Grisha Quotes

Your hair looks different," Grisha told Varvara.
"Oh? I haven't had it cut."
He squinted at her. "I think it grew ~ Elif Batuman

Kaz can pick the lock, " said Wylan.
"No, " said Kaz, "I can't. "
"I don't think I ever heard those words leave your lips, " said Nina. "Say it again, nice and slow. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I sought Morozova amplifiers for you Alina, so that we can rule as equals ~ Leigh Bardugo

Her time is better spent with me. The thorn wood is a path you walk alone, boy king."
"But it's a very arduous path," Nikolai said. "Who will carry my snacks? ~ Leigh Bardugo

It's certainly nice to have my options open." He looked back out at the city. "Can this possibly work, Mister Brekker? Or am I risking the fate of Ravka and the world's Grisha on the honor and abilities of a fast-talking urchin?"
"More than a bit of both," said Kaz. "You're risking a country. We're risking our lives. Seems a fair trade."
The king of Ravka offered his hand. "The deal is the deal?"
"The deal is the deal."
They shook.
"If only treaties could be signed so quickly," he said, his easy privateer's mien sliding back in place like a mask purchased on West Stave. "I'm going to have a drink and a bath. One can take only so much mud and squalor. As the rebel said to the prince, it's bad for the constitution."
He flicked an invisible speck of dust from his lapel and sauntered out of the solarium. ~ Leigh Bardugo

They're hungry for this, I realized. Even after they've seen what he can do, even after watching their own people die. The Darkling wasn't just offering them an end to war, but an end to weakness. After all these long years of terror and suffering, he would give them something that had seemed permanently beyond their grasp: victory. And despite their fear, they loved him for it. ~ Leigh Bardugo

On the day the Grisha Examiners came, the boy and the girl were perched in the window seat of a dusty upstairs bedroom, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mail coach. Instead, they saw a sleigh, a troika pulled by three black horses, pass through the white stone gates onto the estate. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Tell him you see me when he takes you in his arms ~ Leigh Bardugo

You're wearing his symbol," he observed, his glance flicking to the little gold charm hanging at my neckline. "His symbol and his colour."
"They're just clothes."
Mal's lips twisted in a cynical smile, a smile so different from the one I knew and loved that I almost flinched. "You don't really believe that."
"What difference does it make what I wear?"
"The clothes, the jewels, even the way you look. He's all over you. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I had spared the stag's life. The power of that life belonged to me as surely as it belonged to the man who had taken it. ~ Leigh Bardugo

We told the Grisha to come alone," said Kaz.
"I'm afraid that wasn't possible," said the man. "Though Zoya is, of course, a force to be reckoned with, Genya's extraordinary gifts are ill-suited to physical confrontation. I, on the other hand, am well suited to all forms of confrontation, though I'm particularly fond of the physical."
Kaz's eyes narrowed. "Sturmhond."
"He knows me!" Sturmhond said delightedly. He nudged Genya with an elbow. "I told you I'm famous."
Zoya blew out an exasperated breath. "Thank you. He's going to be twice as insufferable now. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Whether I was a Saint or a queen or the most powerful Grisha who ever lived, I would always turn to him. ~ Leigh Bardugo

You don't want to be doing this.
This is the only thing I want to be doing ~ Leigh Bardugo

I've waged the war you forced me to, Alina," said the Darkling. "If you hadn't run from me, the Second Army would still be intact. All those Grisha would still be alive. Your tracker would be safe and happy with his regiment. When will it be enough? When will you let me stop? ~ Leigh Bardugo

The age of Grisha power is coming to an end. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I don't like that word," Nina said, advancing. "Call me Grisha. Call me zowa. Call me death, if you like. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Did you tell him, Alina? Does the boy know how willing you were to give yourself to me? Did you tell him what I showed you in the dark?"
A wave of shame rushed through me and the glowing light faltered. The Darkling laughed. ~ Leigh Bardugo

That first winter, when it was time for her friends to leave, the girl ventured out into the show to say goodbye, and the stunning raven-haired Squaller handed her another gift.
"A blue kefta," said the math teacher, shaking her head. "What would she do with that?"
"Maybe she knew a Grisha who died," replied the cook, taking note of the tears that filled the girl's eyes. They did not see the note that read, You will always be one of us. ~ Leigh Bardugo

One of the essential tenets of Grisha theory was "like calls to like," but Morozova seemed to believe that if the world could be broken down to the same small parts, each Grisha should be able to manipulate them. ~ Leigh Bardugo

He didn't take her out of the city," she'd said, cheeks glowing with color for the first time since she'd emerged from her battle with parem . "It's obvious he's keeping her there."
But Kaz had simply gazed into the middle distance with that odd look on his face and said, "Too obvious."
"Kaz - "
"How would you like a hundred kruge ?"
"What's the catch?"
"Exactly. Van Eck's making it too easy. He's treating us like marks. But he isn't Barrel born, and we aren't a bunch of dumb culls ready to jump at the first shiny lure he flashes. Van Eck wants us to think she's on that island. Maybe she is. But he'll have plenty of firepower waiting for us too, maybe even a few Grisha using parem ."
"Always hit where the mark isn't looking," Wylan had murmured.
"Sweet Ghezen," said Jesper. "You've been thoroughly corrupted. ~ Leigh Bardugo

If I lost focus for even a moment, she's smack me with her stick and say, "Dreaming of dancing with your dark prince? ~ Leigh Bardugo

Van Eck keeps the seal in a safe?" said Jesper with a laugh. "It's almost like hewants us to take it. Kaz is better at making friends with combination locks than with people."

"You've never seen a safe like this," Wylan said. "He had it installed after the DeKappel was stolen. It has a seven-digit combination that he resets every day, and the locks are built with false tumblers to confuse safecrackers."

Kaz shrugged. "Then we go around it. I'll take expediency over finesse."

Wylan shook his head. "The safe walls are made of a unique alloy reinforced with Grisha steel."

"An explosion?" suggested Jesper.

Kaz raised a brow. "I suspect Van Eck will notice that."

"A very small explosion?"

Nina snorted. "You just want to blow something up."

"Actually…" said Wylan. He cocked his head to one side, as if he were listening to a distant song. "Come morning, there would be no hiding we'd been there, but if we can get the refugees out of the harbor before my father discovers the theft … I'm not exactly sure where I can get the materials, but it just might work.…"

"Inej," Jesper whispered.

She leaned forward, peering at Wylan. "Is that scheming face?"

"Possibly."

Wylan seemed to snap back to reality. "It is not. But … but I do think I have an idea. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Why do you waste all of your strenght fighting your true nauture? ~ Leigh Bardugo

Will you say it?

"Aleksander"

His grin faded and his grey eyes seemed to flicker.

"Again."

"Aleksander ~ Leigh Bardugo

What are you so afraid will happen? Afraid you might start to like me?"
He said nothing.
Despite her fatigue, she trotted ahead of him. "That's it, isn't it? You don't want to like a Grisha. You're scared that if you laugh at my jokes or answer my questions, you might start thinking I'm human. Would that be so terrible?"
"I do like you."
"What was that?"
"I do like you," he said angrily.
She'd beamed, feeling a well of pleasure erupt through her. "Now, really, is that so bad?"
"Yes!" he roared.
"Why?"
"Because you're horrible. You're loud and lewd and . . . treacherous. Brum warned us that Grisha could be charming."
"Oh, I see. I'm the wicked Grisha seductress. I have beguiled you with my Grisha wiles!"
She poked him in the chest.
"Stop that."
"No. I'm beguiling you."
"Quit it."
She danced around him in the snow, poking his chest, his stomach, his side. "Goodness! You're very solid. This is strenuous work." He started to laugh. "It's working! The beguiling has begun. The Fjerdan has fallen. You are powerless to resist me. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I will tell you a story, one I used to tell to a little boy with dark hair. A silent boy who rarely laughs, who listened more closely than I realized. A boy who had a name and not a title ~ Leigh Bardugo

Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I'm also Sturmhond, commander of the Volkvony, scourge of the True Sea.'
'Scourge?'
'Well, I'm vexing at the very least. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Why are you taking this so personally?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"I have no idea. I've always been beautiful."

"And humble too? ~ Leigh Bardugo

I told them you hate herring."
"Why?"
"And that you love plum cake. And that Ana Kuya took a switch to you when you ruined your spring slippers jumping in puddles."
I winced. "Why would you tell them all that?"
"I wanted to make you human," he said. "All they see when they look at you is the Sun Summoner. They see a threat, another powerful Grisha like the Darkling. I want them to see a daughter or a sister or a friend. I want them to see Alina. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I will stip away all that you know, all that you love....
Until you have no shelter byt me ~ Leigh Bardugo

Genya would have to keep her face hidden, but she didn't seem to mind. She'd wrapped her shawl around her head and declared, 'I shall be a woman of mystery.' I reminded her not to be too intriguing. ~ Leigh Bardugo

He hopped lightly from the stairs and jogged off to join his friends. "Wish me luck!" he called over his shoulder. "Good luck," I said automatically and then wanted to kick myself. Good luck? Have a lovely time, Mal. Hope you find a pretty Grisha, fall deeply in love, and make lots of gorgeous, disgustingly talented babies together. I sat frozen on the steps, watching them disappear down the path, still feeling the warm pressure of Mal's hand in mine. Oh well, I thought as I got to my feet. Maybe he' ll fall into a ditch on his way there. I ~ Leigh Bardugo

So you know the best way to find Grisha who don't want to be found? Look for miracles and listen to bedtime stories. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Everyone reacted differently to being spoken to in a language they didn't understand. Katya got quiet and scared. Ivan leaned forward with an amused expression. Grisha narrowed his eyes and nodded in a manner suggesting the dawn of comprehension. Boris, a bearded doctoral student, rifled guiltily through his notes like someone having a nightmare that he was already supposed to speak Russian. ~ Elif Batuman

At last, Sturmhond straightened the lapels of his teal frock coat and said, "Well, Brekker, it's obvious you only deal in half-truths and outright lies, so you're clearly the man for the job."
"There's just one thing," said Kaz, studying the privateer's broken nose and ruddy hair. "Before we join hands and jump off a cliff together, I want to know exactly who I'm running with."
Sturmhond lifted a brow. "We haven't been on a road trip or exchanged clothes, but I think our introductions were civilized enough."
"Who are you really, privateer?"
"Is this an existential question?"
"No proper thief talks the way you do."
"How narrow-minded of you."
"I know the look of a rich man's son, and I don't believe a king would send an ordinary privateer to handle business this sensitive."
"Ordinary," scoffed Sturmhond. "Are you so schooled in politics?"
"I know my way around a deal. Who are you? We get the truth or my crew walks."
"Are you so sure that would be possible, Brekker? I know your plans now. I'm accompanied by two of the world's most legendary Grisha, and I'm not too bad in a fight either."
"And I'm the canal rat who brought Kuwei Yul-Bo out of the Ice Court alive. Let me know how you like your chances." His crew didn't have clothes or titles to rival the Ravkans, but Kaz knew where he'd put his money if he had any left.
Sturmhond clasped his hands behind his back, and Kaz saw the barest shift in his demeanor. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I wish I could tell you that the thought of deserting Vera never entered my mind, that my friend was in danger and I went to her rescue without hesitation. Truly, though, at that moment I hated her. I hated her for being clumsy at the worst possible time, for staring up at me with her panicked brown eyes, electing me to be her savior even though Grisha was the only one she had ever kissed. I knew that I could not live with the memory of those eyes pleading for me, and she knew it, too, and I hated her even as I jumped down from the gate, lifted her to her feet, and hauled her to the iron bars. ~ David Benioff

Oh, I see. I'm the wicked Grisha seductress. I have beguiled you with my Grisha wiles!"
She poked him in the chest.
"Stop that."
"No. I'm beguiling you. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I need your skills, Inej. That's not the same thing. You may be the best spider crawling around the Barrel, but you're not the only one. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse. Inej ~ Leigh Bardugo

Speaking of barking, talking to people that you see on a walk may cause your dog to start barking. Why? I don't know, but one good reason is that your dog thinks you are barking at the other person. Think about it from a dog's perspective: you are facing directly at the person, staring, and you've suddenly stopped walking and started making noise on an otherwise quiet walk. Sometimes you even start wrestling (known to humans as a 'hug' or a 'handshake'). What's a dog to do? ~ Grisha Stewart

Just… be careful.'
I stared at her, baffled. 'Of what?'
'Of powerful men. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Lay down the thorn, boy king. Haven't you earned a bit of rest? Aren't you tired?'

He was. Saints, he was. He thought he had grown used to his scars, but he had never grasped how much of his will it would take to hide them. He had fought and sacrificed and bled. He had gone long days without rest and long nights without comfort. All for Ravka, all for an ideal he would never attain and a country that would never care. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Say something spiteful."
"Why?" she asked faintly.
"Because I'm fairly certain I'm hallucinating and in my dreams you're much nicer."
"You're an idiot, Nikolai. ~ Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows
A smol precious deadly flower, two gaybies, a beautiful Grisha warrior, a grumpy convict, and their brilliant, fearless (and sometimes clueless) leader perform a heist of epic proportions. ~ Leigh Bardugo

I am ancient Alina.
I know things about power that you can barely guess ~ Leigh Bardugo

Why does your weak king send a filthy pirate to do his bidding?" sneered the Fjerdan ambassador, his words echoing across the cathedral.
"Privateer," corrected Sturmhond. "I suppose he thought my good looks would give me the advantage. Not a concern where you're from, I take it?"
"Preening, ridiculous peacock. You stink of Grisha foulness."
Sturmhond sniffed the air. "I'm amazed you can detect anything over the reek of ice and inbreeding."
The ambassador turned purple, and one of his companions hastily drew him away. ~ Leigh Bardugo

He'll come around. He's just shy." "Maybe I should lie down on a table in the workroom and wait to see if he welds something to me." "I think that's the way most great love stories begin."
Bardugo, Leigh (2012-06-05). Shadow and Bone (The Grisha) (p. 190). Henry Holt and Co. (BYR). Kindle Edition. ~ Leigh Bardugo

She'd shown him in a thousand ways that she was honorable and strong and generous and very human, maybe even more vividly human than anyone he'd ever known. And if she was, then Grisha weren't inherently evil. They were like anyone else - full of the potential to do great good, and also great harm. To ignore that would make Matthias the monster. ~ Leigh Bardugo

You will always be one of us. ~ Leigh Bardugo