Matthew Stover

"Reasons are for peasants."

"Do you solemnly swear to serve the Republic in thought, in word, and in deed; to defend its citizens, resist its enemies, and champion its justice with the whole of your heart, your strength, and your…"

"Mace flipped up a thumb. "You think being armed and ruthless means you can do whatever you want." He folded his thumb and flipped up his forefinger. "You think nobody will stand up to you when they're…"

"I read once, somewhere, that the way you know you've grown up is when your future death becomes a stone in your shoe: when you feel it with every step."

"He did understand. Finally, fatally, he did. He had thought he was the master of history, that his fractal world-tree had grown according to his will. He had allowed himself to be deceived."

"Fairy tales--simple stories for simple minds, a breath of air to cool brows overheated by the complexities of real life."

"We can each sit and wait to die, from the very day of our births. Those of us who do not do so, choose to ask--and to answer--the two questions that define every conscious creature: What do I want? an…"

"When all choices seem wrong, choose restraint."