The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky, #1)

by Amie Kaufman

If only I can make them see that we have to be more than we are—we have to search, and discover, and keep making ourselves better, not just because our engines might need it, but because our souls do.

“He is a cat—he only knows rudeness as a quality others possess.”

The Lightbringer cannot be real, they say—for how could a god turn his back on his destiny? I could not help but wonder if the answer might be simple: that the boy-god born to destroy the world was afraid.

For what hope have men if even the gods know fear?

“It’s not magic,” I say. “It’s science. Science means you can explain it, that you know how each part of it works. Magic is—I mean, it’s science you haven’t figured out how to explain yet.” “I can explain my magic,” Nimh replies. “And you just said you could not explain your engines.”

“How disconcerting,” she whispers. “To learn that your goddess has as much need of faith as you.”

I only met my first cat yesterday, but I’m already clear that it’s better for everyone if I do what he wants.

A part of me wants to object to that, because my people are happy, for the most part, and fed and secure. But I know security isn’t exactly the same as hope, and the more time I spend here, the more I wonder what we gave up when we forgot about gods and magic and the power of prophecy.

Miri adds sparks to everything. Saelis makes sure we don’t catch fire.”

Looking at him is like gazing at a map to a land I only ever walked in a dream—I’m utterly lost, and utterly certain I know exactly where I am, all at once.

“Forgive me, Divine One, if I don’t believe that prophecies fill empty bellies.”

“Inshara is more powerful than I.” “No,” I counter. “She knows how to do things you don’t. That’s not the same thing.”