Fairy godmothers?” said the king dubiously. “We’ll have a time getting that past the court council — and the bishop.

— Robin McKinley

[Harry] had always suffered from a vague restlessness, a longing for adventure that she told herself severely was the result of reading too many novels when she was a small child.

— Robin McKinley

Her betrothed is a lout, her father is a boor; and now her brother is trailing around looking like a thunderstorm about to burst. Men are not sensible creatures.'' Thank you,' said Robin.

— Robin McKinley

[Honduran] is a true friend, but a friend with thoughts of her own, and the thoughts of others are dangerous.

— Robin McKinley

How does a hundred-and-eighty-pound man turn into a ninety-pound wolf? Where does the leftover ninety go? Does he park it in the umbrella stand overnight?

— Robin McKinley

I'd always had a guilty preference for fiction. Since I seemed now to be living fiction, this proved to have been an entirely reasonable choice.

— Robin McKinley

I disliked promises on principle because my conscience made me keep them.

— Robin McKinley

I don't put up with being messed around, and I don't suffer fools gladly. The short version of that is that I'm a bitch. Trust me, I can provide character references.

— Robin McKinley

I found that the only way I could control this sorrow was not to think of [it] at all, which was almost as painful as the loss itself.

— Robin McKinley

If you wish, I shall go personally to your City and knock together the heads of Perlite and Galloway.

— Robin McKinley