Quotes From "Bitterblue" By Kristin Cashore

1
Find something useful to do with your morning, ' she thought to him as she neared her chambers. 'Do something heroic in front of an audience. Knock a child into a river while no one's looking and then rescue him. Kristin Cashore
Katsa and Po were trying to drown each other and,...
2
Katsa and Po were trying to drown each other and, judging from their hoots of laughter, enjoying it immensely. Kristin Cashore
Truths are dangerous,
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Truths are dangerous, " he said." Then why are you writing them in a book?"" To catch them between the pages, " said Teddy, "and trap them before they disappear. Kristin Cashore
But that's how memory works,
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But that's how memory works, " Bitterblue said quietly. "Things disappear without your permission, then come back again without your permission." And sometimes they came back incomplete and warped. Kristin Cashore
5
Madlen came to sit beside her on the bed. "Lady Queen, " she said with her own particular brand of rough gentleness. "It is not the job of the child to protect her mother. It's the mother's job to protect the child. By allowing your mother to protect you, you gave her a gift. Do you understand me? Kristin Cashore
Every configuration of people is an entirely new universe unto...
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Every configuration of people is an entirely new universe unto itself. Kristin Cashore
I don't understand your book. Isn't every book a book...
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I don't understand your book. Isn't every book a book of words? Kristin Cashore
That's interesting,
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That's interesting, " Bitterblue said. "You think a conscience requires fear? Kristin Cashore
It was starting to seem to her that being
9
It was starting to seem to her that being "forward-thinking" too often involved avoiding any kind of thought at all - especially about things that might benefit from a great deal of thinking. Kristin Cashore
10
I wonder if it's meant to be punishment for something one can't forgive oneself for. Or an external expression, Lady Queen, of an internal pain? Or perhaps it's a way to realise that you actually do want to stay alive. Kristin Cashore
11
Of course, it was impossible, in this company, not to think about balances of power. Raffin and Bann glanced at each other now and then, sharing silent agreement, teasing each other, or just resting their eyes on each other, as if each man was a comfortable resting place for the other. Prince Raffin, heir to the Middluns throne; Bann, who had no title, no fortune. How she longed to ask them questions that were too nosy for asking, even by her standards. How did they balance money matters? How did they make decisions? How did Bann cope with the expectation that Raffin marry and produce heirs? If Randa knew the truth about his son, would Bann be in danger? Did Bann ever resent Raffin’s wealth and importance? What was the balance of power in their bed? . Kristin Cashore
12
I want to have the heart and mind of a queen, ” she whispered. “I want it more than anything. But I’m only pretending. I can’t find the feeling of it inside Kristin Cashore
13
You do trust him, though, Giddon?""Holt, who is stealing your sculptures and is of questionable mental health?"" Yes."" I trusted him five minutes ago. Now I'm at a bit of a loss."" Your opinion five minutes ago is good enough for me. Kristin Cashore
14
Sneaking was a kind of deceit. So was disguise. Just past midnight, wearing dark trousers and Fox's hood, the queen snuck out of her own rooms and stepped into a world of stories and lies. Kristin Cashore
15
Our own story is even more important for us to know than history. Kristin Cashore
16
Only a person with the true heart of a dictionary-writer would be lying in bed, three days after being stabbed in the gut, worrying about his P's. Kristin Cashore
17
Bitterblue had never seen a man naked, and she was curious. She decided the universe owed her a few minutes, just a few, to satisfy her curiosity. So she went to him and knelt, which shut him up. Kristin Cashore
18
Raffin and Bann stood together, propped against the wall and against each other, half dozing. At one point, Raffin, not knowing he had one small, curious witness, gave Bann a sleepy kiss on the ear. "Bitterblue 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
19
Helda's been trying to impress me with the embroidery on the sheets. One more minute and I thought I might use them to hang myself."" My mother did the embroidery, " Bittterblue said. Katsa clapped her mouth shut and glared at Helda. "Thank you, Helda, for mentioning that detail. Kristin Cashore
20
For now, Lady Queen, " he said, "allow us to continue to obey you. But give us honorable instructions, Lady Queen, " he said, turning a flushed face to hers. "Ask us to do honorable things, so that we may have the honor of obeying you. Kristin Cashore
21
This may be a thing you neither want nor need, " she said. "But I'd rather you have it, wishing didn't, than not have it and wish you did. Kristin Cashore
22
Raff, ' Katsa said, 'your problem is that your heart's not in it. We need to find something to strengthen your defensive resolve. What if you pretended he's trying to smash your favorite medicinal plant?'' The rare blue safflower, ' Bann suggested.' Yes, ' Katsa said gamely, 'pretend he's after your snaf Kristin Cashore