there was no comparing their strengths. But if a pawn was clever and evaded the ire of stronger pieces, if it moved strategically, if it refused to yield, there were ways it might advance. Ways it might become a queen.”

“Some guys live in worlds where pawns stay pawns. I'm one move from king.”

“While the Witch plays her pawn, the King sacrifices Himself, and to all appearances, the game is over. But the Lion has one last move...”

“I had to wonder what sadistic pleasure and entertainment human suffering must provide to the divine game players who decided the fate of their pawns in a board game they made of life.”