Quotes from Dave Duncan

Probably that story would turn out to be fairly typical of the whole garrison, but asking questions was the only way to learn. So Father had always said: nobles could learn even from commoners if they cared to make the effort.

pessimists live longer! Good news is much easier to believe than bad.

We all find reasons to accept sugary fables and ignore unwelcome tidings.

she could recall her father telling her when she kept putting off unpleasant chores that she should always shoot the biggest wolf first. After that, the rest were less scary.

La sagesse procurait rarement des réponses, elle se contentait de redéfinir les questions.

Arbitrary rule frightens people. Power tempered with justice is well loved." He shrugged. "It is a gamble, but I would much sooner trust the Four together, and in public, than any one of them alone, in private." Oh

I hereby give notice," the Lord Chancellor said, "that these proceedings are Deep Counsel as defined in the Offences Against the Crown Act. That means that any mention of them after the meeting ends is automatically classed as high treason unless you can prove that His Majesty's safety required you to speak. That includes mention to anyone else who was present.

And how many mundanes have ever done that? You are without guile, yet keep your own counsel, which is being a most unusual combination! You are having a slight talent of your own. You invite confidences. I say you are the greatest mundane authority on sorcery the world has ever seen!

However much Ylo enjoyed women, he would always expect them to have fun, also. He believed quite honestly that he was doing them a good turn. With his word of power to aid him, Andor was a much more calculating hunter. He knew the damage his seductions might cause. Not only would he care little about hurting his victims, he probably enjoyed that, also. There was a difference between amorality and immorality — not much of one, but some. The

You always were a blundering chucklehead! Gullible, Rap! That's what you are! You never would think out what other people really wanted. You always accepted anything anyone said and took it at face value . . .

In my experience, you never get silver linings without clouds. Even then I knew enough of the world to understand that inner circles are always heavily fortified against newcomers, and royal favor always arouses jealousy.

He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere. Emerson, Translation from Omar Chiam

This is the end. There will be no more Blades books! (Thank you for liking them so much.)

The highest demonstration of courage, Grand Master had once remarked, must be to die of fright.

Before I could speak, the queen said, "A good horoscope is usually written in Latin. Is that not true, Adept Durwin?" I thought I was saved. "The best ones certainly are, Your Grace." "Learned, complicated Latin?" "Precise, technical Latin, drawing subtle conclusions from obscure facts.

but just let me tell you what Kadie did the other day …" Death Bird waited with ill-concealed impatience until Rap's tale was complete. Without even a smile at the punchline, he launched into a dull and pointless account of how his oldest son, Blood Beak, had killed his first bear.

As well try to organize a herd of crocodiles to pick strawberries.

until the night it ate the baby.

Ma'am, I shall get your princess to Krasnegar if I have to kill every goblin in Pandemia and drag her all the way through the forest, weeping.

Magic is what a mage does. It's temporary. A sorcerer can also do sorcery, which is permanent

He glanced at the ruins on the breakfast table and shot Umpily a contemptuous glance. "Moderation is not your strong suit, my lord." "Moderation insults perfection, your Omnipotence." It was an old saying of Ishipole's, but Umpily thought he had used it rather well. The

Brota soupira et décida de ne pas se mêler de cette affaire. Quand les hommes se comportent comme des enfants, les femmes doivent se tenir à l'écart. —

He wiped one last fragment of bread around his bowl, popped it in his mouth, and simultaneously belched loudly. Inos winced. Such vulgarity was a compliment in Zark, she knew, but there were some local customs that she found harder to accept than others.

Eleanor was an extremely determined woman, and Henry an extremely determined man. Like flint and steel, they struck sparks. And yet, even after fourteen years of marriage, sexual fires still burned. There was more lightness than heat in their banter.