Quotes from Jonathan Stroud

Well," Lockwood said, "if you judge success by the number of enemies you make, that was a highly successful evening.

But don't worry though, Nat, you're not totally alone. You've always got me.

But don't worry though, Nat , you're not totally alone. You've always got me.

He prided himself on blunt speaking. Mind you, he did have a weakness for boasting. If you believed all his stories, you'd have thought him responsible for most of the world's major landmarks as well as being advisor and confidant to all the notable magicians. This, as I once remarked to Solomon, was a quite ridiculous claim.

Julius Tallow gave Nathaniel an unctuous smile. "That's the kind of servant you need, Mandrake," he said. "No glibness, no chatter. Obeys without question. I'd get rid of this smooth-tongued serpent, if I were you." The panther swished its tail. "Hey, we've all got problems, chum. I'm overly talkative. You look like a field of buttercups in a suit.

If you think I suddenly trust you, Bartimeaus —" "Oh, don't trust me , whatever you do. Trust your summons. I'm charged to keep you safe at this point, aren't I?

How old's Bulkus, exactly? Thirty? Forty, tops? Well listen, I've got two-thousand years of accumulated wisdom here, and I get it wrong sometimes. For instance, I thought you had something to you when I met you in the gorge: intelligence, flexibility of mind — hah! How misinformed was I?

Cities get me down. Almost as if I am underground. London is particularly bad. Cold, grey, heavy with odours and rain. It makes me long for the south. For the deserts and the blank blue sky.

But death, in the end, had not come. Bartimeaus had instead.

What was this place, do you think? A library? I think so. Don't suppose the commoners are allowed to read much anymore, are they? That's usually the way it goes.

There's a world of opportunities out there. And all of them better than being a dead magician.

Talented fellow, that," Kipps remarked. "Bet you wish you had him." Lockwood shook his head. "No, I'd always be tripping over him, or losing him down the back of the sofa.

One other thing, Esmira," Solomon said as they stepped through. "I'm not your master. If this should be the last hour of your life, try not to need one.

Anyway, I find ghosts better company than most men.

The odds were stacked in his enemy's favour. But that was the way it should be. He would succeed or die trying.

This is cozy," George said. "Nice cologne, Kipps. I'm being genuine there." "Thanks.

I've no interest in chasing girls while our neighbours are being murdered.

In a perfect example of most magician's dreary style, each and every vehicle was big, black and shiny. Even the smallest looked as if it wanted to be a hearse when it grew up.

You will be forced away from the warmth of people's homes to dwell by yourself in lonely places.

That did it. I'd gone through a lot in the last few days. Everyone I met seemed to want a piece of me. Djin, magicians, humans, it made no difference. I'd been summoned, manhandled, shot at, captured, constricted, bossed about and generally taken for granted. And now, to cap it all, this bloke was joining in too. When all I'd been doing was quietly trying to kill him.

To the end of his life, the strongest man in Iceland was always afraid of the dark.

A stick-thin creature, hagged and bloody-mouthed. A vision of hatred and raving hunger. A monstrosity, a parody of a human.

It's amazing how much trouble two selfish outlaws can cause.

The girl was silent too, grim- faced, straight-backed. She did not try to hurry. There was no need. Nothing that had happened could be undone.