Quotes from The Queen of the Tearling

“Even a book can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and when that happens, you blame the hands, but you also read the book.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Carlin often said that history was everything, for it was in man’s nature to make the same mistakes over and over.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“The mark of the true hero is that the most heroic of his deeds is done in secret. We never hear of it. And yet somehow, my friends, we know. —Father Tyler’s Collected Sermons, FROM THE ARVATH ARCHIVE”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“The future was only disasters of the past, waiting to happen anew.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“You win your people or you lose your throne.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Those who cease to worry about their souls often find them difficult to reclaim later”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Everyone dies eventually. I think it's better to die clean.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“There's no other life for me. Anyway, clemency wouldn't begin to repay your debt. I've given you a greater gift than you know."
"What gift?"
"You'll find out. In return, I expect you to keep it safe."
Kelsea turned back to the mirror. "Great God, tell me you didn't impregnate me while I slept."
The fetch threw back his head and roared with laughter. He placed a friendly hand on Kelsea's back, making her skin prickle. "Tear Queen, you'll either be dead within a week or you'll be the most fearsome ruler this kingdom has ever known. I see no middle ground.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“We don't always choose, Majesty. We simply make the best choices we can once the deed is done”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“You think of beauty only as a blessing, Majesty, but it brings its own punishments.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“They had found the seven volumes of Rowling with no help at all, but there was no squabbling.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Stories moved Kelsea most, stories of things that never were, stories that transported her beyond the changeless world of the cottage.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Weakness, all the more dangerous for being combined with a sense of entitlement”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“This is how women are trained to stay indoors, she thought, the idea echoing in her mind like a gravesong. This is how women are trained not to act.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Carlin always said that most men were dogs, and Kelsea had never taken her seriously; there were too many good books written by men.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Shit," she muttered. She'd heard the word from her guard many times, but only now did she understand the real use of profanity. That one word said exactly what she was feeling, said it better than a hundred other words could have done.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Some people were simply broken, something inside them grown wrong and twisted.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Kelsea saw now that there was something far worse than being ugly: being ugly and thinking you were beautiful.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Memory cut infinitely deeper than swords;”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“I need my own armor, and soon. A silly queen I'll look when I've been slowly flattened into a man."

Mace grinned. "You wouldn't be the first queen of this kingdom to be mistaken for a king.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Kelsea didn't recognize the guard, but she knew his voice. After a moment she realized, bemused, that it was Dyer. He'd shaved his red beard.
"Dyer, is that your face under there?"
Dyer flushed bright red. Pen snorted gleefully, and Kibb clapped Dyer on the back. "I told him, Lady...now we can see every time he blushes.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Not just a thief, but a murderer as well. Beneath the handsome man, Kelsea sensed another man, a terrible one, with a life as black as the water in an ice-covered lake. A murderer many, many times.
The idea should have brought horror. Kelsea waited for a long moment, bu what came instead was an even worse realization: it didn't matter at all.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“...Javel saw evil in those bright blue eyes, not malevolence but something much worse: an evil born of lack of self-awareness, an evil that didn't know it was evil and therefore could justify anything.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“I see this land flowing with books, Father. Widespread literacy. Books everywhere, as common as they used to be in circulation before the Crossing, affordable even for the poor.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“The Queen held up her hands for silence. At that moment, Javel knew for certain that she truly was the Queen, though he never knew why or how he knew.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“Time stretched years back and years forward, but nothing that came afterward ever had the power to wash away what came before.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“The Fetch was intelligent, diabolically so, and intelligent people devised intelligent cruelties. That was where the Red Queen had always excelled.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“We're coming to the point where I may need to split my men to evade pursuit. If so, my choice of bodyguard for you will depend much on your won abilities."
"Well, I am a fast reader, and I know how to make stew."
Carroll nodded in approval "You've a sense of humor about all this, Lady. You'll need one. You're entering a life of great danger.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

“What does the Red Queen want, then?" Kelsea had asked Carlin. She had no interest in maps and wanted to wrap up the lesson.
"What conquerors always want, Kelsea: everything, with no end in sight.”
― Erika Johansen, quote from The Queen of the Tearling

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“What does he have planned?”

“He said it was a surprise, but apparently it includes all my favorites things about the city.”

“That’s cute. Maybe it’ll be the refresher you guys need. It’s hard being apart for so long, especially when there is a super-hot ex-boyfriend living next to you.”

I give her a pointed look.

“And speak of the devil. Look whose truck just pulled into the driveway.” Amanda puts her drink on the coffee table and crawls on top of me, her knees digging into my stomach as she tries to catch a view of Aaron.

“Will you please get off me?”

“I want to see what he looks like. I want to see these muscles you speak of.” Amanda reaches the window, but I yank on her body so she can’t sneak a peek. “Hey, stop that, I can’t see.”

“Exactly. He’ll catch you looking, and I don’t want him thinking it’s me.”

“Don’t be paranoid. He won’t think that. Now let me catch a glimpse.” Pushing down on my head, trying to climb over me, she reaches for the blinds, but I hold strong and grip her around the waist, using my legs to hold her down as well. “Stop it.” She swats at my head. “Just a little looksy.”

“No, he’ll see you.”

“He won’t.”

“He will.”

“He—”

Knock, knock.

We still, our heads snapping to the front door.

“Is someone at the door?” Amanda whispers, one of her hands holding on to my ponytail.

“That’s what a knock usually means,” I whisper back.

“Is it him?”

Oh hell.

“I have no idea.” I hold still, trying not to move in case the person on the other side of the door can hear us.

“Answer it,” Amanda scolds.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because if it’s Aaron, I don’t want you anywhere near him. You’ll embarrass me, I know it.”

Amanda scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She pushes off me, her hand palming my face for a brief second. “I’ll answer the door.” When she places one of her feet on the floor, I hold her in place.

“Oh no, you don’t. You’re not answering that door. Just be still, the person will go away.”

Knock, knock.

“You’re being rude,” Amanda says as she plows her elbow into my thigh, causing me to buckle over in pain. She frees herself from my grip and rushes to the door. Right before she opens it, she fluffs her hair. You’ve got to be kidding me.

I don’t even have to ask if it’s Aaron because that’s just my luck. Also, Amanda makes a low whistle sound when she opens the door.

“Amanda?” Aaron’s voice floats into my house.

“Aaron Walters, look . . . at . . . you.” I sit up just in time to see Amanda give him a very slow once-over. “You were right, Amelia, he has gotten sexier.”

What? Jesus!

I hop off the couch, limping ever so slightly from the dead leg Amanda gave me. “I didn’t say that.”

Amanda waves her hand. “It was in the realm of that. Come in, come in. We need to catch up.” Amanda wraps her hand around Aaron’s arm and pulls him into the house. When she passes me, she winks and squeezes his arm while mouthing, “He’s huge.”

I shut the door behind them and bang my head on it a few times before joining them in the living room. I knew Amanda’s visit was going to be interesting”
― Meghan Quinn, quote from The Other Brother

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