The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, #1)

by James Islington

“Everyone has a darker nature, Caeden. Everyone. Good men fear it, and evil men embrace it. Good men are still tempted to do the wrong thing, but they resist those urges.

That’s the natural arrogance of man, sadly. We want to believe that free will means complete independence from the plans of our creator.”

“You can put your trust in something that’s obvious, that’s measurable or predictable—but that’s not faith. Nor is believing in something that gives you no pause for doubt, no reason or desire to question. Faith is something more than that. By definition, it cannot have proof as its foundation.”

“Because it strikes me that a man needs to know what he believes before he can really know who he is.”

“We each have our temptations, Tal’kamar. We each have our own battles that must be fought.” He paused. “But you must fight them, my friend. You cannot hide from them. Otherwise you will never be more than you are.”

“Such is the way of weak men,” he murmured. “Daring to believe only in what can be seen, touched, and measured.”