...every piece of the laughing was a tiny bird come tumbling out to fly around the room.

— Patrick Rothfuss

Fantasy is my favorite genre for reading and writing. We have more options than anyone else, and the best props and special effects. That means if you want to write a fantasy story with Norse gods, sentient robots, and telepathic dinosaurs, you can do just that. Want to throw in a vampire and a lesbian unicorn while you're at it? Go ahead.

— Patrick Rothfuss

Fear tends to come from ignorance. Once I knew what the problem was, it was just a problem, nothing to fear.

— Patrick Rothfuss

... for most practical purposes, Tarbean had two parts: Waterside and Hillside. Waterside is where people are poor. That makes them beggars, thieves and whores. Hillside is where people are rich. That makes them solicitors, politicians and courtesans.

— Patrick Rothfuss

Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times.

— Patrick Rothfuss

He beat you." And as I spoke the words I felt a terrible anger come together inside me. It wasn't hot and furious, as some of my flashes of temper tend to be. This was different, slow and cold.

— Patrick Rothfuss

He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.

— Patrick Rothfuss

He hesitated, then lifted his head and sniffed. “Have you been drinking?” The question was more curious than accusatory. “No,” Bast said. The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been tasting,” Bast said, emphasizing the word. “Tasting comes before drinking.

— Patrick Rothfuss

Hesse's mouth went firm. She didn't scowl exactly, but it looked like she was getting all the pieces of a scowl together in one place, just in case she needed them in a hurry.

— Patrick Rothfuss

His voice is like a thunderstorm, and his hands know every secret hidden deep beneath the cool, dark earth.

— Patrick Rothfuss