651 Quotes by Joe Abercrombie

If you could kill a man by frowning at his back, the Breaker of Swords would have fallen bloody through the Last Door that day, but a frown is no blade, and Thorn’s hatred cut no one but her.

The elves knew the true names of these rivers,’ said Skifr, who’d made a kind of bed among the cargo to drape herself on. ‘We call them Divine and Denied because those are as close as our clumsy human tongues can come.

Vick learned long ago that might have is a game with no winners. Few games do have winners, in the end.

Shock and surprise, my little beauties, and quickness to strike, and lack of pity. These are the things that make a killer.

But that’s war for you. An ugly business that only leaves bad men better off. Why folk insisted on singing about great warriors all the time, Rikke couldn’t have said. Why not sing about really good fishermen, or bakers, or roofers, or some other folk who actually left the world a better place, rather than heaping up corpses and setting fire to things? Was that behaviour to encourage?

Logen still remembered the first time he had to leave someone behind, remembered it like it was yesterday. Strange how the boy’s name had gone but the face was with him still.

You can’t change the fact the world’s full of arseholes. You can only change how you deal with them.

The gods hate those who plan badly, and help those with good friends, good swords, and good sense. Worry less about what the gods might do and more about what you can, that’s my advice.

I’m a man.” Koll’s shoulders sagged. “When did that happen?” “It just happens.” “I wish I knew what it meant, being a man.” “Guess it means something different for each one of us. The gods know I’m no sage, but if I’ve realized anything, it’s that life isn’t about making something perfect.