Warbreaker

by Brandon Sanderson

Well, I am a sword, Nightblood said with a mental huff. Might as well stick to what you’re good at…

Make a note to have my imagination flogged for its insolence in showing me that particular sight.”

“Mocking a woman is like drinking too much wine. It may be fun for a short time, but the hangover is hell.”

“I try to avoid having thoughts. They lead to other thoughts, and—if you’re not careful—those lead to actions. Actions make you tired. I have this on rather good authority from someone who once read it in a book.”

“That’s a charming concept, Blushweaver. But I believe that the universe and I are in slightly different weight categories.” “I think you’re wrong.” “Are you saying I’m fat?”

But he’d found that imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.

“I thought you were the god of bravery.” “Technically.” “You seem more like the god of jesters to me.” “I’ve applied for the position and been turned down,” he said. “You should see the person they have doing the job. Dull as a rock and twice as ugly.”

Like it or not, you are a part of the workings of this kingdom—and you produce effects even if you stay in bed. If you do nothing, then the problems are as much your fault as if you had instigated them.”

“I can teach you them all, if you wish.” The priests were right to be worried.

“You don’t have to believe in my miracles. You can call them accidents or coincidences, if you must. But don’t pity me for my faith. And don’t presume that you’re better, just because you believe something different.”

“It’s not like I have anything else to do.” “Besides be a god.” “Overrated,” Lightsong said, walking up to the final man. “It has nice perks, but the hours are awful.”

“Colors!” Lightsong swore. “I was someone useful? I was just beginning to convince myself that I’d died in a reasonable way—such as falling off a stump when I was drunk.” “You know you died in a brave way, Your Grace.” “It could have been a really high stump.”

How am I going to be properly indolent if I keep itching to investigate things? Honestly, this murder will completely destroy my hard-won reputation.” “My sympathies, Your Grace, that you have been inconvenienced by a semblance of motivation.”

Unknowing ignorance is preferable to informed stupidity.” “I’ll try to remember that.” “Do so and you defeat the point.

you don’t understand a man until you understand what makes him do what he does. Every man is a hero in his own story,

The truth is, most people who do what you’d call ‘wrong’ do it for what they call ‘right’ reasons.

“Why do they call you Lightsong the Bold?” “There is an easy answer to that,” he said, leaning back. “It is because of all the gods, only I am bold enough to act like a complete idiot.”

Hoid looked up, smiling. “I learned it many, many years ago from a man who didn’t know who he was, Your Majesty. It was a distant place where two lands meet and gods have died. But that is unimportant.”

The real Vivenna hadn’t come to Hallandren to save her sister. She’d come because she couldn’t stand being unimportant. She’d learn. That was her punishment.

You’ve got color on the inside, so much of it that it bursts out and colors everything around you.

Yet she was beginning to think that she—along with many others—had taken this belief too far, letting her desire to seem humble become a form of pride itself. She now saw that when her faith had become about clothing instead of people, it had taken a wrong turn.

“Priests are always easy to blame. They make convenient scapegoats—after all, anyone with a strong faith different from your own must either be a crazy zealot or a lying manipulator.”