Adventuring turned out to be boring. Zach thought back to all the fantasy books he'd read where a team of questers traveled overland, and realized a few things. First he'd pictured himself with a loyal steed that would have done most of the walking, so he hadn't anticipated the blister forming on his left heel or the tiny pebble that seemed to have worked its way under his sock, so that even when he stripped off his sneaker he couldn't find it. He hadn't thought about how hot the sun would be either. When he put together his bunch of provisions, he never thought about bringing sunblock. Aragorn never wore sunblock. Tarzan never wore sunblock. Percy never wore sunblock. But despite all that precedent for going without, he was pretty sure his nose would be lobster-red the next time he looked in the mirror. He was thirsty, too, something that happened a lot in books, but his dry throat bothered him more than it had ever seemed to bother any character. And, unlike in books where random brigands and monsters jumped out just when things got unbearably dull, there was nothing to fight except for the clouds of gnats, several of which Zach was pretty sure he'd accidentally swallowed.

— Holly Black

Ah, coffee. The sweet balm by which we shall accomplish today's tasks.

— Holly Black

Anyone who offers their heart on a silver platter deserves what they get.

— Holly Black

Are you sure?" Aidan asked, "Gabriel's still a vampire." "He warned me about you and about them. He didn't have to. I'm not going to repay that by-" she hesitated, then frowned. "What did you call him?" "That's his name," Aidan sighed, "Gabriel. The other vampires, while they were tying me to the bed, they said his name." "Oh." With a final tug she pulled the blanked free and tossed it over to 'Gabriel

— Holly Black

A stray dog, I might understand," she said. "But this? You are too softhearted." No, Mary," Raves said. "I am not." He looked in Val's direction. "I think she wants to die." Maybe you can help her after all," Mary said. "You're good at helping people die.

— Holly Black

Baby," she says in a harsh whisper, "in this world, lots of people will try to grind you down. They need you to be small so they can be big. You let them think whatever they want, but you make sure you get yours. You get yours.

— Holly Black

Be careful," Aidan called from the bed. "You don't know what he might do." "We all know what you'd do, though, don't we?

— Holly Black

Behind Tana there were the sounds of splintering wood, as though something very large had hot the door. "No," she said softly, "Oh no. No." "Leave me," said Gabriel. ....." Shut up, or I might," she told him.

— Holly Black

Ben was taking her through the storm of grief. He was singing her through the rage and despair. He was singing her through the terrible loneliness, because there was no way to shut off grief, no way to cast it aside or fight against it. The only way to end grief was to go through it. As she realized that, his song began to change. It grew softer, sweeter, like the morning after a long cry, when your head still hurt, but your heart was no longer broken.

— Holly Black

Better to leave him with the memory of their being a pair of monsters, wrapped in each other's arms.

— Holly Black