Top 120 Michael J. Sullivan Quotes (2026 Update)
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101. “There were times Hadrian wondered if Royce was actually a cat that some mischievous witch had turned into a man and then lost track of. The similarities were too numerous to be coincidental. An irritatingly-superior aloof nature, fastidiousness, a habit of roaming at night, and his general propensity for solitude were all evidence.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

102. “The more you know about the past, the easier it is to divine the future.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

103. “Royce had the hearing of a bat. He could practically listen in on what was happening tomorrow.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

104. “No god, goddess, or spirit would ever inhabit or employ a chicken.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

105. “Every life is a journey filled with crossroads. And then there are the bridges, those truly frightening choices that span what always was, from what will forever be. Finding the courage, or stupidity, to cross such bridges changes everything.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

106. “Mouse?” Royce muttered. “I just can’t seem to get rid of this horse, can I?”

— Michael J. Sullivan

107. “We humans have one advantage: We’re more experienced at loss.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

108. “When going forward doesn’t get you where you need to be, going back will at least keep you moving.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

109. “Alric looked up at the thief with a scowl. “I just want to say for the record that as far as royal protectors go, you’re not very good.” “It’s my first day,” Royce replied dryly.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

110. “Well, I did see The Crown Conspiracy while in Colnora. I found the sets pathetic and the orchestration horrible, but the story was good.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

111. “Sunlight had a way of showing the realities that shadows born of firelight hid. The.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

112. “The dwarf?” Malcolm paused and thought a moment. “Well, I wasn’t referring to him specifically. But now that you bring it up, I should point out that you run the risk of painting a whole race with the same ugly brush, which could have unexpected consequences in the future.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

113. “That was why nights were so frightening. Without the distraction of light, the doors to other senses were unlocked.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

114. “There always seemed to be a better way, except when it came to people. Once broken, people couldn’t be repaired.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

115. “Are you – ” Hadrian began, but stopped. For the first time since their capture, he felt hopeful but thought better of it. He turned to Royce. “Is she being sarcastic? You can usually tell better than I.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

116. “Royce is a survivor. You’ve never seen the beast, and he’s lived his whole life in its stomach, yet managed not to be digested.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

117. “Instructors could teach the basic techniques and methods, but a mastery of mechanical knowledge could never make a person an artist. No one could teach creativity or invention. A spark needed to come from within. It must be something unique, something discovered by the individual, a leap of understanding, a burst of insight, the combining of common elements in an unexpected way.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

118. “That’s what stories are for, Brin realized. They are magic that aid people in times like this. They provide hope, a light to see by when all others are snuffed out.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

119. “Courageous hearts weren’t banned from the breast of women.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

120. “But that’s the result of time, not understanding.” “And yet time allows for understanding, doesn’t it? A boy sees his father as a god, then grows up and realizes he’s flawed, mortal, and foolish. Then he has his own children and discovers his father isn’t foolish at all, but still isn’t a god. Understanding changes the reality of a thing – at least insofar as we perceive it – even if that thing itself doesn’t change.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

121. “The two slept most of the next day, waking only when a boy delivered what he thought might be breakfast, or perhaps lunch, but turned out to be the evening meal. The steaming bowls of vegetable stew and round loaf of brown rye arrived along with a note from Arcadius asking them to visit his office after eating and to do so while being seen by as few students as possible. There was a postscript for Royce explaining it was all right if some students saw them. This was underlined twice.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

122. “Okay, let’s say you’re a cat and Hadrian’s a dog and you want to make him happy. You give him a dead mouse and are surprised when he isn’t thrilled. The problem is that you need to see the world through the eyes of a dog to understand what’s best for him. If you did, you would see that a nice juicy bone would be a better choice, even though to a cat it’s not very appealing.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

123. “Desire can be painful, but so can regret.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

124. “I know nothing about war. But let me tell you what I believe. I think running from responsibility breeds self-loathing and despair. I think people can, and do, rise to the occasion, and even a single person can make an incredible difference. What they need are leaders who believe in them, a belief that gives birth to hope. With hope, people can do remarkable things, amazing things.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

125. “Wouldn’t matter,” Suri said. “Regardless where you’re born, the world has a way of finding you and ruining everything.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

126. “Steep paths build muscles, know-how, and empathy, an easy one, only indifference.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

127. “The sad part is,” Kile went on, “the more we learn, the less magic there is in the world, and the less enchanting life becomes.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

128. “Wars don’t end by deaths,” Malcom added, “but because someone stops killing.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

129. “Royce smiled. “See, you can always count on people doing what is best for themselves.” “Like I did?” Hadrian said. The smile left Royce’s lips. “You’re a freak of nature or the world’s greatest fool. I’m still trying to figure that out.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

130. “Royce reached out and deliberately knocked Hadrian’s mug over, spilling the ale across the end of the table and onto the floor. Hadrian pushed away from the table and looked at Royce, surprised. “What’d you do that for?” “You didn’t get wet, did you?” He had a bemused look on his face. “No.” Royce watched the ale drip off the end of the table for a moment. “That’s because I knew where the ale would go. Besides, I need you sober, because if this fails, we might have to kill a lot of people.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

131. “It’s never good when a tree screams.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

132. “The world’s a miserable place, kid. Give it any chance and it will kill you and not always with a blade or a cough. You know, there’s a reason men prefer to die in battle – living can sometimes be worse.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

133. “Fools believe silence is a void needing to be filled; the wise understand there’s no such thing as silence.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

134. “Just another game he played in a world where heroes were legends and honor was a myth.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

135. “So often I have heard that war is a noble and necessary thing, the answer to many problems. But I have found that when war becomes a reality, peace becomes the noble and necessary thing because there is no problem greater than war.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

136. “When faced with certain death, running is sensible, but I think a man can make an unhealthy habit of it. Running can take on an importance of its own and become an excuse to avoid living a normal life.”

— Michael J. Sullivan

137. “Hadrian was not convinced but knew there was no reason to argue further. Gwen was not the type for debate. Most women he knew invited discussion and even enjoyed arguments, but not Gwen. There was clarity to her thinking that let you know she had already made her own journey to the inevitable conclusion and was just politely waiting there for you to join her. In her own way, she was much like Royce – except for the polite waiting.”

— Michael J. Sullivan