Quotes from The Shadow Throne

“Nobody gives you respect in this life. You must take it, you must earn it, and then you must hold it sacred, because no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Villains and plots and enemies are simple things to me. But friendships are complicated, and love is harder still. It has wounded me deeper than a sword ever could.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“One of the greatest kings?” My smile widened. “That’s it? Why not the greatest?”

“This will only make your arrogance worse, I’m sure.”

“Really? Do you think that’s possible?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Avenia thinks they're battling a king. I doubt they're prepared to fight a boy who thinks childish pranks are practical strategies for war."

"Aren't they?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“The last thing I needed was rational thought.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“I follow my orders without question, as a good soldier would. You ask the same from your soldiers.'
'No, I ask them to be good people. That way if they follow my orders, I will know I am doing the right thing.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“It would take entire lifetimes for the men of Carthya to deserve their women.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Let the winds blow, lad
Let fall the deep snow.
Let the stars fall, lad
We'll answer the call.

Let the dark come, lad
Ask not where it's from.
After the fight, lad
We'll see morning's light”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Don't make this a fight."

"I won't, but you make everything a fight.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“It's your storm, and the future of us all depends on you now. So who are you? Sage, an orphan boy who cares only for himself? Or the undisciplined, rebellious prince your father sent away? Life has tested your resilience and strength and willpower, and you have succeeded in ways nobody ever thought possible. But the storm has never been worse, and it will either destroy you, or define you. When everything is taken from you, can you still stand before us as Jaron, the Ascendant King of Carthya?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“if you hurt deeply, then it means you love deeply too. love is powerful thing, Jaron. In the end, love will help you win this war."
I chuckled, "that'd be a fine new strategy, I think. When the enemy wields a sword against me, I'll simply express my love for them. They'll be so shocked, they'll collapse on the spot and the victory will be mine."
"I daresay you will be the first to claim victory that way”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“He’s no king,” I said. “Rulers aren’t made just because they sit on the throne. A true king serves his people, protects them, and sees to their happiness if he can.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Kippenger suppressed a grin -- I could've sworn he did. Without looking at anyone, he said, "Jargon wrote, 'You'll get nothing from me, ever, you dog-breath, rotted corpse of a king.'"
Vargas flowered at me. In return, I smiled and looked around the room, rather proud of myself for that.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Once we were alone, Imogen unfolded her hand. In it, she held the key to the chains. I had passed it to her while we were in the embrace. Roden noticed it and scowled. "You gave her the key and not me? I could be free already."
I smiled at him. "Yes, but I wasn't going to kiss you."
"Fair enough”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“You made the right choice," Roden whispered. "Though you did choose his name rather quickly.
"He has a skinny neck. He'd have died faster." (Jaron)
"That's why you chose me? Because it'll take me longer to die?"
"Yes, Roden, that's exactly why."
"Enough bickering!" (Vargan)”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“You were wrong, commander. Whatever chains you try to place on me, I will always, always, rise from them. I'm not buying my freedom, because you never owned it. But I am taking it back, for me, and for my country.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“With a grin, I told her, "I'll have more than ten minutes' notice that this battle is coming. In that way, this might be the most prepared I've ever been.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“I risked my life for you. So don’t you ever again disrespect the risks I took by claiming you weren’t worth it!”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“... but eventually I nudged the old bandages in the corner toward me. Once I had them in my hands, I unwound them to their full length.
"What are you doing with those?" Roden asked, "You're not injured."
"The vigils are forbidden from harming me tonight. Vargan was very clear that I wasn't to come out tomorrow looking like a martyr." My grin widened." But don't worry, Avenia already fell for this trick once before. They love it."
"That's your trick?" Roden asked. "Can't you take this seriously?"
"If you understood what Vargan's men did to me, you'd know exactly how serious I am."
"Hush now," I said. "Imogen needs to sleep, I need to think and you need to... let me think.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“I realized that I couldn't expect them to think better of me that I thought of myself. So if I believed I was too young or stupid or inexperienced to be a captain, then that's all I would ever be.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“I can’t follow behind Terrowic’s horse,” I protested. “The smell will be unbearable.” “All horses smell the same,” Kippenger replied. But I eyed Terrowic. “I wasn’t talking about the horse.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Roden wasn't convinced. "How big of a fuss will this require?"
[Jaron] grinned. "Catastrophic levels of bad behavior Trust me, it'll be fun."
"You have a sick idea of fun." Roden's cool expression seemed less than enthusiastic. "When we do this, will they hurt us?"
That made me sigh. "You're the captain of my guard, aren't you? Surely you can take a few hits by now. Besides, the pain will be forgotten once the ropes go around our necks"
"I don't want a rope going around my neck, Jaron! That's the part you need to figure out.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“I never denied being a fool, that's the difference between us.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“I can't remember a minute since we met when I haven't been in love with you.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Vargan grabbed the treaty and squinted to read it. While he worked at it, I sat on the desk, crushing a corner of the papers beneath me and said, “I wouldn’t sign so much as my toenail clippings over to you.” Kippenger pushed his way forward and scanned the treaty. “What did he write?” Vargan asked. Kippenger suppressed a grin – I could’ve sworn he did. Without looking at anyone, he said, “Jaron wrote, ‘You’ll get nothing from me, ever, you dog-breath, rotted corpse of a king.’” Vargan glowered at me. In return, I smiled and looked around the room, rather proud of myself for that.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“Nobody gives you respect in this life. You must take it, you must earn it, and then you must hold it sacred, because no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant." I nodded my head toward the garrison. "Go get it, Roden. People won't follow a leader who doesn't know where he's going. Show them what you do.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

“He talked whenever he was nervous, or excited, or bored, or for that matter, awake.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Shadow Throne

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Popular quotes

“Ask,” promised Jesus, “and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). “You do not have because you do not ask,” said James (James 4:2). Even though there is no limit to God’s goodness, if you didn’t ask Him for a blessing yesterday, you didn’t get all that you were supposed to have.”
― Bruce H. Wilkinson, quote from The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life

“Sometimes I think that love is one big fairy tale. I wonder if people who say they are in love, if – really – they’ve just talked themselves into it. They want it so badly, they kind of make it happen. They fake it until they start believing their own story. Maybe that’s just sour grapes or something. Maybe because it doesn’t happen to me, I don’t want to think it happens to anyone else.”
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“Your friends are all the dullest dogs I know. They are not beautiful: they are only decorated. They are not clean: they are only shaved and starched. They are not dignified: they are only fashionably dressed. They are not educated: they are only college passmen. They are not religious: they are only pewrenters. They are not moral: they are only conventional. They are not virtuous: they are only cowardly. They are not even vicious: they are only “frail.” They are not artistic: they are only lascivious. They are not prosperous: they are only rich. They are not loyal, they are only servile; not dutiful, only sheepish; not public spirited, only patriotic; not courageous, only quarrelsome; not determined, only obstinate; not masterful, only domineering; not self-controlled, only obtuse; not self-respecting, only vain; not kind, only sentimental; not social, only gregarious; not considerate, only polite; not intelligent, only opinionated; not progressive, only factious; not imaginative, only superstitious; not just, only vindictive; not generous, only propitiatory; not disciplined, only cowed; and not truthful at all: liars every one of them, to the very backbone of their souls.”
― George Bernard Shaw, quote from Man and Superman

“I seek words of such surpassing beauty that they might melt the hardest heart of stone.”
― Jacqueline Carey, quote from Naamah's Kiss

“Life is a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing.”
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