Quotes from David Gemmell

The truth. Men will blind themselves with hot irons, rather than face it.

Not one of the creatures of blood can escape death. We all face it, and succumb to it. It follows us like a dark shadow. Yet if we live in terror of it, then we do not live at all. Yes we are born alone, and yes we will die alone. But in between, Tae, we live. We know joy.

True. The one certainty about riding, Braygan, is that - at some time - you will fall off. It is a fact. Another fact you might like to consider, in your life of perpetual terror, is that you will die. We are all going to die, some of us young, some of us old, some of us in our sleep, some of us screaming in agony. We cannot stop it, we can only delay it.

Danger lies in the extreme. A man who is always cruel is evil, a man who is always compassionate will be taken advantage of. It is more a question of balance, or harmony, if you will.

It is said a man doesn't get old while his mother lives. I think it's true. You are always a child in her eyes. It is irritating in the extreme. But you know, when they have gone, you'd give the earth just to hear them treating you like a child once more.

If we are still discussing its merits tomorrow, I will agree with you, said Diagoras. Cheer up, laddie. Nobody lives forever. Oh I expect you will, Druss, Old Horse. It's the mortals around you who always seem to kiss the granite.

An enemy is like a man's most prized flower. It brings him joy to see it buried in the ground.

A great man once told me there can be no courage without fear

Fear is good, for it makes us cautious and aids survival. Not so with terror. It is like slow poison, paralyzing the limbs and blurring the mind. . . Never, when in danger, ask yourself, What will they do to me? Instead think, What can I do to prevent them?

Nadir we, youth born, axe wielders, blood letters, victors still.

There are times, Sember, when I could believe your mother had a secret lover. Looking at you makes me wonder if it was one of my goats.

We cannot hide behind high walls, our hearts trembling. For that is not life. We must accept the needs and the duties of each day, and face them one at a time.

May all your dreams come true, save one.

Today I could like anybody, said Rek, smiling. The sky is clear, the wind is fresh, and life tastes very fine. What will you do now? I think I will become a monk and devote my entire life to prayer and good works. No, said Rek. I mean, what will you do today? Ah! Today I'll get drunk and go whoring, said Bowman.

Our lives are spent sailing in the mist, hoping for a burst of sunlight that can make sense of who we are.

Get rid of your doubts. Yesterday is dead. Past mistakes are like smoke in the breeze.

How simple love would be, Younger Brother, if we only had to bestow it on those who deserved it. Yet what would it be worth? If you gave a poor man a silver coin then that would be a gift. If you expected him to pay you back, then that would make it a loan. We do not loan our love, Lantern. We give it freely.

Life is a struggle, from the agonies of birth to the railing against death. Devour or be devoured. The law of the wild.

Our souls are but leaves in a storm, and only the gods know where we will come to rest.

Listen...You could spend a lifetime trying to understand the works of evil men. Their joys are not ours. They love to inflict pain, create suffering, cause harm and death. It empowers them, for beneath the skin they are empty and worthless.

The world would be a sadder place without stories.

Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against the evil strong. And never allow thoughts of gain to lead you into the pursuit of evil. Never back away from an enemy. Either fight or surrender. It is not enough to say I will not be evil. Evil must be fought wherever it is found.

Hatred is like a plague. It is all-consuming, and it springs from man to man.

The night has a capacity for terror that the day can never match.