275 Quotes by Robin McKinley

Can’t all beasts be tamed?

It is a much more straightforward thing to be a dog, and a dog’s love, once given, is not reconsidered; it just is, like sunlight or mountains. It is for human beings to see the shadows behind the light, and the light behind the shadows. It is, perhaps, why dogs have people, and people have dogs.

And since I am the only one who sees you, why are you not then beautiful?

He will apologize, or I’ll give him a lesson in swordplay he will not like at all.

Cats were often familiars to workers of magic because to anyone used to wrestling with self-willed, wayward, devious magic – which was what all magic was – it was rather soothing to have all the same qualities wrapped up in a small, furry, generally attractive bundle that looked more or less the same from day to day and might, if it were in a good mood, sit on your knee and purr. Magic never sat on anybody’s knee and purred.

He was a vampire. I was a human. We weren’t supposed to have any bonds between us, except straightforward generic ones of murderous antagonism and so on.

The story is always better than your ability to write it. My belief about this is that if you ever get to the point that you think you’ve done a story justice, you’re in the wrong business.

Mathin said: “It is best to take your opponent’s sash. The kysin mark each blow dealt, but to cut off the other rider’s sash is best. This you will do.” “Oh,” said Harry. “You may, if you wish, unhorse him first,” Mathin added as an afterthought. “Thanks,” said Harry.

Campaigns are a great bore; they are mostly about either finding enough water for your company, or being up to your knees in mud and all the food’s gone bad. Battles are blessedly brief; but you’re sick with terror before, blind with panic during, and miserable with horror by the results, when you have to bury your friends, or listen to them scream.