Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera, #1)

by Jim Butcher

The course of history is determined not by battles, by sieges, or usurpations, but by the actions of the individual. The strongest city, the largest army is, at its most basic level, a collection of individuals. Their decisions, their passions, their foolishness, and their dreams shape the years to come. If there is any lesson to be learned from history, it is that all too often the fate of armies, of cities, of entire realms rests upon the actions of one person.

You could no more betray what you held dear than you could will your heart to stop beating.

caught it, and then the boy swallowed, and slithered down

“Because a sound tree doesn’t have bad roots, Amara. No enterprise of greatness begins with

treachery, with lying to the people who trust and love you.”

“Sometimes,” Bernard rumbled, “the only smart thing to do is nothing. Sometimes you just have to be still and see how events begin to unfold before you move. Be patient.”