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Quote by Catherynne M. Valente

“Some girls have to go to college to discover what they are good at; some are born doing what they must without even truly knowing why. I felt a hole in my heart shaped like a dark door I needed to guard.”

Quote by Catherynne M. Valente

Work

The Fairyland Series

The Fairyland Series is a collection of fantasy novels that delve into a richly detailed magical realm. The series is known for its intricate world-building, featuring diverse creatures, fantastical landscapes, and a complex narrative that intertwines personal journeys with the larger fate of the fairyland. more

Author

Catherynne M. Valente
Catherynne M. Valente

Catherynne M. Valente is an American novelist known for her works in fantasy and science fiction. Born on May 5, 1979, she has made a name for herself with her imaginative storytelling and poetic prose. Valente's writing frequently delves into themes of love, loss, and the human experience within fantastical settings. more

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“Do you suppose you will look the same when you are an old woman as you do now? Most folk have three faces—the face they get when they’re children, the face they own when they’re grown, and the face they’ve earned when they’re old. But when you live as long as I have, you get many more. I look nothing like I did when I was a wee thing of thirteen. You get the face you build your whole life, with work and loving and grieving and laughing and frowning.”

“I don’t want to be a Princess,” she said finally. “You can’t make me be one.” She knew very well what became of Princesses, as Princesses often get books written about them. Either terrible things happened to them, such as kidnappings and curses and pricking fingers and getting poisoned and locked up in towers, or else they just waited around till the Prince finished with the story and got around to marrying her. Either way, September wanted nothing to do with Princessing.”

“Once more September marveled that even the Dodo knew what she wanted to be when she was grown. She simply could not think what she herself might do. September expected that destinies, which is how she thought of professions, simply landed upon one like a crown, and ever after no one questioned or fretted over it, being sure of one’s own use in the world. It was only that somehow her crown had not yet appeared. She did hope it would hurry up.”

“You know, in Fairyland-Above they said that the underworld was full of devils and dragons. But it isn’t so at all! Folk are just folk, wherever you go, and it’s only a nasty sort of person who thinks a body’s a devil just because they come from another country and have different notions. It’s wild and quick and bold down here, but I like wild things and quick things and bold things, too.”