Quotes from book
The Goblin Emperor

Name: The Goblin Emperor
Author: Sarah Monette

The Goblin Emperor is a 2014 fantasy novel written by the American author Sarah Monette under the pseudonym Katherine Addison. The novel received the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was nominated for the Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy Awards. It was well received by critics, who noted the strength of the protagonist's characterization and, unusual for fantasy, the work's warm and understated tone.

““It will cause a great many changes.”
“Yes, but one cannot prevent change simply by wishing it not to happen.””

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 22, "The Bridge over the Upazhera" (p. 275)

““We have thought you were too rule-abiding to be a good ruler—a paradox, you see—but perhaps we were wrong.”
“But you're the Witness for the Judiciate!” Maia protested, which made everyone laugh.
"We said rule, not law,” Pashavar said tartly. “There is a difference, Serenity. An emperor who breaks laws is a mad dog and a danger, but an emperor who will never break a rule is nearly as bad, for he will never be able to recognize when a law must be changed.””

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 23, "The Opposition of the Court" (p. 294)

“His mother had been the world to him, and although she had done her best to prepare him, he had been too young to fully understand what death meant—until she was gone, and the great, raw, gaping hole in his heart could not be filled or patched or mended. He looked for her everywhere, even after he had been shown her body—looked and looked and she could not be found.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 4, "The Funeral at the Ulimeire" (p. 48)

“They took silence for assent, as the zealous often do.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 28, "A Letter from Mer Celehar" (p. 383)

“It is not foolish,” Dachensol Polchina agreed. “It is new, which is not the same thing.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 26, "The Clocksmiths and the Corazhas" (p. 359)

“He could tell by the quality of her silence that she did not believe him, but if there was an advantage to being emperor, it was that she could not call him a liar to his face.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 31, "A Conspiracy Unearthed" (p. 434)

“It is the nature of all persons to hold on to power when they have it,” Shulivar said. “Thus it stagnates and becomes clouded, poisonous. Radical action is necessary to free it.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 32, "Shulivar, Bralchenar, and Narchanezhen" (pp. 446-447)

“The oaths were no more than a formal deterrent to troublemaking, but they were better than no deterrent at all.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 8, "The Coronation of Edrehasivar VII" (p. 94)

“He did not entirely believe himself, but he knew he had best pretend he did.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 15, "The Problem of Setheris" (p. 175)

“It will cause a great many changes.”

Sarah Monette book The Goblin Emperor

“Yes, but one cannot prevent change simply by wishing it not to happen.”
Source: The Goblin Emperor (2014), Chapter 22, "The Bridge over the Upazhera" (p. 275)