Jonathan Stroud

A dozen more questions occurred to me. Not to mention twenty-two possible solutions to each one, sixteen resulting hypotheses and counter-theorems, eight…

— Jonathan Stroud

Much has happened since last we met, Bartimaeus," he went on. "Do you remember how we parted?" "No." I did. "You set…

— Jonathan Stroud

Pardon me, Highness, a women waits whithout." "Whithout what?

— Jonathan Stroud

“Patience is the prime virtue. If you hurry, you will fail. And failure is painful. You must always relax and concentrate on…

— Jonathan Stroud

“Mr Lockwood, you've impressed a lot of people over the years. Personally, I expected you to be ghost-touched long ago, but your…

— Jonathan Stroud

I had a big fight in my first week in secondary school. There was a kid in the year above who was…

— Jonathan Stroud

Literature offers the thrill of minds of great clarity wrestling with the endless problems and delights of being human. To engage with…

— Jonathan Stroud

Believe me, I know all about bottle acoustics. I spent much of the sixth century in an old sesame oil jar, corked…

— Jonathan Stroud

“Mum’s dead.” “I’m sorry,” Lockwood said. A shrug of bony shoulders. “The good news is, she hasn’t risen again. So far.” There…

— Jonathan Stroud

Minor magicians take pains to fit this traditional wizardly bill. By contrast, the really powerful magicians take pleasure in looking like accountants.

— Jonathan Stroud

“Okay...' I hurried on. 'But why me?' 'You're a girl,' Lockwood called. 'Aren't you supposed to be more sensitive?' 'To emotions, yes.…

— Jonathan Stroud

Zealots: Wild eyed persons afflicted with incurable certainty about the workings of the world, a certainty that can lead to violence when…

— Jonathan Stroud

I read a bit of the Icelandic sagas. They're fascinating in that they are completely ordinary. The farmer will go off into…

— Jonathan Stroud

“Looks?” the skull said. “Who cares about that? It’s superficial. Outward appearance doesn’t interest me at all. Why do you think I…

— Jonathan Stroud

“The caretaker was certainly very ancient, a tight and desiccated thing from which all softness and moisture had long since been extracted.”

— Jonathan Stroud

“This guy’s a drag.” I spoke under my breath. “He sure is.” “Know what I suggest?” “Yep. And the answer’s no. I’m…

— Jonathan Stroud

“When you go out hunting wicked spirits, it's the simple things that matter most. The silvered point of your rapier flashing in…

— Jonathan Stroud

It's the same with spirit guises; show me a sweet little choirboy or a smiling mother and I'll show you the hideous…

— Jonathan Stroud

He was transfixed at the sight of the lords and ladies of his realm running about like demented chickens.

— Jonathan Stroud

“I am Bartimaeus! I am Sakhr al-Jinni, N’gorso the Mighty, and the Serpent of Silver Plumes! I have rebuilt the walls of…

— Jonathan Stroud

“Freedom is an illusion. It always comes at a price. Thinking”

— Jonathan Stroud

“Stanley went on, "highly dangerous, fanatical and additictied to violence'- Blimey Fred, is it your mother writing this? They seem to know…

— Jonathan Stroud

“Do you trust me?' the skull said. ... 'Yes,' I said. 'Sort of.' 'Then break the bloody glass.”

— Jonathan Stroud

As a child I was really into fantasy books with elves and goblins and swords, and I went through a phase for…

— Jonathan Stroud

“Here we go," the Skull sighed. "Cue crisis!”

— Jonathan Stroud