“Letting your guard down, even for a moment, invites death.”

“My breakthrough was when I began to write during my commute, at first taking notes on my Palm Pilot, and then moving on to writing full prose on the tiny QWERTY keyboard of my iPaq smartphone. I got so fast that I was averaging 400 words during the 35 minutes or so I spent on the subway each way, or 800 words round trip.”

“I have rare moments of competence.”

“Letting your guard down, even for a moment, invites death.”

“Weakness shown is worse than weakness felt.”

“My father said the weakest camel draws the wolves.” “Mine told me to hide until the wolves go away,” Abban replied.”

“Folk can’t learn their lessons if they skip school.”

“Rojer!” his mother cried, stumbling towards the washing trough before falling to her knees. Screaming in pain, she reached back and got a firm grip on one of the coreling's horns.“You... can't... have... my... son!” she screamed, and threw herself forward, pulling on the horn with all her strength. Torn from its perch, the demon took ribbons of flesh with it, as Kally flipped it into the trough.Soaking crockery shattered on impact, and the flame demon gurgled and thrashed, steam filling the air as the water was brought to an instant boil. Kally screamed as her arms burned, but she held the creature under until its thrashes stopped.”

“How did you deal with it? How do you stop loving someone?”“The Creator didn’t make love conditional,” Jona said. “Love is what makes us human. What separates us from the corelings. There is value in it, even when it is not requited.”

“Let others determine your worth and you're already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves.”

“Why are you doing this?” Amanvah whispered, her accent thick like her mother’s, but every word clear. “My mother would not be so kind to one who tried to poison her.”“Nor would mine, but we are not our mothers, Amanvah,” Leesha said.”