But, how do you know if an ending is truly good for the characters unless you've traveled with them through every page?

Shannon Hale

Categorized in : Character Pages Traveled

She put a wedge beside my heart And then she brought the mallet down She sang no song to guide her work I lost my heart without a sound

sound heart song

He had a dashing smile. It nearly dashed right off his face. by Shannon Hale

He had a dashing smile. It nearly dashed right off his face.

dashing faces

This morning, Tegus welcomed me again with an arm clasp and cheek touch. I wasn't startled this time, and I breathed in at his neck. How can I describe the scent of his skin? He smells something like cinnamon-- brown and dry and sweet and warm. Ancestors, is it wrong for me to imagine laying my head on his chest and closing my eyes and breathing in his smell?

eye morning sweet

I cannot write to anyone outside myself--if I tried, it would be a horrible story, flat and lifeless. I write to myself. That's the only person I'm trying to please.

would-be writing trying

What are you doing?" "Ya!" said Jane, whirling around, her hands held up menacingly. It was Mr. Nobley with coat, hat, and cane, watching her with wide eyes. Jane took several quick (but oh so casual) steps away from Martin's window. "Um, did I just say, 'Ya'?" "You just said 'Ya,'" he confirmed. "If I am not mistaken, it was a battle cry, warning that you were about to attack me. I, uh..." She stopped to laugh. "I wasn't aware until this precise and awkward moment that when startled in a startled in a strange place, my instincts would have me pretend to be a ninja.

strange-places eye hands

Careful with the accusations of insanity, oh my lady whose home is a tower with windows of brick, all for the sake of some skinny-ankled, laugh-prone boy of a khan.

home laughing boys

They finished laughing and caught their breaths, and looked at each other, and Ani thought Geric looked at her too long, as though he forgot he was looking, as though he did not wish to do anything else. She looked back. Her took heart took its time quieting down.

heart laughing long

Yes, we'll yell, 'Help, help us, goose girl, and bring the terrif... by Shannon Hale

Yes, we'll yell, 'Help, help us, goose girl, and bring the terrifying legion of warrior geese'.

warrior girl helping

The first building she reached appeared to be an old barn. Only one young guard stood before its bolted door, staring at her with wide eyes, holding up his sword in defense, She heated his sword and he dropped it, his expression barely changing, as if he had been expecting that. She held up her two swords to his throat, but they were two heavy, so she dropped one and held the other with both hands. "Where are the two Bayern boys kept?" The soldier shook his head. BURN HIM, prompted the fire. The excitement of burning was simmering in her, heating her up for more action.

eye boys two

... and with my last thought I felt some real sympathy for those... by Shannon Hale

... and with my last thought I felt some real sympathy for those poor chickens.

poor lasts real

I let my head fall back, and I gazed into the Eternal Blue Sky. It was morning. Some of the sky was yellow, some the softest blue. One small cloud scuttled along. Strange how everything below can be such death and chaos and pain while above the sky is peace, sweet blue gentleness. I heard a shaman say once, the Ancestors want our souls to be like the blue sky.

pain morning sweet

They laughed much harder than the memory was funny because it fel... by Shannon Hale

They laughed much harder than the memory was funny because it felt good to laugh.

harder laughing memories

He did a very good impression of a stone column. by Shannon Hale

He did a very good impression of a stone column.

columns impression stones

His brothers could tease him about his height or the number of scars he was collecting on his body. He could take the joke when they said he would die having never won a fair wrestling match. But the topic of Bettin still smarted too much. He'd imagined being with her always. Now when he closed his eyes, he had trouble imagining anything else.

eye brother wrestling

Ah, now, don't cry over lost years and forgetfulness. The tales tell what they can. The rest is for us to learn.

cry lost years

Isi, I’m trying to say that you’ve been… no, you’re so, you’re–” He stopped. "You are,” he said. His hand found hers, and he held her finger tightly, as though he did not dare to do any more than hold her one hand, and look at her, and breathe deeply.

trying hands looks

I'm the sheen on water, Rin thought. I'm a looking glass. I'm not... by Shannon Hale

I'm the sheen on water, Rin thought. I'm a looking glass. I'm not real.

glasses real water

A heart's a heart, in a child or a man. You are tougher than you feel right now. Your roots are deep, your canopy's spread wide. You're going to show everyone what it means to be a king.

kings heart children

It was a pleasure, Enna, Finn, tree rat." "Did she just call you... by Shannon Hale

It was a pleasure, Enna, Finn, tree rat." "Did she just call you tree rat?

pleasure rats tree

Uge, save me from the sauce of their loveyness-raso Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Uge, save me from the sauce of their loveyness-raso Forest Born

born sauce forests