Quotes from Lord of Shadows

Cassandra Clare ·  701 pages

Rating: (45.2K votes)


“There is truth in stories,” said Arthur. “There is truth in one of your paintings, boy or in a sunset or a couplet from Homer. Fiction is truth, even if it is not a fact. If you believe only in facts and forget stories, your brain will live, but your heart will die.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Everyone is afraid of something. We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don't wish you didn't fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn't feel anything.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Lex malla, lex nulla,” said Julian with a regretful wave of his hand. It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no law.
“I wonder what other family mottoes are,” Emma mused. “Do you know any?”
“The Lightwood family motto is ‘We mean well.’ ”
“Very funny.”
Julian looked over at her. “No, really, it actually is.”
“Seriously? So what’s the Herondale family motto? ‘Chiseled but angsty’?”
He shrugged. ‘If you don’t know what your last name is, it’s probably Herondale’?”
Emma burst out laughing. “What about Carstairs?” she asked, tapping Cortana. “ ‘We have a sword’? ‘Blunt instruments are for losers’?”
“Morgenstern,” offered Julian. “ ‘When in doubt, start a war’?”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Sometimes the most ruthless heart speaks the most truth”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“There were valuable first editions of books in the enormous library, most of them had been scribbled in by some idiot named Will H.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows



“I need to be whole again. Even if it doesn’t last.”
“It can’t last,” she said, staring at him, because how could it, when they could never keep what they had? “It’ll break our hearts.”
He caught her by the wrist, brought her hand to his bare chest. Splayed her fingers over his heart. It beat against her palm, like a fist punching its way through his sternum. “Break my heart,” he said. “Break it in pieces. I give you permission.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“There's something about a place you've been with someone you love. It takes on a meaning in your mind. It becomes more than a place. It becomes a distillation of what you felt for each other. The moments you spend in a place with someone... they become part of its bricks and mortar. Part of its soul.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Fiction is truth, even if it is not fact. If you believe only in facts and forget stories, your brain will live, but your heart will die.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“The bad things can't matter more than the good things”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“And if we don't have Energy runes, we'll have to get our energy the old-fashioned way."
Mark looked puzzled. "Drugs?"
"Chocolate," Emma said. "I brought chocolate. Mark, where do you even come up with these things?"
Mark smiled crookedly, shrugging one shoulder. "Faerie humor?”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows



“Alec: Catarina made up the Bermuda Triangle?
Magnus: Don't be ridiculous, Alexander. That was Ragnor.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“What’s the Nephilim motto again?”
“ ‘We are dust and shadows,’ ” said Ty, not looking up from his book.
“Some of us are very handsome dust,” Jace added”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“I know you have nothing to worry about. I wasn't in love with Mark. I'll never be in love with anyone again who isn't you.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“When people die, our dreams of what they could be die with them. Even if ours is the hand that ends them.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Those who cannot love do not understand it”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows



“To make a true choice, we must have true knowledge.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“He grinned, and the grin changed his face completely. Ty when he was still and expressionless had an intensity that fascinated Kit; when he was smiling, he was extraordinary.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“I couldn't keep a fish alive," she said. "I kill plants just by looking at them."
"I suspect I would have the same problem," Mark said, eyeing the fish. "It is too bad - I was going to name it Magnus, because it has sparkly scales."
At that, Cristina giggled. Magnus Bane was the High Warlock of Brooklyn, and he had a penchant for glitter.
"I suppose I had better let him go free," Mark said. Before anyone could say anything, he made his way to the railing of the pier and emptied the bag, fish and all, into the sea.
"Does anyone want to tell him that goldfish are freshwater fish and can't survive in the ocean?" said Julian quietly.
"Not really," said Cristina.
"Did he just kill Magnus?" Emma asked, but before Julian could answer, Mark whirled around.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“I am Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durendal.

The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Magnus Bane. The Ultimate Traitor.

Not my favorite nickname. I prefer, "Our Lord and Master" or maybe "Unambiguously the Hottest.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows



“I think you cannot root out love entirely. I think where there has been love, there will always be embers, as the remains of a bonfire outlast the flame.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Jules: For one, you have a terrifying older brother.
Livvy: I do not have a terryfying older brother.
Jules: That's true. You have two.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Jules: Do you knwo why I'm sure? Because when this universe was born, when it blasted into existence in fire and glory, everything that would ever exist was created. Our souls are mad of that fire and glory, of the atoms of it, the fragments of stars. Everyone's are, but I believe ours, yours and mine, are made from the dust of the same star. That's why we've always been drawn to each other like magnets, all our lives. All the pieces of us belong together.
Your name, Ema, means universe, you know. Doesn't that prove I'm right?”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“There's never going to be anyone else for me. That's just how it is.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“You could sketch me,” said Emma. She flung herself down onto her seat, leaning her head on her hand.
“ ‘Draw me like one of your French girls.’ ”
Julian grinned.
“I hate that movie,” he said. “You know I do.”
Emma sat up indignantly.
“The first time we watched Titanic, you cried.”
“I had seasonal allergies,” Jules said.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows



“Ty: Just words I like. If I say them to myself, it makes my mind - quieter. Does it bother you?
Kit: No. I was just curious what words you liked.
Ty: It's not the meaning, just the sound. Glass, twin, apple, whisper, stars, crystal, shadow, lilt.
Kit: Whisper would be one of mine, too. Cloud, secret, highway, hurricane, mirror, castle, thorns.
Ty: Blackthorns.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Zara: It's just a registry...
Kit: Am I the only one who's read X-Men and realizes why this is a bad idea?”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“Huh,” said Kit, thinking of the Cold Peace. “Are you a prisoner?”
“No,” said the faerie. “I’m Mark’s lover.”
Oh, Kit thought. The person he went into Faerie to save. He tried to stifle a look of amusement at the way faeries talked. Intellectually, he knew the word “lover” was part of traditional speech, but he couldn’t help it: He was from Los Angeles, and as far as he was concerned, Kieran had just said, Hello, I have sex with Mark Blackthorn. What about you?”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“When a decision like that is made by a government, it emboldens those who are already prejudiced to speak their deepest thoughts of hate. They assume they are simply brave enough to say what everyone really thinks.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows


“We get used to living one way, even if it's a bad way or a hard one. When that's gone, there's a hole to fill. It's in our nature to try to fill it with anxieties and fears. It can take time to fill it with good things instead.”
― Cassandra Clare, quote from Lord of Shadows



About the author

Cassandra Clare
Born place: Teheran, Iran
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