Django Wexler

Django Wexler is an American fantasy author.

Quotes

The Forbidden Library series

The Forbidden Library (2014)

All page numbers are from the hardcover first edition published by Kathy Dawson Books, ISBN 978-0-8037-3975-8, 1st printing

Italics as in the book

• At that age, Alice had grasped the idea that some things in books were real, and others were not.
  • Chapter 1, “The Fairy” (p. 6)

• After the cousins came the accountants, who were more open in their appraisals and didn’t bother with Alice at all, and after the accountants, like a Biblical plague building up to a big finish, came the lawyers.
  • Chapter 2, “Mr. Pallworthy” (p. 16)

• He was, of course, cheating her, that was what lawyers were for.
  • Chapter 2, “Mr. Pallworthy” (p. 19)

• But—though she was not an expert on cats—she was fairly certain that they did not, as a rule, snicker.
  • Chapter 5, “The Library’s Library” (p. 60)

• “Patience, my friend.”
  “I’m not your friend. And I’m not patient.”
  • Chapter 5, “The Library’s Library” (p. 66)

• Some things are more important than following the rules.
  Aren’t they?
  • Chapter 6, “Sneaking Out” (p. 71)

• In desperation, she slid her fingers in the cracks between blocks, looking for some kind of catch or hidden mechanism. Which was ridiculous, she thought, because how complicated could a secret door be if a cat figured it out?
  • Chapter 6, “Sneaking Out” (p. 75)

• “You’re a cat,” she said automatically.
  “Your powers of perception are astounding,” the cat drawled. “Although I feel obliged to point out, in the interests of ontological exactitude, that I am in fact only half cat. Personally, though, I have always considered it the better half.”
  • Chapter 6, “Sneaking Out” (p. 77)

• “What do you see here?”
  “Books?”
  “Indeed, books. They are the ocean in which magic swims.”
  • Chapter 11, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (p. 139)

• Magic, you’ll find, is nine parts dull to one part excitement, and the exciting bits usually hurt like the blazes.
  • Chapter 13, “The Eyes of a Wizard” (p. 159)

• “I still say they’re creepy,” Ashes said.
  “I don’t think you get to decide what’s creepy,” Alice said. “You’re a talking cat. You’re creepy. This whole place is creepy.”
  • Chapter 14, “A Second Chance at a First Impression” (p. 169)

• The sum total of Alice’s medical knowledge was that blood was supposed to stay on the inside.
  • Chapter 26, “Hunted” (p. 328)

• “When you’re as old as I am,” Ending said, “one’s nature is largely a product of habit.”
  • Chapter 28, “A Bit of Blackmail” (p. 357)

The Mad Apprentice (2015)

All page numbers are from the hardcover first edition published by Kathy Dawson Books, ISBN 978-0-8037-3976-5, 1st printing

Italics as in the book

• But it’s not justice that they’re mostly concerned with, it’s division of the loot.
  • Chapter 4, “Unexpected News” (p. 61)

• “But didn’t that hurt?”
  Dex shrugged. “Pain is an illusion. The body is only a clay vessel holding the immortal essence of the soul, so it is a mistake to attach any import to the difficulties it may encounter. In fact, the whole episode reinforced my fundamental understanding of—“ She caught Alice’s expression. “Yes. It hurt quite a lot.”
  • Chapter 6, “The Gang's All Here” (p. 76)

The Palace of Glass (2016)

All page numbers are from the hardcover first edition published by Kathy Dawson Books, ISBN 978-0-8037-3978-9, 1st printing

Italics as in the book

• “Well?” the cat said. “Are we going to walk all the way there?”
  “You’re going to get fat if you keep being so lazy.”
  “You say that like it’s a bad thing. For cats, being fat that just means that you’re winning.”
  • Chapter 3, “Writing Lessons” (p. 34)

• The more he didn’t know, she reasoned, the easier he would be to fool.
  • Chapter 3, “Writing Lessons” (p. 35)

• I must say, you are the least unintelligent human I have ever met.
  • Chapter 18, “The Palace of Glass” (p. 205)

• Of course, where magic is involved, appearances don’t mean much.
  • Chapter 18, “The Palace of Glass” (p. 207)

• “We’re doomed,” one of the sprites said, turning wildly in a circle as though excited at the prospect. “Doomed! Doomed!”
  • Chapter 23, “Lighting a Beacon” (p. 269)

• “You’re mad,” he said. “You’ve gone mad. There’s no two ways about it.”
  “Your mother was the one who helped me,” Alice said.
  “Then she’s gone mad too.”
  • Chapter 23, “Lighting a Beacon” (pp. 273-274)

• “You know, you could be a bit more constructive,” Alice said.
  “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the magnitude of your insanity,” the cat muttered. “Once I’ve got that handled, I’ll get started on the mind-numbing terror.”
  • Chapter 23, “Lighting a Beacon” (p. 274)

• “You’re not very loyal,” Isaac said as Alice took his hand.
  “Loyalty,” Ashes sniffed, “is for dogs. Cats have better sense.”
  • Chapter 24, “Assault” (p. 281)

• Alice scooped the cat into her arms and planted a kiss on his fuzzy forehead.
  “What was that for?” Ashes sputtered. “What have I ever done to deserve that?”
  “I wanted to say thank you,” Alice said, putting him on the ground. “For everything.”
  “Yes, well. Far be it from me to dispute my own heroism,” Ashes muttered. “But proper thanks should involve tuna.”
  • Chapter 29, “Declaration of War” (p. 346)

The Fall of the Readers (2017)

All page numbers are from the hardcover first edition published by Kathy Dawson Books, ISBN 978-0-399-53920-6, 1st printing

Italics as in the book

• “There’s this thing called dignity that some cats have been known to have. You might want to look into it.”
  “A cat is always dignified, no matter what position he finds himself in,” Ashes said. “A half-cat even more so.”
  • Chapter 6, “Council of War” (p. 56)

• Ashes looked around at the palm trees, the perfect ocean, and the immaculate beach.
  “Ugh,” he said. “I’m in hell.”
  • Chapter 8, “The Azure Sea” (p. 74)

• Michael cleared his throat. “You’ve never had a dog, Alice?”
  Alice shook her head. “My father didn’t like them.”
  “They’re not like cats,” the boy said. “You give them commands.”
  “Because they lack all dignity,” said Ashes under his breath.
  • Chapter 8, “The Azure Sea” (p. 75)

• It was a bit like trying to tie both shoelaces at once, one with each hand.
  • Chapter 9, “Edge of the Labyrinth” (p. 92)

• Maybe that’s wisdom, seeing things that are obvious.
  • Chapter 10, “Pebbles on the Beach” (p. 101)

• “I wouldn’t try it,” Alice said. “They’re bigger than you are.”
  “They’re all wing,” he said dismissively. “Believe me. Large birds are the natural prey of the cat.”
  “Maybe once they’ve been roasted and carved,” Alice said. Ashes snorted.
  • Chapter 10, “Pebbles on the Beach” (p. 103)

• “I apologize for Ashes,” Alice said to Michael. “He’s a cat, and—” She paused, and decided that seemed like a complete description. “He’s a cat.”
  • Chapter 12, “Cheese Slicer” (p. 121)

• They have servants. I’d rather have friends.
  • Chapter 13, “A Feast” (p. 129)

• “Don’t tell me this is about protecting humanity,” Alice said. “None of you cares one bit about the people in the real world. This is about power, just as it always has been. You’re afraid of losing a little bit of power.”
  • Chapter 16, “The Center of the Labyrinth” (p. 167)

• “He saved me, I saved him,” Alice said. “The usual, really. What else are friends for?”
  “If you ask me,” the cat said, “friends ought to keep you out of situations where you need saving.”
  • Chapter 25, “The World Come Undone” (p. 266)

• The truth can be useful, sometimes. Assuming you can convince people.
  • Chapter 27, “The Boneyard” (p. 292)

• “They were pretty friendly, for dancing skeletons,” Isaac said, waving after them.
  “If I’ve learned one thing,” Alice said, “it’s not to judge by appearances.”
  • Chapter 28, “Revelation” (p. 299)

• ‘‘This isn’t some stupid storybook where the underdog wins in the end. This is the real world. The strongest do what they want, and everyone else has to live with it. Or”—she glanced significantly at Isaac—“not.”
  • Chapter 30, “Return to the Grand Labyrinth” (p. 323)

• “Ashes, how did you do it?”
  “I’d like to say it was all my own talent, but cats are naturally modest.”
  • Chapter 31, “One Last Time” (p. 329)

• “The strongest don’t always get what they want,” she said to Ending. “Not when the weak can work together.”
  • Chapter 31, “One Last Time” (p. 331)