Fantasy Authors

"Oh-Simon!" "No, I'm Jace," said Jace patiently. "Simon is the weaselly little one with the bad haircut and dismal fashion sense."

"Maybe. Although I doubt most Shadowhunters get a tattoo of Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on their left shoulder."

"You really want to know what else it was my mom said about you?" he asked. She shook her head. He didn't seem to notice. "She said you'd break my heart."

"Well you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow. I'm out of commission." He pointed at himself. "Look. Jammies."

"It is something to remember, if we feel distant from humans. We owe a great deal to human love. We live forever by the grace of human love, which rocked strange children in their cradles and did not despair and did not turn away. I know which side of my heritage my soul comes from. Our fathers were demons. Our mothers were heroes."

"You could not tell a potential customer, expecting a learned and ancient magician, that you were not eve fully grown. Magnus had started lying about his age young, and had never dropped the habit. It did get a little embarrassing sometimes when he forgot what lie he'd told to whom. Someone had once asked him what Julius Caeser was like, and Magnus had stared at him for much too long and said, 'Not tall?'"

"But of course you should have retreated at once from the dominant male. Are you an idiot? You are extremely lucky he was distracted from ripping out your throat by the fruit. He thought you were trying to steal his females." "Pardon me, but we did not have the time to exchange that kind of personal information. I could not have known! Moreover, I wish to assure both of you that I did not make any amorous advances on female monkeys. [...] I didn't actually see any, so I didn't get the chance."

"He paused and admired the bromeliads, huge iridescent flower-like bowls made out of petals, shimmering with color and water. There were frogs inside the jewel-bright recesses of the flowers. Then he looked up into the round brown eyes of a monkey. 'Hello, companion,' said Magnus. The monkey made a terrible sound, half snarl and half hiss. 'I begin to rather doubt the beauty of our friendship,' said Magnus."

"Try to be a little sensible." "We're on holiday!" "You're always on holiday. You've been on holiday for thirty years!" "I can't get enough adventure. And adventure can't get enough of me."

"Don't worry. I can teach you every word that you need to know right now. One of them is fiesta. "What does that mean?" "It means 'party' Another important word is juerga. "What does that word mean? [...] Magnus, does that word also mean 'party?'" "I would apologize, except that I feel no regret at all."

"'No glamour?' Magnus inquired. 'You said that you wanted me to join you on travels that would be a ceaseless round of debauchery,' Ragnor told him. Magnus beamed. 'I did!' He paused. 'Forgive me. I do not see the connection.' 'I have found I have better luck with the ladies in my natural state,' Ragnor told him. 'Ladies enjoy a bit of variety. There was a woman in the court of Louis the Sun King who said none could compare to her "dear little cabbage." I hear it's become quite a popular term of endearment in France. All thanks to me.'"

"When two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze."

"I recall what you said to me once, that words have the power to change us. Your words have changed me, Tess; they have made me a better man than I would have been otherwise. Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die."

"Inanimate objects are harmless indeed, Mr. Mortmain. But one cannot always say the same of the men who use them."

"One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."

"Simon was looking at Jace as if he were both fascinating and also a little alarming. 'Did I-- did we ever-- did I bite you?' Jace touched the scar on his throat. 'I can't believe you remember that.' 'Did we... roll around on the bottom of a boat?' 'Yes, you bit me, yes, I kind of liked it, yes, let's not talk about it again,' said Jace."

"Has anyone seen Church? I think Zachariah just stole our cat. I swear I saw him putting Church in the backseat of a car."

"I feel a kinship with you, too, you who have lost both brother and father. I know you have been judged and spoken of as the daughter of Valentine Morgenstern, and now the sister of Jonathan. There will always be those who want to tell you who you are based on your name or the blood in your veins. Do not let people decide who you are. Decide for yourself. That freedom is not a gift; it is a birthright. I hope that you and Jace will use it."

"I remember you said this war was a story of Lightwoods and Herondales and Fairchilds, and it is, and Blackthorns and Carstairs as well, and it's amazing to see them. But when I do, it's as if I see the past that stretches out behind them. I watch Jace Herondale play, and I see the ghosts that rise up in the music. Don't you?"

"Brother Zachariah. Months January through December of the Hot Silent Brothers Calendar."

"Are we long-lost friends, by chance?" "No, we never got along all that well. Long-lost acquaintances? Compadres? My cat liked you."

"Is our strategy when we actually see him still 'trust me,' by the way?" "It's still 'trust me.'" "Oh, good. For a second there I was worried there was going to be an actual plan with, like, steps we could follow. You know, something reassuring."

"Maybe you should try looking a little less smug about what you did last night." "I do not look smug. Well, no more than usual." "Please, I can read your face like a very open, very pornographic book. I wish I couldn't."

"Straight people. Why can't they control themselves?"

"Why didn't you say something?" "Because, it's not like there's animals I can feed on here." "There's us." "I don't want to feed on my friends' blood." "Why not? We've been here before, haven't we? Last time you were starving, I gave you my blood. It was a little homoerotic, maybe, but I'm secure in my sexuality."

"Why are you filming this?" "When the cat is away, the mice will play... Always good to remind the mice that in this case, when the cat is away, the mice will all be eaten by demons. I'm going to send this video file to everyone one of our Downworlder contacts around the world. Just a reminder that there are demons we need Shadowhunters to destroy. That's why they exist."

"'You know,' Maia said. 'Catarina said you were pretty harmless--' Malcolm looked pleased. 'Catarina said I was pretty?'"

"'How do you people stand snow?' he demanded. "'You people'?" Bat bristled. 'Do you mean werewolves?' 'I mean East Coasters,' said Malcolm. 'Who would have weather if they could avoid it? Snow, hail, rain. I'd move to Los Angeles in a jiffy. Did you know that a jiffy is an actual measurement of time? It's a sixtieth of a second. You can't do anything in a jiffy, not really.'"

"Jace shook his head. 'I don't care if I did just set myself on fire,' he said. 'I'm not hugging you.' Simon sighed and dropped his arms. 'Your loss,' he said. 'If you'd gone in, I would've let you, but honestly it would have been a pity hug.'"

"'Who's there?' he called, then frowned. 'Of course,' he added, addressing the darkness all around, 'even I, as a Shadowhunter, have seen enough movies to know that anyone who yells 'Who's there?' is going to be instantly killed.'"

"'Sure, he likes you,' said Alec. 'You're heterosexual and have low expectations of father figures.' 'I think they'll probably put that on my gravestone. "He Was Heterosexual and Had Low Expectations."'"

"The first time you saw me, I bet you didn't think, He's going to get me killed." "The first time I saw you, I wished you'd go back to Idris. You know I don't like change." "I grew on you, though." "Eventually. Like a moss, or a skin disease."

"I always thought being a Shadowhunter meant that I had to approve of what the Clave did. I thought otherwise I wasn't loyal. I made excuses for them. I always have. But I feel like whenever we have to fight, we're fighting a war on two fronts. We fight the enemy and we fight the Clave, too. I don't--I just don't know how I feel anymore."

"'I did not make a pie,' Alec repeated, gesturing expressively with one hand, 'for three reasons. One, because I do not have any pie ingredients. Two, because I don't actually know how to make a pie.' He paused, clearly waiting. Removing his sword and and leaning it against the cave wall, Jace said warily, 'And three?' 'Because I am not your bitch,' Alec said, clearly pleased with himself."

"Sometimes it comes down to a choice. Between saving one person and saving the whole world. I've seen it happen, and I'm selfish enough to want the person who loves me to choose me. But Nephilim will always choose the world. I look at Alec and I feel like Lucifer in Paradise Lost. "Abashed the Devil stood, And felt how awful goodness is." He meant it in the classic sense. 'Awful' as in inspiring awe. And awe is well and good, but it's poison to love. Love has to be between equals."

"Shadowhunters. They get in your blood, under your skin. I've been with vampires, werewolves, faeries, warlocks like me-- and humans, so many fragile humans. But I always told myself I wouldn't give my heart to a Shadowhunter. I've so nearly loved them, been charmed by them-- generations of them, sometimes: Edmund and Will and James and Lucie... the ones I saved and the ones I couldn't. And Clary, too, I loved, for I watched her grow up. But I've never been in love with a Shadowhunter, not until Alec. For they have the blood of angels in them, and the love of angels is a high and holy thing."

"I just... I don't know how I got here." "I could probably retrace our steps. Straight through the faerie corridor, left at the decimated village, right at the blasted plain of the damned, sharp U-turn at the heap of dead demon--"

"I want to be mad at you." "Oh? What for?" "Risking your life. Except you didn't, really. You were just standing there and the demon grabbed you. Admittedly, you were being obnoxious to Simon." "If a demon grabbed me every time I was obnoxious to Simon, I'd have died the day you met me."

"Warlocks are independent. And hard to get hold of. Like cats, but with fewer tails. Well, there are some tails. I don't have one myself--"

"'We don't have a mouse problem,' said Maia. 'We have a megalomaniac problem.' She looked at Catarina. 'Sebastian's determined to drive wedges between Downworlders and Shadowhunters. Kidnapping the representatives, attacking the Praetor, he won't stop there. All of Downworld will know soon enough what's going on. The question is, where will they stand?' 'We will stand bravely with you!' Malcolm announced. Catarina looked darkly at him, and he quailed. 'Well, we will stand bravely near you. Or at least within earshot.'"

"'Help? Of course we can help,' Malcolm said, turning around to face them. 'You need to get a message through? There's always carrier kittens.' 'You mean pigeons,' said Bat. 'Carrier pigeons.' Malcolm shook his head. 'Carrier kittens. They're so cute, no one can deny them. Fix your mouse problem, too.'"

"You don't all have to look so worried. I was doing fine." "Fine? If your definition of 'fine' suddenly includes becoming a snack for a flying death turtle, then we are going to have words, Jace Lightwood--"

"'There,' he said, pointing to the leafy tunnel. 'That goes farther into Faerie. And that'--he pointed ahead--'is the road to Hell. That's where we're going.' 'I always heard it was paved with good intentions,' said Simon. 'Place your feet upon the way and find out, Daylighter,' said the Queen."

"I'm sorry. It's just-- you know me. I only have two reactions to bad news. Uncontrollable rage and then a sharp left turn into boiling self-hatred."

"Above her another window opened, and Alec leaned out. 'What's going on?' His gaze landed on Clary and the others, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. 'What is this? Early caroling?' 'I don't carol,' said Simon. 'I'm Jewish. I only know the dreidel song.'"

"Weapons, when they break and are mended, can be stronger at the mended places. Perhaps hearts are the same."

"Herondales. I had almost forgotten. No other family does so much for love, or feels so much guilt for it. Don't carry the weight of the world on you, Jace. It's too heavy for even a Herondale to bear."

"Jace Herondale. Once more a Herondale is the bringer of my deliverance. I should have anticipated."

"I want to see Brother Zachariah." "He is well. You need not worry yourself about him." "I want to see him. I nearly killed him at the Citadel--" "That was not you. That was the heavenly fire. And it did anything but harm him." "He said when I met him that he believes a debt is owed to the Herondales. I'm a Herondale. He'd want to see me." "And then you intend to depart the Basilias?" "There is nothing wrong with me. I don't need to be in the infirmary. Surely you could be using your resources more fruitfully on the actually wounded. Look, you can either bring me to Brother Zachariah or I can wander around yelling for him until he turns up." "You are a great deal of trouble, Jace Herondale." "So I've been told."

"Clary looked down at herself. She was wearing a pair of flannel pajamas, too short in the leg and tight in the chest, with fire trucks on them. Luke raised an eyebrow. 'I think those were mine when I was a kid.' 'You can't seriously tell me there wasn't anything else you could have put me in.' 'If you insist on trying to get yourself killed, I insist on being the one who chooses what you wear while you recover,' Jocelyn said with a tiny smirk. 'The pajamas of vengeance,' Clary muttered."