Katabasis

by R.F. Kuang

And then she employed that most annoying of argumentative tactics, which was to agree, while making it clear they thought her reasoning was stupid. “All right then.”

One cannot anticipate, cheat, or find a shortcut through redemption.

The difference between greatness and mediocrity was only ever about following through.

How much a simple word of encouragement could mean to a young and insecure mind. Professors never knew the impact of their utterances. They seemed not to realize that a careless comment, the briefest smile, could make or break a student’s day. Professors, who saw dozens of hopeful faces over the course of a day, forgot always that they were their students’ entire universe.

“The bazaar is built to distract,” said Gradus. “This is Lord Yama’s design. There’s a million things to keep a soul from writing, all in the service of making you better at it. Remember that, Alice Law. Hell is a writers’ market.”