Deborah Harkness Quotes

Giving a woman your whole life is meaningless without giving her your whole heart as well. ~ Deborah Harkness

Mark me well, Diana: Lives will be lost because of your love for my son ... What does it matter who deals the deathblow? If you do not do it, then Matthew will. ~ Deborah Harkness

We don't lock up books in this house," Philippe said, "only food, ale, and wine. Reading Herodotus or Aquinas seldom leads to bad behavior. ~ Deborah Harkness

Scientist. Vampire. Warrior. Spy. The bells paused before the final knell. Prince. I wondered what more our journey would reveal about this complex man I had married. ~ Deborah Harkness

We all hunt something, ~ Deborah Harkness

Sol in Sagittarius

Sagittarius governs faith, religion, writings, bookes, and the interpretation of dreames.
Those born under the signe of the archer shall work great wonders and receive much honour and joye.
While Sagittarius rules the heavens, consult with lawyers about thy business.
It is a good season for making oaths and striking bargains. ~ Deborah Harkness

Rebecca asked me what made the most lasting impression on children. I told her it was the stories their parents read to them at night, and all the messages about hope and strength and love that were embedded in them. ~ Deborah Harkness

Everytime I pick up a book or a document from the past, I'm in a battle with people who lived hundreds of years ago. They have their secrets and obsessions - all the things they won't or can't reveal. ~ Deborah Harkness

One should find wholeness in marriage, Gabriel, but it should not be a prison for either party, said Rabbi Loew. ~ Deborah Harkness

That's wonderful news" Clairmont said. "Can you get this lady some tea when you have a chance? She's threatened to kill for it."
"Won't be necessary, dearie," Mary told me with a smile. "We serve tea without bloodshed. ~ Deborah Harkness

He walks through your future, but he's in the past as well. He's always in shadows, never in the light. And though he's dangerous, the shadowed man doesn't pose a threat to you. ~ Deborah Harkness

Be still," he said, voice harsh. "I might not be able to control myself if you step away. ~ Deborah Harkness

The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I'd rather lose the game than forfeit her freedom. ~ Deborah Harkness

A man like Matthew never frees himself of the shadows completely. But perhaps it is necessary to embrace the darkness in order to love him, Philippe continued. ~ Deborah Harkness

Do we understand each other?' 'Yes.' 'I'm so glad.' Baldwin's mouth lifted into a smile. 'Answer your e-mail while you're at it. I send you messages. You don't answer. It's aggravating.' I nodded, afraid that if I opened my mouth, detailed instructions on just what he could do with his e-mail might pop out. Baldwin ~ Deborah Harkness

His eyes sent coldness deep under my skin, where it spread like a stain. "Domenico, ~ Deborah Harkness

Nightmares are like Master Harriot's star glass. They are a trick of the light, one that makes something distant seem closer and larger than it really is." "Oh." Jack considered Matthew's response. "So even if I see a monster in my dreams, it cannot reach me?" Matthew nodded. "But I will tell you a secret. A dream is a nightmare in reverse. If you dream of someone you love, that person will seem closer, even if far away. ~ Deborah Harkness

Sometimes my pagan background was a serious professional liability. ~ Deborah Harkness

Desire urges me on, while fear bridals me. ~ Giordano Bruno

I saw the logic that they used, and the death of a thousand cuts as experimental scientists slowly chipped away at the belief that the world was an inexplicably powerful, magical place. Ultimately they failed, though. The magic never really went away. It waited, quietly, for people to return to it when they found the science wanting. ~ Deborah Harkness

And if we all did what we should, we would wake to find ourselves in paradise ~ Deborah Harkness

Vote?" Matthew said, incredulous. "Since when did we vote in this family?" "Since Marcus took over the Knights of Lazarus," Gallowglass replied, drawing a silver lighter from his pocket. "We've been choking on democracy since the day you left. ~ Deborah Harkness

That will save me from me breaking the window or picking her lock, he thought. ~ Deborah Harkness

Sol in Leo

She who is born when the sun is in Leo shall be naturally subtle and witty, and desirous of learning. Whatsoever the heareth or seeth if it seems to comprise any difficulty of matter immediately will she desire to know it. The magic sciences will do her great stead. She shall be familiar to and well beloved by princes. Her first child shall be a female, and the second a male. During her life she shall sustain many troubles and perils. ~ Deborah Harkness

We're witches - of course the house is haunted. But ~ Deborah Harkness

Neither his family nor his next taste of blood mattered as much as knowing that she was safe and within arm's reach. If that was what it meant to be bewitched, he was a lost man. ~ Deborah Harkness

Members brought books, precious objects, and records of creature history to the city and purchased an island in the lagoon from the Catholic Church: Isola della Stella (Island of Stars). On it were monastic buildings that were converted to suit the Congregation's purposes. ..the vast, ancient monastery library, filled with books, papers, and papyri;...This council chamber, with its stunning frescoes, mosaics, vaulted ceiling, and gallery where the most precious records are kept, embodies the Congregation's power. ~ Deborah Harkness

He did. I swear it. Baldwin ordered him to leave or face the same fate as the Impaler. You should have seen Baldwin's face. The devil himself wouldn't have disobeyed your brother. ~ Deborah Harkness

It was a brutal picture, a tug-of-war between two equal but opposing impulses. It had the ring of truth, however, ~ Deborah Harkness

Sex and dominance. It's what modern humans think vampire relationships are all about," I said. "Their stories are full of crazed alpha-male vampires throwing women over their shoulders before dragging them off for dinner and a date." "Dinner and a date?" Matthew was aghast. "Do you mean . . . ?" "Uh-huh. You should see what Sarah's friends in the Madison coven read. Vampire meets girl, vampire bites girl, girl is shocked to find out there really are vampires. The sex, blood, and overprotective behavior all come quickly thereafter. Some of it is pretty explicit." I paused. "There's no time for bundling, that's for sure. I don't remember much poetry or dancing either." Matthew swore. "No wonder your aunt wanted to know if I was hungry." "You really should read this stuff, if only to see what humans think. It's a public-relations nightmare. Far worse than what witches have to overcome. ~ Deborah Harkness

Your father says a wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountaintop. ~ Deborah Harkness

Ysabeau wanted me to know she approved of you. Like the gold from which it is made, you are steadfast. You hide many secrets within you, just as the bands of the ring hide the poesies from view. But it is the stone that best captures who you are: bright on the surface, fiery within, and impossible to break. ~ Deborah Harkness

And happiness is always louder than sadness. ~ Deborah Harkness

I just killed a man! This isn't the moment to discuss our marriage."
"Nonsense. Marrying amid bloodshed is a de Clermont family tradition," Philippe said briskly. ~ Deborah Harkness

I want a simple, ordinary life ... like humans enjoy. ~ Deborah Harkness

Within days they'd formed an unholy alliance with a foppish young French vampire in the Garden District who had implausibly golden hair and a streak of ruthlessness as wide as the Mississippi ~ Deborah Harkness

I trust my wife's judgement," Matthew said firmly.
"That's what Philippe says about Granny," Gallowglass muttered under his breath. "Just before all hell breaks lose. ~ Deborah Harkness

That evening, rowing on the quiet river as sunset turned to dusk, I saw an occasional smoky smudge on the towpath, always slightly ahead of me, like a dark star guiding me home. ~ Deborah Harkness

Fear.' My mother had warned me of its power, but I had misunderstood, as children often do. I'd thought it was the fear of others that I needed to guard against, but it was my own terror. Because of that misunderstanding, I'd let the fear take root inside me until it clouded my thoughts and affected how I saw the world. Fear ~ Deborah Harkness

We kissed each other, long and deep, while my legs opened like the covers of a book. ~ Deborah Harkness

You're impossible. Stop worrying about what other women do. Be your own extraordinary self. ~ Deborah Harkness

I cannot shield you from the challenges you will face. You will know great loss and danger, but also great joy. You may doubt your instincts in the years to come, but your feet have been walking this path since the moment you were born. ~ Deborah Harkness

There were no vampires of note in Western literature until about the 18th century. But they tell us where we park our anxieties, whether its over-powerful women, death or damnation. We make our own monsters. ~ Deborah Harkness

This is why you have to stop keeping secrets, Matt. They're going to destroy you from the inside. ~ Deborah Harkness

Fess up, Diana. You're not worried about saying the wrong thing if you see Matthew Clairmont at a cocktail party. This is how you behave when you're working on a research problem. What is it about him that's hooked your imagination?"
Sometimes Chris seemed to suspect I was different. But there was no way to tell him the truth.
"I have a weakness for smart men."
He sighed. "Okay, don't tell me. You're a terrible liar, you know. But be careful. If he breaks your heart, I'll have to kick his ass, and this is a busy semester for me. ~ Deborah Harkness

Some swore he was a maid in man's attire,
For in his looks were all that men desire,
A pleasant smiling cheeke, a speaking eye,
A brow for loveto banquet roiallye,
And such as knew he was a man would say,
Leander, thou art made for amorous play:
Why art thou not in love and lov'd of all? ~ Deborah Harkness

Don't consider painful what's good for you. ~ Deborah Harkness

His full name is Matthew Gabriel Philippe Bertrand Sebastien de Clermont. He was also a very good Sebastien, and a passable Gabriel. He hates Bertrand and will not answer to Philippe. ~ Deborah Harkness

Scholars do one of two things when they discover information that doesn't fit what they already know. Either they sweep it aside so it doesn't bring their cherished theories into question or they focus on it with laserlike intensity and try to get to the bottom of the mystery. ~ Deborah Harkness

My experiences thus far had me planning to throttle the first Tudor historian I met upon my return for gross dereliction of duty. ~ Deborah Harkness

If the thirsty stag runs to the brook, it's only because he isn't aware of the cruel bow ... If the unicorn runs to its chaste nest, it's only because he doesn't see the noose prepared for him. ~ Deborah Harkness

I am capable of opening my own door," I said, getting out of the car. "Why do today's women think it's important to open a door themselves?" he said sharply. ~ Deborah Harkness

Her bark is worse than her bite. ~ Deborah Harkness

For your wedding gift, I wish I had a spell that could make you see yourself as others do.' 'Based ~ Deborah Harkness

Whoever can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead. ~ Deborah Harkness

Sol in Libra

When the sun passeth through Libra, it is a good time for journeys. Beware of open enemies, war, and opposition. ~ Deborah Harkness

All that children need is love, a grown-up to take responsibility for them, and a soft place to land. ~ Deborah Harkness

But it's too soon for me to imagine losing you. ~ Deborah Harkness

Films are wonderful but they do fix an identity. I can't read 'Pride and Prejudice' anymore, for instance, without imaging Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. ~ Deborah Harkness

A willingness to change was the secret of survival. ~ Deborah Harkness

For us to be together, we needed to decide which secrets to share and then let the others go. ~ Deborah Harkness

What's the truth in the story about vampires not being allowed inside without an invitation?" Having pressed him on his diet, I focused on the entrance protocols.
"Humans are with us all the time. They just refuse to acknowledge our existence because we don't make sense in their limited world. Once they allow us in - see us for who we really are - then we're in to stay, just as someone you've invited into your home can be hard to get rid of. They can't ignore us anymore."
"So it's like the stories of sunlight," I said slowly. "It's not that you can't be in sunlight, but when you are, it's harder for humans to ignore you. Rather than admit that you're walking among them, humans tell themselves you can't survive the light. ~ Deborah Harkness

Men don't have it. Our resolve is born out of fear. It's merely bravado." His glance ~ Deborah Harkness

As far as I can tell, there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning, year after year." He hesitated, then continued. "One is fear. The other is desire. That's what I wrote about." Love ~ Deborah Harkness

Do you wonder what it would be like for me to taste you? ~ Deborah Harkness

You tell me that magic is just desire made real. Maybe spells are nothing more than words that you believe with all your heart, ~ Deborah Harkness

Decide what to do to survive, and do it. ~ Deborah Harkness

According to human accounts, Dracula lived on for centuries – he may still be living. Are you sure he's really dead?' I asked. 'I watched Baldwin rip his head off and bury it thirty miles away from the rest of his body. He was really dead then, and he's really dead now.' Gallowglass looked at me reprovingly. 'You should know better than to believe these human stories, Auntie. They've never got more than a speck of truth in them. ~ Deborah Harkness

Turn to me with all your heart. Do not refuse me because I am dark and shadowed. The fire of the sun has altered me. The seas have encompassed me. The earth has been corrupted because of my work. Night fell over the earth when I sank into the miry deep, and my substance was hidden." The Moon Queen held a star in one outstretched palm. "From the depths of the water I cried out to you, and from the depths of the earth I will call to those who pass by me," I continued. "Watch for me. See me. And if you find another who is like me, I will give him the morning star. ~ Deborah Harkness

Because you will love him as you love no one else, I tied your magic to your feelings for him. Even so, only you will have the ability to draw it into the open. ~ Deborah Harkness

Oh, yes. I know all about vampires and their crazy ways. Apparently, Fernando didn't have the same reluctance as Matthew and Ysabeau did to tell vampire tales. ~ Deborah Harkness

These days vampires gravitated toward particle accelerators, projects to decode the genome, and molecular biology. Once they had flocked to alchemy, anatomy, and electricity. If it went bang, involved blood, or promised to unlock the secrets of the universe, there was sure to be a vampire around. ~ Deborah Harkness

Wordlessly I looked back at him, astonished that a kiss on the palm could be so intimate. ~ Deborah Harkness

Normal' is a bedtime story-a fable-that humans tell themselves to feel better when faced with overwhelming evidence that most of what's happening around them is not 'normal' at all. ~ Deborah Harkness

Imagine how Nathaniel might drive if he actually was an old lady - a centuries-old old lady, like me. That's how I will drive for the rest of my days, so long as you are in the car. ~ Deborah Harkness

Much of what qualified as magic was simply desire in action ... Magic is desire made real. ~ Deborah Harkness

Like all parents, they were just doing their best from moment to moment. ~ Deborah Harkness

monsters always look just like ordinary men. ~ Deborah Harkness

I'm a storyteller, and I have really good material to work with: I've been studying magic and the occult since about 1983. ~ Deborah Harkness

I wanted to know how humans came up with a view of the world that had so little magic in it. I needed to understand how they convinced themselves that magic wasn't important. ~ Deborah Harkness

Change is the only reliable thing in the world. ~ Deborah Harkness

Come Jack. On the way to Sept-Tours, I will tell you the story about the time Baldwin attempted to banish me from Jerusalem. Many men died. ~ Deborah Harkness

Sir. My lord. Master Roydon." The young man blurted out most available titles except for "Your Majesty" and "Prince of Darkness." These were implied nonetheless. ~ Deborah Harkness

Like a siren who sings to the sailor, asking him to steer his ship into the rocks, the call of your blood could be my undoing - and yours. ~ Deborah Harkness

Here's Fernando, Sarah said in a tone suggesting that deliverance had come at last. ~ Deborah Harkness

For storms will rage and oceans roar,
When Gabriel stands on sea and shore,
And as he blows his wondrous horn,
Old worlds die and new be born. ~ Deborah Harkness

Sol in Pisces

When the sun is in Pisces, expect weariness and sadness.
Those who can banish feare will experience forgiveness and understanding.
You will be called to work in faraway places. ~ Deborah Harkness

Pamela Smith and Benjamin Schmidt have gathered together a wide-ranging and provocative set of original essays that successfully demonstrate how contingent the process of making knowledge was during a period of fundamental epistemological change. This is a finely crafted and conceptualized collection. ~ Deborah Harkness

No, I'm a vampire." Matthew stepped forward, joining Chris under the projector's light. "And before you ask, I can go outside during the day and my hair won't catch fire in the sunlight. I'm Catholic and have a crucifix. When I sleep, which is not often, I prefer a bed to a coffin. If you try to stake me, the wood will likely splinter before it enters my skin." He bared his teeth. "No fangs either. And one last thing: I do not, nor have I ever, sparkled." Matthew's face darkened to emphasize the point. I ~ Deborah Harkness

It smells like the past. But not the dead past. It's so alive. ~ Deborah Harkness

I had been in 1590 for less than twenty-four hours, but I was already heartily sick of Christopher Marlowe. ~ Deborah Harkness

rashers of bacon. ~ Deborah Harkness

Think and stay alive. - Phillipe de Clermont ~ Deborah Harkness

Diana's eyes were the blue and gold of a summer sky, and Matthew wanted nothing more than to fall headlong into their bright depths, not to lose himself but to be found ~ Deborah Harkness

Once upon a time, about 10 years ago, I thought maybe I could write a mystery series about a midwife in Elizabethan England. I had an elaborately convoluted title and an elaborately convoluted plotline, and at that point I got stupendously bored. ~ Deborah Harkness

Goddess does not want us to imitate some ideal of perfection, but to be our true selves. ~ Deborah Harkness

I watched in silence as the parts of Matthew I knew and loved - the poet and the scientist, the warrior and the spy, the Renaissance prince and the father - fell away until only the darkest, most forbidding part of him remained. He was only the assassin now. But he was still the man I loved. ~ Deborah Harkness

My niece was very much caught up in the vampire craze for young adults, and she thought having a vampire boyfriend would be a cool thing. What do you do on a first date? The more I thought about it, the more fun I had imagining what you'd serve a vampire for dinner. ~ Deborah Harkness

One year ago you walked into the Bodleian Library and straight into my heart. As soon as that wicked mouth of yours smiled, the moment your eyes lightened with recognition even though we'd never met before, I knew that my life would never be the same. ~ Deborah Harkness

Fear had also choked out any desire to work magic. It had been my crutch and my cloak, keeping me from exercising my power. Fear had sheltered me from the curiosity of others and provided an oubliette where I could forget who I really was: a witch. I'd ~ Deborah Harkness