Aster

“It wasn’t like this in the stories. In the old tales, when a young man went forth to have adventures, he endured his trials and came forth triumphant. He became a leader, or acquired a magical skill, or at the very least wed a princess. Maybe all three. There was never any question, not even in the darkest moment, that the hero would conquer both his enemies and his self-doubt. Perhaps that was why I had been angry with Simon, because I wanted the ending of his story to be the good one he deserved.”
― Juliet Marillier, Daughter of the Forest

“They were just passing the time, playing their roles, like bad actors saying their lines too quickly, without conviction, because they wanted to walk off stage and go home. It didn’t matter how she performed. It didn’t matter if she didn’t change. All that mattered was staying in character and knowing your place. Nod, smile, promise to try harder, be grateful for the opportunity – always grateful.”
― Luiza Sauma, Everything You Ever Wanted

“Elias’s body, emptied of his soul, now seems both precious and cursed.”
― Luiza Sauma, Everything You Ever Wanted

“On another planet, in another universe, we’re still kids and it’s summer, and it always will be. That was the planet she wanted to go to.”
― Luiza Sauma, Everything You Ever Wanted