John G. Hemry

John G. Hemry (LCDR, USN ret.; born April 14, 1956), is an American author of military science fiction, as well as fantasy. Most of his works have been published under the nom de plume Jack Campbell.

No page numbers, as all quotes are from the e-book edition published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, ISBN 978-1-62567-119-6

Italics as in the book

• It’s like forbidding horses to learn algebra. What’s the point?
  • Chapter 9

• Sometimes denying reality is all that keeps a person going, isn’t it?
  • Chapter 10

• He may be a Mage, but he’s also a guy, so he has to have plenty of stuff wrong with him.
  • Chapter 12

• “Should we tell them about these abrasions, or do they already know everything that needs to be known?”
  The other Mechanic rolled his eyes. “You know the type, I guess. Go through the motions of researching the problem when they’ve already decided what the problem is and what they’re going to do.”
  “I usually end up having problems with Mechanics like that.”
  “Don’t we all.”
  • Chapter 12

• How did the other Mechanics miss this? Or maybe they didn’t. Maybe they chose to miss it. Maybe they didn’t see anything that didn’t match their own predetermined theories.
  • Chapter 12

• Perhaps that is the only wisdom there really is, young Mage: that our choices matter.
  • Chapter 13

• The hardest part of being in my Guild is having so many rules and restrictions and people telling me what to do. Some of the rules make sense. You can see why they’re necessary. But a lot of other rules feel like they’re just there because someone wanted to control Mechanics who were lower in rank.
  • Chapter 14

No page numbers, as all quotes are from the e-book edition published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, ISBN 978-1-625671-32-5

• “We really have to work on your social skills.”
  “What are social skills?”
  “They’re…um…how people avoid saying what they really think.”
  • Chapter 5

• “It does not appear to be too difficult,” Alain agreed. “But I remember being cautioned that maps carry their own illusions, often making appear simple a journey which is actually far more difficult in practice.”
  • Chapter 7

• I believe that we are given choices, places where decisions may be made to walk one road or another. We do not know what provides these choices, but we may call it destiny to give a name to that which is unknowable. Destiny offers the choices, but we choose the road.
  • Chapter 8

• I’m not one of those fools who think that by ignoring reality you can make it go away.
  • Chapter 12

• Maybe what this world needs is someone who won’t do whatever they think is necessary to make things be the way they want.
  • Chapter 12

• Those who study legends never expect to actually meet one.
  • Chapter 17

No page numbers, as all quotes are from the e-book edition published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, ISBN 978-1-62567-134-9

• I wonder if every group of managers who becomes used to being in charge, who is dedicated to nothing more than keeping things the same and themselves in power, ends up acting in the same ways even if they use different justifications? They don’t want anyone questioning their decisions or their authority.
  • Chapter 4

• “No one else could be just like you,” Alain said.
  “That had better be a compliment, but even if it isn’t I have to admit you’re probably right.”
  • Chapter 7

• “How will we do all these things? What is the plan?”
  “The plan?” Mari hesitated. “We don’t really have a plan. We’ll have to improvise.”
  “Improvise?”
  “That means making things up as you go along,” Mari explained.
  “But you told me earlier today that we need to have a plan before we begin anything complicated,” Alain objected.
  “Yes, I did, but— Fine. Our plan is to improvise.”
  • Chapter 8

• “You blame your mother for your nightmares?”
  “Why not? That’s what mothers are for. Daughters blame them for their problems.”
  • Chapter 9

• Alain realized that Mari looked unusually attractive when she was contemplating the results of major sabotage she had committed against people trying to imprison her. That probably ought to concern him, but it did not.
  • Chapter 9

• “Oh. Mari has a temper?”
  “In the same way that the sea has water, yes.”
  • Chapter 10

• I think an unquestioned sense of entitlement and superiority is more likely to make someone inferior in spirit. No one should be certain that they are better than everyone else.
  • Chapter 13

• “You know so much,” Mari said softly. “You have kept so much knowledge safe. And yet there is still so much more to learn.”
  Coleen smiled. “Those things are the definition of happiness for a librarian. That and sharing the knowledge we have.”
  • Chapter 14