“And a special thanks for not burning up the whole ship. Including yourself, you daft bum-rag.”

“Maybe this was how you stayed sane in wartime: a handful of noble deeds amid the chaos. ”

“That was the trick - to keep punching, no matter what.”

“The man was allergic to sleep.”

“Most men's awareness doesn't extend past their dinner plates.”

“Deryn put her own arms around herself, but it didn't feel the same."Barking spiders," she muttered softly,”

“Barking hard work, being a boy.”

“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”

“I worked out what would make me happy, and I worked out what I wanted to do, and I trained myself to do the job that would make those two things happen' 'You make it sound so simple.''It is simple,...”

“Does the work get easier once you know what you are doing?""Your lungs grow thick with stone dust and your eyes bleary from the sun and fragments thrown up by the chisel. You pour your lifeblood ou...”