Beyond the Kingdoms Quotes

“Maybe greatness isn't about being immortal, or glorious, or popular - it's about choosing to fight for the greater good of the world, even when the world's turned its back on you.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“It’s better to be the hero of your own story than to become the villain of someone else’s.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Some days words flow through me like the Nile, and other days I’m as dry as the Sahara. I’m afraid you’ve caught me in the middle of a drought, but I’m confident rain shall fall again.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“When you meet the person you’re meant to be with, everything changes – you don’t feel like you’re fighting the world alone anymore.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“What if every story ever told was just a realm waiting to be discovered? Perhaps happiness isn’t the only thing you were meant to provide keys for.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“You’ve destroyed our tavern!” she yelled. “You’ll pay for this!” “Bill us,” Conner said,”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“After a few moments, her eyes became as glossy as his and she also spoke in complete nonsense. “Who are you?” Mother Goose asked the caterpillar. “What I am,” he said. “Where are you?” she said. “Here with you,” the caterpillar said. “And if this were the Castle of Hearts?” Mother Goose asked. “We’d be there,” he said. “But where?” she asked. “In the castle,” he said. “Ah, so there would be here,” she said, and they nodded together. “Here would be what’s left.” The caterpillar nodded. “Am I what’s left?” she asked. “You’re what’s right, of course.” “But what’s right is wrong.” “And what’s left is right.” “I understand completely,” Mother Goose said. “Thank you so much, Mr. Caterpillar.” The others stared at them absolutely dumbfounded. Mother Goose hopped down from the mushroom and moseyed back to them. “The caterpillar said to go back to the fork and take a left,” she said. “He did?” Alex asked. “It’s all about the keywords,” Mother Goose said. “I used to be friends with a sultan who enjoyed the hookah, too. Lester, I’m going to need you to carry me the rest of the way – I’m awfully tired.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Yesterday, Jack told me I looked beautiful and I punched him.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“If there’s one thing life is good at, it’s surprising you,” Jack said. “And sometimes it surprises you in the best ways.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“We are all but characters in the books of God's library.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“stood in a window that was so large, a ship could sail through it. She had chosen to occupy this bedroom at the giant’s castle because of this very window and the beautiful view of the stars it had at night. Also, it was the farthest bedroom from Mother Goose’s room and the only place you couldn’t hear her snoring.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“maybe greatness isn’t about being immortal, or glorious, or popular – it’s about choosing to fight for the greater good of the world, even when the world’s turned its back on you.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“It's Better To Be The Hero In Your Own Story Than To Become The Villain In Someone Else's
-Iris”
― Chris Colfer The Land of Stories, Beyond the Kingdoms

“After a few moments, her eyes became as glossy as his and she also spoke in complete nonsense. “Who are you?” Mother Goose asked the caterpillar. “What I am,” he said. “Where are you?” she said. “Here with you,” the caterpillar said. “And if this were the Castle of Hearts?” Mother Goose asked. “We’d be there,” he said. “But where?” she asked. “In the castle,” he said. “Ah, so there would be here,” she said, and they nodded together. “Here would be what’s left.” The caterpillar nodded. “Am I what’s left?” she asked. “You’re what’s right, of course.” “But what’s right is wrong.” “And what’s left is right.” “I understand completely,” Mother Goose said. “Thank you so much, Mr. Caterpillar.” The others stared at them absolutely dumbfounded. Mother Goose hopped down from the mushroom and moseyed back to them.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Let’s just follow the Boy Scouts from Hades and hope for the best.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Alex asked. “You were just telling me you wanted a new adventure – this sounds like you’re settling down.” “Merlin is my next adventure,” she said. “I’ve never known someone who makes me excited just to wake up in the morning. I don’t look at the world and feel useless anymore, because I know I mean the world to him. He’s lived as long as I have, made just as many mistakes, and still has all his original teeth – I’m never going to find another man like him! I probably sound like an old loon, but one day you’ll understand. When you meet the person you’re meant to be with, everything changes – you don’t feel like you’re fighting the world alone anymore.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Oooo, what is that?” Red yelled when she saw the palace. “That’s Buckingham Palace,” Alex said. “It’s where the monarchy resides.” Red was mesmerized. “What a stylish and tasteful place! Look at that beautiful statue out front of it in the middle of the street! That looks exactly like the statue I wanted to build in celebration of Charlie’s and my wedding!” Red left the others and flew down to the gate. She peered through the bars at the palace in delight. She had to hang on to the bars tightly because the fairy dust was making her drift back to the sky. One of the palace guards on duty saw Red and stared at her in disbelief. It wasn’t every day he saw a floating woman at the gate. “Yoo-hoo!” Red called to him. “I just love your hat! Please tell the current monarch that Queen Red of the Center Kingdom says hello —” Conner flew to the gate and pulled Red’s hands off the bars. “Red, come on. You’re gonna get left behind!”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“She had to hang on to the bars tightly because the fairy dust was making her drift back to the sky.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Which story are you going to tell us tonight, Mother?" Tootless asked.
"One that is very close to my heart," Red said. "It's called 'Beautiful and Brilliant Little Blue Riding Hood'."
Just hearing the title made the Lost Boys excitedly clap.
"Is it a good story, Mum? Slightly asked.
"It's the best story you'll ever hear," Red said.
"Does Little Blue die in the end like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel?" Curly asked. "I just want to know before I get attached."
"Those were such sad stories," Nibs said, and shook his head. "I can't believe poor Cinderella slipped while running down the stairs at midnight, or that Snow White choked on the poisoned apple, or when Sleeping Beauty awoke, she discovered the spindle had given her a staph infection."
"Poor, poor princesses," the Lost twins sniffled.
"Well, these stories are supposed to teach us valuable lessons," Red said. "Never run down stairs, always chew your food, and see a doctor if your skin is punctured by rusty metal."
"Is there a lesson in the story of 'Beautiful and Brilliant Little Blue Riding Hood'?" Slightly asked.
"You'll have to wait to find out," she teased.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“You don't want to spend your life searching for relevance," Iris said. "It will only lead to mistakes. Those mistakes will harden you and make you bitter. You'll start resenting people who have found happiness. You'll spread misery, hoping it will destroy your own, but it won't. If you have a chance to validate something within yourself, then do yourself a favor and take that chance. You don't want to live with a piece of your heart missing - it'll turn you into a monster. It's better to be the hero of your own story than to become the villain of someone else's."
"So you're saying I would find this Cornelia woman?" Bree asked.
"If it'll bring you peace, I recommend you do," Iris said. "Even if you don't get the answers you're looking for, you'll never be poisoned with regret.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Alex was so confused, she shook her head. The others felt their sanity slipping from their brains just by being in proximity to the caterpillar.
This is going great," Conner said with a massive eye roll. "This worm is clearly insane; let's find someone who can actually help us."
"Let me handle this one, kids," Mother Goose said. "He's not crazy, the hookah is just making his brain sleepy. I might understand him if I get on his level."
Mother Goose walked up to the caterpillar and had a bouncy seat on the mushroom beside him.
"May I?" she asked, and gestured to the hookah.
The caterpillar passed it to her and Mother Goose smoked it. After a few moments, her eyes became as glossy as his and she also spoke in complete nonsense.
"Who are you?" Mother Goose asked the caterpillar.
"What I am," he said.
"Where are you?" she said.
"Here with you," the caterpillar said.
"And if this were the Castle of Hearts?" Mother Goose asked.
"We'd be there," he said.
"But where?" she asked.
"In the castle," he said.
"Ah, so there would be here,: she said, and they nodded together.
"Here would be what's left." The caterpillar nodded.
"Am I what's left?" she asked.
"You're what's right, of course."
"But what's right is wrong."
"And what's left is right."
"I understand completely," Mother Goose said. "Thank you so much, Mr. Caterpillar."
The others stared at them absolutely dumbfounded. Mother Goose hopped down from the mushroom and moseyed back to them.
:The caterpillar said to go back to the fork and take a left," she said.
"He did?" Alex asked.
"It's all about the keywords," Mother Goose said.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“What if every story ever told was just a realm waiting to be discovered”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“It’s such a shame,” Red said, shaking her head as she searched the ground. “The people you depend on and trust always disappoint you the most.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“If there's one thing that life is good at, it's surprising you.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“But living without a heart means you cannot feel at all,” the Tin Woodman said. “It may spare you from grief, or loneliness, or misery, or longing, or fear—but you do not enjoy, or laugh, or excite, or love. And one who cannot love is just an object.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“I suppose I'm just worried I'll disappoint people," Arthur admitted. "Merlin says I'm going to be a legendary king - I just wish I was confident enough to agree. And now that I know the legend of my reign stretches into other dimensions, it seems impossible that I'll ever live up to those expectations, or worse -"
"The expectations you put on yourself?" Alex said, finishing his sentence.
Arthur went quiet and nodded. "You too?"
"My legacy isn't written in the stars like yours, but when I first became the Fairy Godmother I almost drowned in the expectations other people put on me," Alex said. "I wanted to believe in myself as much as the rest of the world did, so I put so much pressure on myself; I became harshly disappointed every time I made a simple mistake. I felt like I would disappoint the world if I was ever exposed as -"
"Human," Arthur said, finishing her sentence this time.
"Yes," Alex said. "My biggest fear was disappointing someone, and then after one moment of weakness I ended up disappointing the entire fairy-tale world. I went form being the most beloved person in the Happily Forever After Assembly, to the most feared and hated. But rather than fighting the world that discarded me, I chose to continue saving it. So maybe greatness isn't about being immortal, or glorious, or popular - it's about choosing to fight for the greater good of the world, even when the world's turned it's back on you.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“Indeed," Arthur said. "But ... no one has said I'll be a good king. It would be a relief to know I don't go mad or bad before the end."
Alex sighed, but with a smile. She knew Arthur was prying information out of her just to tease her, but two could play this game.
"You're a good king, don't worry," she said, and then looked sadly to the ground. "At least you are once you heal from ... the incident."
"What incident?" Arthur asked.
Alex shook her head somberly. "Well, if Merlin hasn't told you, then I probably shouldn't."
"Oh, right - the incident," he said, pretending to know. "Old Merlin's told me about that plenty of times."
"Good," Alex said. "So you know all about the leeches."
Arthur gulped. "Yes ... I do," he said nervously.
"Luckily by then you've already been captured by the Saxons and your legs have been ripped off," Alex said. "So there aren't too many leech wounds."
Arthur gulped. "It's the definition of luck," he said.
"It's a shame you lose both your arms in the battle before you get captured," Alex said. "But you aren't known as Arthur the Limbless for nothing."
"Arthur the Limbless? "
"Oh, yes," Alex said. "A lesser king would have let the title belittle him, but you still manage to instill fear in all your enemies. Then again, that could be because of your future wife, Queen Girtha. Of course, Merlin has told you about her ..."
"Naturally," Arthur said. "She's that nasty woman, right? So hideous, people are afraid to look at her. Now remind me, how many terrible children do we have?"
"Just the one," Alex said. "And who would have expected you to die during childbirth?"
"I die in childbirth?" Arthur asked with a quiver in his voice. "How is that possible?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Alex asked. "That's why they call your wife Girtha the Strong Handed. Did you never make that connection?"
"Oh, that's right," Arthur said. "I made that connection once before, but I forgot about it."
"I don't blame you," Alex said. "I would have blocked it out of my mind, too.”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“The Portal Potion Success! After weeks and weeks of trying, I’ve finally discovered the correct ingredients for the potion I’d hoped to create for my son! With just a few drops, the potion turns any written work into a portal to the world it describes. Even with my ability to create portals to and from the Otherworld, I never thought it would be possible to create a substance that allowed me passage to any world I wished. My son will get to see the places and meet the characters he’s spent his whole childhood dreaming about! And best of all, I’ll get to watch his happiness soar as it happens! The ingredients are much simpler than I imagined, but difficult to obtain. Their purposes are more metaphysical than practical, so it took some imagination to get the concoction right. The first requirement is a branch from the oldest tree in the woods. To bring the pages to life, I figured the potion would need the very thing that brought the paper to life in the first place. And what else has more life than an ancient tree? The second ingredient is a feather from the finest pheasant in the sky. This will guarantee your potion has no limits, like a bird in flight. It will ensure you can travel to lands far and wide, beyond your imagination. The third component is a liquefied lock and key that belonged to a true love. Just as this person unlocked your heart to a life of love, it will open the door of the literary dimensions your heart desires to experience. The fourth ingredient is two weeks of moonlight. Just as the moon causes waves in the ocean, the moonlight will stir your potion to life. Last, but most important, give the potion a spark of magic to activate all the ingredients. Send it a beam of joy straight from your heart. The potion does not work on any biographies or history books, but purely on works that have been imagined. Now, I must warn about the dangers of entering a fictional world: 1. Time only exists as long as the story continues. Be sure to leave the book before the story ends, or you may disappear as the story concludes. 2. Each world is made of only what the author describes. Do not expect the characters to have any knowledge of our world or the Otherworld. 3. Beware of the story’s villains. Unlike people in our world or the Otherworld, most literary villains are created to be heartless and stripped of all morals, so do not expect any mercy should you cross paths with one. 4. The book you choose to enter will act as your entrance and exit. Be certain nothing happens to it; it is your only way out. The”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“An intriguing thought came to her as she looked around: She had spent too much time guessing how to make her son happy. What if her son’s biggest dream was floating around the Hall of Dreams? If she peered into it, maybe she would discover how to help him. The Fairy Godmother raised her wand and waved it in a quick circle. All the orbs in the Hall of Dreams instantly froze. Only one large orb in the distance kept moving. It floated toward her and landed in her hands. She peered inside it, anxious”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms

“the Boy Scouts from Hades”
― Chris Colfer, Beyond the Kingdoms