Quotes from Tamora Pierce

So were you always mad, or did it come on you when you was took? Aly smiled. I'm told it runs in the family.

Don't threaten someone unless you're certain you can carry out the threat.

The Chamber is only a room, though a magical one, and you will enter it when the time comes. Duke Roger is only a man, for all he wields sorcery. He can be met and defeated. But you, my daughter - learn to love. You have been given a hard road to walk. Love will ease it. Much depends on you, Alanna of Trebond. Do not fail me! - The Goddess

That's Lalasa, Kel's maid. She sews and knows all sorts of ways to hurt you.

You don't think history gets rewritten, sometimes?

Locks are for the unimaginative.

The hardest lesson any of us must learn is there's only so much we can do," she informed him, her voice lemon-tart. "We run into it headfirst all the time, knowing what we can do, what we can't, how much we can do. We think of magic as this promise that we will fix anything that comes our way, Keth. We can't.

You can smack some people in the face with a haddock and they'll still call it a mouse if a mouse is what they want to see.

Don't make me regret taking you on. If I get irritated, I might drown you a little bit.

Boys worry just as much about their looks as girls do. We only hide it better.

When we return--when I have delivered our discovery--I will give you a book to read about a thing called wild magic, she said drily. I wouldn't talk about it in the university. It's supposed to be an old wives' tale. Well, I am an old wife. You might be interested, that's all.

I wish he wouldn't do this when he's on me. It's really very upsetting.

Mistresses, have you ever noticed that when we disagree with a male- I hesitate to say 'man'- or find ourselves in a position over males, the first comment they make is always about our reputations or our monthlies?

Don't worry. We'll farm, soon's he finishes wi' that new-style Scanran fertilizer.

And she told you something about yourself you really ought to know: that you're beautiful, and worth loving.

Daine put a hand on her bow. It was loaded, but she didn't want to kill Maura's sister. I wouldn't call names, if I was you she retorted. Yolane backed up. Tirell! Oram! Jemis! To me! Oram, on the double! Daine shook her head. Yell all you like, they won't come. They're gone. What do you mean, 'gone'? I mean it's at an end the king knows what you're up to. The rebellion's uncovered. You'll never be queen.

We're just frisking like little captive lambkins.

Don't go thinking you can bounce me all over the ground just because I look like somebody's grandmother, the woman said dryly. Some grandchildren need more raising than others, and I supply it, she grinned, showing very white teeth. -- Esa Bell, Shang Wildcat

I'm sorry, I didn't mean-- To speak of it? asked the K'mir. Diane nodded. You have to, just to bleed off the poison from the memory.

Ozorne, please don't let him try to make me into a battle mage. I wish you'd told me that's what you wanted. Arram stopped and grabbed his friend by the arms. I won't do it. I'm not a killer. I'll never be a killer.

At the house, the gathering broke up quickly. Sarai announced that she had a headache and needed to lie down. Without her to hold them together, the young nobles chose to go home. The gloss had been stripped from the afternoon.

Gods curse it, Kel, you heard what he said! I heard a fart, Kel said grimly. You know where those come from. Let it go. -Faleron and Kel

You're brave, to admit you don't know everything and then do something about it.

All these nice clothes, all these jokes and drinks and food, what good does it do? Tomorrow, folk will be poor and starving and dying with a solder's pike in them, and these people will have another celebration, more nice clothes, more jokes, more gems. The suffering is forgotten or ignored - why sorrow? The war victims aren't our people. And then the wheel turns and suddenly they are our people.