“That was the look of somebody resigned to being the monster they knew they were.”
―
Caitlin Starling,
The Luminous Dead
“A magician gets what she asks for, whether she meant to ask for it or not.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“It was not so hard, to pretend for a fixed duration; it was only eternity that she could not bear” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“Time to climb back up,” she said, and began walking. Em blinked. Frowned. “What?” “Climbing up. To the surface?” “That’s not what you said.” Gyre stopped, listening to the water sliding from her suit, pattering against the shallow pool she stood in. “Of course it is. What else would I have said?” “You said time to climb back down.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Luminous Dead
“Slowly, Jane peeled herself from the sitting room, leaving behind the stale scent of old cologne, of spilled brandy, of what might have been a pleasant night except in the particulars.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“Then a magician—one with proven ability to do things beyond what their fellow humans can—is somebody who has a particularly focused kind of madness. Does that sit better with you? Their belief in an impossible thing is so strong that if they turn their will on a question, they can change the answer for other people without ever telling those other people what they did. It changes how those around them perceive the world, even if the underlying fabric of the world remains the same.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“What could he have been, if he’d hadn’t confused self-loathing with humility?” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“half of any success was luck. She’d always believed that. It scared a lot of people, and sometimes it made her angry, because of course she wanted to control her fate. But it was true.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Luminous Dead
“Open up to the positive emotions. Focus on them,” he said. “This is the best part. It’s like having a sun inside you. Let it light you up.” “What did you call it? Feeling alive?” He stood. “Alive, yes. It thrives off itself. You’re alive, and they’re alive, and so you feel them being alive as if it were yourself, and it doubles. It’s intoxicating.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“The paradox of medicine: pain and relief, life and death.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“I can think of little else,” he said, finally taking the ring from her and gently, so gently, slipping it onto her finger. “After a just a few days, I find I’ve completely lost my mind over you.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“It terrifies me. But you don’t, and I can’t leave the thought of you alone.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“What little religion did remain in the civil ceremony mirrored what remained among the citizenry: a half-grudging, half-panicked belief in spirits and the movements of the heavens, and a deep, abiding fear of chaos and conflict.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“If the practitioner knows that magic is possible, then the practitioner can change the rules by which the world functions. But that knowing extends beyond belief, extends beyond mere acceptance. Magic must be a part of the practitioner’s every waking moment. It is an altered state of being.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“But the logic is circular. Because the ghosts exist, you’ve proven Augustine can work magic. Because he can work magic, he is the reason for the ghosts. What if it’s something else?” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“The lights guttered out.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“But for just a moment, her reflection looked short, hunched perhaps, and Jane frowned, stepping closer. Her reflection had red eyes.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“The premise of the working of magic,” Dr. Nizamiev said, “is first and foremost that the practitioner believes—that she knows—that it is possible.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“She curled her fingers inside her gloves, wishing she could feel Em’s hand beneath her own. Her shoulders quaked with her quiet crying, and Em said nothing, demanded nothing. Gyre listened to the splashing of her tears against the stone below her, and it felt real. She existed outside the suit, and the suit wasn’t just a mechanical cage. It was Em. No matter what, as long as her computer remained linked to the suit, Gyre wasn’t doing this alone.” ― Caitlin Starling
“A magician gets what she asks for, whether she meant to ask for it or not.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“It was not so hard, to pretend for a fixed duration; it was only eternity that she could not bear” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“Time to climb back up,” she said, and began walking. Em blinked. Frowned. “What?” “Climbing up. To the surface?” “That’s not what you said.” Gyre stopped, listening to the water sliding from her suit, pattering against the shallow pool she stood in. “Of course it is. What else would I have said?” “You said time to climb back down.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Luminous Dead
“Slowly, Jane peeled herself from the sitting room, leaving behind the stale scent of old cologne, of spilled brandy, of what might have been a pleasant night except in the particulars.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“Then a magician—one with proven ability to do things beyond what their fellow humans can—is somebody who has a particularly focused kind of madness. Does that sit better with you? Their belief in an impossible thing is so strong that if they turn their will on a question, they can change the answer for other people without ever telling those other people what they did. It changes how those around them perceive the world, even if the underlying fabric of the world remains the same.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“What could he have been, if he’d hadn’t confused self-loathing with humility?” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“half of any success was luck. She’d always believed that. It scared a lot of people, and sometimes it made her angry, because of course she wanted to control her fate. But it was true.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Luminous Dead
“Open up to the positive emotions. Focus on them,” he said. “This is the best part. It’s like having a sun inside you. Let it light you up.” “What did you call it? Feeling alive?” He stood. “Alive, yes. It thrives off itself. You’re alive, and they’re alive, and so you feel them being alive as if it were yourself, and it doubles. It’s intoxicating.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“The paradox of medicine: pain and relief, life and death.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“I can think of little else,” he said, finally taking the ring from her and gently, so gently, slipping it onto her finger. “After a just a few days, I find I’ve completely lost my mind over you.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“It terrifies me. But you don’t, and I can’t leave the thought of you alone.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“What little religion did remain in the civil ceremony mirrored what remained among the citizenry: a half-grudging, half-panicked belief in spirits and the movements of the heavens, and a deep, abiding fear of chaos and conflict.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“If the practitioner knows that magic is possible, then the practitioner can change the rules by which the world functions. But that knowing extends beyond belief, extends beyond mere acceptance. Magic must be a part of the practitioner’s every waking moment. It is an altered state of being.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“But the logic is circular. Because the ghosts exist, you’ve proven Augustine can work magic. Because he can work magic, he is the reason for the ghosts. What if it’s something else?” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“The lights guttered out.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“But for just a moment, her reflection looked short, hunched perhaps, and Jane frowned, stepping closer. Her reflection had red eyes.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“The premise of the working of magic,” Dr. Nizamiev said, “is first and foremost that the practitioner believes—that she knows—that it is possible.” ― Caitlin Starling, The Death of Jane Lawrence
“She curled her fingers inside her gloves, wishing she could feel Em’s hand beneath her own. Her shoulders quaked with her quiet crying, and Em said nothing, demanded nothing. Gyre listened to the splashing of her tears against the stone below her, and it felt real. She existed outside the suit, and the suit wasn’t just a mechanical cage. It was Em. No matter what, as long as her computer remained linked to the suit, Gyre wasn’t doing this alone.” ― Caitlin Starling
