The Mercy of Gods (The Captive's War, #1)

by James S.A. Corey

How many overwhelming problems had, with the distance of time, proved trivial.

If experience had taught him anything, it was that first guesses were almost always disappointing. Data collection and analysis took time.

“It’s his pathological move. I get it.” “I don’t know the term.” “It’s the thing people do when they’re working on instinct. When they’re stressed and overwhelmed, there’s something they go to by reflex. Tonner focuses down on something small enough to control. Campar makes jokes. Jessyn withdraws. Everyone has something.”

How dare it be beautiful.

“It’ll be all right,” he said. “It won’t.”

“No. But we’ll find a way to be all right with that.”

“I mean, we’re not absolutely powerless. We’re just… mostly powerless.”