Historical Fantasy Quotes

I have a story to tell. It is a tale for those who can still see, can still question.

A story of where you are and how you got here. A tale foretold by your poets and prophets through the ages. Read their words, their thoughts, so that you may understand. ~ W.H. Wisecarver

I don't know. How can you know? I…I'm a monster. When I'm hungry, I might do anything."
"Oh no, of course I couldn't possibly understand you." Violet's shadowed face seemed to be wearing a grim and serious smile. "I know, you woke up one day and found out that you couldn't be the person you remembered being, the little girl everybody expected you to be. You just weren't her any more, and there was nothing you could do about it. So your family decided you were a monster and turned on you." Violet sighed, staring out into the darkness.

"Believe me, I do understand that. And let me tell you - from one monster to another - that just because somebody tells you you're a monster, it doesn't mean you are.

"just now you told me what you did because you want me to stop you from eating Pen. If you were a real monster, you wouldn't have done that, would you?"

Trista's eyes stung, and she wiped strands of cobweb away with her sleeve.

"Idiot," added Violet, for good measure. ~ Frances Hardinge

A man's perspective is limited by the brevity of his existence.
Even living deliberately, how far up can we reach?
Standing on our miniscule patch of time, how far into the future can we see? How much of the past can one truly understand?

Yet, only a recreant spends their precious drops of sand before dropping back
into the abyss lounging in indulgence, not striving for understanding, knowledge,
answers that those of us
scourged/consecrated with consciousness
should seek with unconquerable passion. ~ Alpha Four

It's funny because when I was growing up, I was really into science fiction and fantasy as a kid. And, when I first became a screenwriter, I ended up really just doing historical drama and non-fiction based stuff, like Band of Brothers and stuff that didn't get made, but was also non-fiction. ~ John Orloff

I saw us in some lost future, myself with a long beard, and her with silver streaks entwined in her auburn hair. My son would already be proud of the strength of his own son. ~ Tanja Radman

The world is Absolutely Brilliant. Difficult sometimes. Confusing often. But humorous almost always. ~ Henry L. Walton

Once metal hits metal and battle begins no one wishes they had practiced less! ~ Alpha Four

A woman that you find different or strange, or whom you may envy or covet is deemed by you all to be a witch! Anything that you do not understand, you deem witchcraft! ~ Andrea Zuvich

There is no greater will on earth than the will to survive. These fine people, answering my father's call to arms, had the will in spades and droves.
- Lord Tristan Dracanburh, Ethandun ~ Alexandra May

The woman with hair of flames knelt over me. She might have been pretty if not for the anger in every corner of her face. Emerald eyes glowed with almost seeping venom as her nostrils flared.
- Lord Tristan Dracanburh, Ethandun ~ Alexandra May

When the inner light of the soul shone through like that, the shape of nose or ears became unimportant. She was shining, and it looked almost like a miracle. ~ Lina J. Potter

My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as a child. I still have a soft spot for that one! ~ Marie Lu

Tell me you won't go, tell me you'll stay forever, tell me you love me. ~ C.J. Archer

Jealousy has a way of clouding logic. ~ Alpha Four

Anyone who knew the recipe of the alchemists could make gold, but only the artisans of Murano could make glass so fine, one could nearly touch one's fingers together on either side; cristallo without an imperfection or blemish, clear as the sky, with a sparkle to rival that of diamonds. ~ Ruth Nestvold

Talking big in dark corners seldom achieves anything other than getting you into trouble. ~ Alpha Four

The significance of each change of season is easily buried in the smallest of life's mundanities and trivialities. Yet, the true consequence of time's passage is there, blaring within the subtle disguise of a whisper for all who would listen. ~ Alpha Four

All revolutions are the sheerest fantasy until they happen; then they become historical inevitabilities. ~ David Mitchell

You must practice until you see everything about the entire conflict: the location of the fight, your opponents mind, body and spirit. ~ Alpha Four

Secundus might lie rotting in his grave, but his relatives and followers yet lived. They believed the lies that held Gwenwhyfar responsible for the death of their relative. For the sake of his own family's safety, Marcus had not sought to correct that error. ~ Jennifer McKeithen

Marcus turned his back to her. He feared that if he saw her face, it might weaken his resolve. Love was indeed a madness. ~ Jennifer McKeithen

She flapped her hands, anxious energy coursing through her. "How can you be so calm?"
He got to his feet, unfolding with an easy grace. He held out a hand, his dark eyes focused solemnly on hers. "Come with me."
"For what?"
"That's part of the lesson." Was it her imagination, or did a twinkle of humor stir in those eyes? "Center yourself, and grab onto the here and now."
That made no sense - what was he now, Sir Medieval Zen Master? But she slipped her hand into his strong, calloused one. He hauled her up until she bumped into his chest. With a finger under her chin, he tilted her face until she looked in his eyes.
"Listen to the world around you. Hear the birds? Hear the small animals scurrying? You are in this moment, this moment only, and sometimes that's all you can do, all you can be." His finger pulled away, brushing against her skin, and he tapped her nose, stepping away. ~ Angela Quarles

death is predestined for all mortals. Souls live forever, but the body does not. Unless you are immortal, both the soul and body are tied together."~Taznikos Abyssos ~ Yelle Hughes

It's a picture," Nosh explained, grinning at my innocence. "This is a phone. It's made of metal, plastic, and glass. I can use it to call people over long distances. Or find answers to questions. Or directions to go places. Or to order food."

I blinked, dumbfounded. "A demon familiar…" I breathed. I snatched it back from his hand and held it to my mouth. "Bring me blood, demon. Your master is thirsty." I pulled the phone away and stared at it, wondering where the food would appear. ~ Shayne Silvers

Too much FANTASY loses REALITY, too much HOPE may seem somehow EMPTY. ~ Akira Toriyama

What I like most about the process of literary creation is gathering mundane facts and concepts, then clothing them with the ornate jewels and fine garments of imagination and fantasy, weaving a tale on the glittering edge of possibility. ~ Gregory Hamilton

This man was no servant. She looked up at him in acute agitation and knew: this man was now her master. ~ V.S. Carnes

I swear. Tell someone you're a vampire or a werewolf and they think it's sexy. Tell someone you're a witch and they go from zero to Torquemada in three seconds flat. ~ Laura Oliva

Anthony Ryan is a new fantasy author destined to make his mark on the genre. His debut novel, Blood Song, certainly has it all: great coming of age tale, compelling character, and a fast-paced plot. If his first book is any indication of things to come, then all fantasy readers should rejoice as a new master storyteller has hit the scene. ~ Michael J. Sullivan

Long are the lives of elves' he said.

Short are the tempers of dwarfs,'Gotrek muttered, just loud enough to be heard. ~ William King

It had been her mercy, her refusal to kill a known enemy, that had made me realize the Order was wrong. It was because of her that I was here now, risking my life to protect the creatures I'd once driven toward extinction. Because a dragon had spared the life of a soldier of St. George, everything had changed. ~ Julie Kagawa

I'll try to turn the other cheek....But I've only got two and they're both stinging. ~ Heather Blanton

Film and television have convinced too many writers that heaps of dialogue make novels more like movies and therefore good. This is an amateur's fantasy, and it has induced some writers to surrender the few advantages they have over cinematic storytelling. The moviemaker is stuck with what the camera can see and the microphone can hear. You have more freedom. You can summarize situations. You can forthrightly give us people's histories. You can concentrate ten years into ten words. You can move anywhere you like outside real time. You can tell us - just tell us - what people are thinking and feeling. Yes, abundant dialogue can lighten a story, make it more readable and sparkle with wonders. But it is pitiably inadequate before what it is not suited to do. ~ Stephen Koch

Somewhere during the process of intellectual development there was a disconnect in the believer's ability to discern fantasy from reality and the outlandish, scientifically impossible, physically unrealistic, historically erroneous, intellectually retarded drabble that is contained within the pages of the bible became not only viable, but a more accurate representation of the truth than, well, the actual truth. ~ Al Stefanelli

India's present challenges cannot be understood or addressed unless they are viewed from a historical perspective. ~ Aseem Shrivastava

You're far too prickly tempered to be a mistress. You're far better suited as a wife. ~ Lisa Kleypas

There were fat cats and skinny cats. The long-tailed and the bobbed. The daring young leapers, and the old windowsill sleepers. Balls of waddling fluff, smooth-coated prowlers, and hairless ones that looked fragile and wise. The tiger-striped, the ring-tailed, and the ones with matching coloured socks and mittens. There were tabbies and calicos. Manx and Persians. Siamese and Bombay. Ragdolls and Birmans. Maine Coons and Russian Blues. There were Snowshoes and Somalis, Tonkinese and Turkish, and many, many more. Brown and beige and orange and grey and black and white and silver cats, each with gleaming eyes of emerald, or sapphire, or amber. A rainbow of precious stones. ~ Brooke Burgess

Do you want to tell me what you're doing up here in the middle of the woods?" He gazed at her milky white skin, dark hair, and wide eyes. "If you're looking for the seven dwarfs, they live in the next forest over. ~ Deborah Blake

If you go chasing your freedom your fate will only follow you there and force you back. ~ Christina Henry

She'd been the one to push him away this time, yet it hurt just as much as it had before. The door clicked closed behind him, and she gasped out a sob, her body shaking. Why had she said what she'd said? Why had she pushed him away like that?
It made no sense. The only thing she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and never let him go.
And that was why she didn't do it.
Because once she did, she'd never let go. And she wasn't sure she'd survive if she had to watch him leave her again. ~ Carrie Ann Ryan

Just a girl? Hardly. In Hellea, you were a boy, a storyteller, a rogue who infiltrated the deepest cellars of the greatest library in the world. A born trickster as well. Before that, what were you? A warrior trained by a prince, a storyteller's daughter. And more, I should think. But never just a girl, Cassia. ~ Steven Poore

Okay. Right. Horror meets romance meets erotica meets fantasy meets hip hop. Throw in some leather and some Miami Ink shit, stir with a baseball bat and a tire iron, sprinkle on some baby powder, and serve over a hot bed of Holy-Mary-mother-of-God-this-has-to-work-or-I'm-going-to-be-a-lawyer-for-the-rest-of-my-natural-life.
No problem."
(J.R. Ward on the elements of writing the Black Dagger Brotherhood) ~ J.R. Ward

A peculiarity of the American historical sensibility allows us to be proud of great-grandfathers (or even grandfathers) who lived in crushing poverty, while the poverty of a father is too close for comfort. ~ Patricia Hampl

Relationships are ropes. Love is a noose. - Durzo Blint ~ Brent Weeks

School Library Journal
Gr 3–6 - This interactive manual is fun to read and even more fun to put into practice. From hopscotch to dodge ball, jacks to solitaire, and string games to memory games, all types of activities are included. Games to play with a ball, with cards, in a car on the go, alone, or in a group are all here to be enjoyed. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are also historical and factual asides for many of the entries. Some include variations on the main game or alternate names for the activity that have been used through the years. The illustrations depict children demonstrating a particular aspect of a game or just enjoying themselves playing. This is a great resource for parents and teachers, as well as for children. - Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA ~ J.J. Ferrer

If you write nonfiction, a historical account of what really happened, first of all, it's always white men who do that, and you don't have the voices that are really interesting to me, of the people who are not sheltered by the big umbrella of the establishment. ~ Isabel Allende

MacMillian steepled his fingers on the head of his cane. Anticipation rose in his chest. Lena and Cyrus Alan might have an advantage over him when it came to hunting ghosts, but this was where he excelled. This part of the game was all about patterns. He saw patterns. Always had. ~ Laura Oliva

Whatever sympathy I feel towards religions, whatever admiration for some of their adherents, whatever historical or biological necessity I see in them, whatever metaphorical truth, I cannot accept them as credible explanations of reality; and they are incredible to me in proportion to the degree that they require my belief in positive human attributes and intervenient powers in their divinities. ~ John Fowles

Next to her a calico cat puffed away at a hubble-bubble. Puss's watch cost more than his vest, and his vest cost more than his boots, and his boots cost more than a house. If you stripped him naked and sold off his costume, you'd walk away with enough money to retire - though if you left him alive you wouldn't have long to enjoy it. The only thing that could rival Puss's vanity was his sadism. ~ Daniel Polansky

All real fantasy is serious. Only faked fantasy is not serious. That is why it is so wrong to impose faked fantasy on children ... ~ Robertson Davies

His agility surprised Phoebe Ash. She saw the plaster cast on his right leg. Funny messages in ink - "Go break the left one, tiger!" - had been written on the off-white plaster. ~ Ed Lynskey

Oh yes. You've done a marvelous job of succeeding at failure. ~ Laura Kreitzer

Much history as well as popular imagination not only erases their contingency but implicitly attributes to historical actors intentions and consciousness they could not have possibly had...Once a significant historical event is codified, it travels a sort of condensation symbol and, unless we are very careful, takes on a false logic and order that does a grave injustice to how it was experienced at the time. ~ James C. Scott