All right," Clara said. "We have our swordsman, so let's get moving. Brian, could you attempt, at least, to make yourself presentable? I know this is a war, but the rest of us are trying to pretend it's a party.

— Kristin Cashore

Alone in the forest, Katya sat on a stump and cried. She cried like a person whose heart is broken and wondered how, when two people loved each other, there could be such a broken heart.

— Kristin Cashore

A man who fights you as he does is no better than an opportunist and no worse than a thug.

— Kristin Cashore

A monster that refused, sometimes, to behave like a monster. When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?

— Kristin Cashore

And of course she understood now why her body wanted to run whenever he appeared. It was a correct instinct, for there was nothing to be got from this but sadness.

— Kristin Cashore

Archer wouldn't consider her allowance of the guard to be evidence of the powers of rational argument. He'd take it as proof that she was in love with whichever of her guards was the most handsome.

— Kristin Cashore

Are you determined to leave me in this world to live without my heart?’ Archer asked. ‘Because that’s what you very nearly did.

— Kristin Cashore

Art glows with faith even in its weakest parts. At every moment, writing is an act of self-confidence – the sheerest, most determined, most stubborn self-belief. You CAN have faith and doubt at the same time; the most insecure writer on the planet has faith that shines just as bright as her doubt, and she deserves props for that. It might be hidden deep, she might not feel it, and you might not see it, but it’s in there, or she wouldn’t be able to write.

— Kristin Cashore

Baffin and Band stood together, propped against the wall and against each other, half dozing. At one point, Baffin, not knowing he had one small, curious witness, gave Band a sleepy kiss on the ear. "Bitter blue had wondered that about them. I t was nice when something in the world became clear. Especially when it was a nice thing.

— Kristin Cashore

Baffin appeared again, a floor above her, on the balconies passageway that ran past his workrooms. He leaned over the railing and called down to her. "Kat!"" What is it?"" You look lost. Have you forgotten the way to your rooms?"" I'm stalling."" How long will you be? I'd like to show you a couple of my new discoveries."" I've been told to make myself pretty for dinner." He grinned. "Well in that case, you'll be ages." His face dissolved into laughter, and she tore a button from one of her bags and hurled it at him. He squealed and dropped to the floor, and the button hit the wall right where he'd been standing. When he peeked back over the railing, she stood in the courtyard with her hands on her hips, grinning. "I missed on purpose," she said." Show off! Come if you have time." He waved, and turned into his rooms.

— Kristin Cashore