The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2)

by Brandon Sanderson

A man can only lead when others accept him as their leader, and he has only as much authority as his subjects give to him.

Every scholar knew that one of the greatest dangers in research was the desire to find a specific answer.

A threat is only a promise turned around.

“At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different,” Sazed said. “Different in shape, different in function, different in design. The man who looks at them without knowledge of their true nature might think them opposites, for one is meant to open, and the other to keep closed. Yet, upon closer examination, he might see that without one, the other becomes useless. The wise man then sees that both lock and key were created for the same purpose.”

“Good men die quickly in this world, Allrianne,” Cett said. “I know—I’ve killed enough of them.”