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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

- Animal Farm by George Orwell

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Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing

- The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

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Veiled songs from distant horns where the tenderness Of the senses embraces the fear of the soul in chords Harmoniously dissonant in their drunkenness

[Des chants voilés de cors lointains où la tendresse Des sens étreint l’effroi de l’âme en des accords Harmonieusement dissonants dans l’ivresse]

- La chanson des Ingénues by Paul Verlaine

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You remember the first day we walked together. You told me about the lovejay, and how it always knows its partner’s song, even if they have been long apart. My heart knows your song, as yours knows mine. And I will always come back to you.

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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Ignorance, the root and stem of every evil.

- Plato

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Hatred is the sincerest form of flattery

- If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

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Hope in the shadow of fear is the world’s greatest motivator

- Scythe by Neal Shusterman

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All the world is a cage in a young girl’s eyes.

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you

- Circe by Madelline Miller

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And that in the firmament, Where the hurricane roams, Roars the thunder Formidably.

[Et qu’au firmament, Où l’ouragan erre, Rugit le tonnerre Formidablement.]

- Marine by Paul Verlaine

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The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

I also learned, from a young age, that I did not walk on the ground - but on a narrow network of invisible ropes, suspended above the earth. I had to navigate them carefully, trying not to slip and fall. Certain aspects of my personality were offensive, it seemed. I had terrible secrets to hide - even I didn’t know what they were.

With a plot that cannot decide what it wants to be until a final reveal that devalues every aspect of the story, the most bland characters ever written and harmful portrayals of mental health, this book not only didn’t rise to expectations but didn’t even attempt to reach for them. A reading experience that will have you turning every page out of confusion and curiosity at how such a mess could possibly come together. An indescribably appalling waste of time.

Read full review here: The Red Shelf of Westmarch

1.25 ★ / 5

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Some truths are safest buried. Some castles best kept in the sky. There’s promise in tales that are yet to be spoken. In the shadows realm, known only to the few.

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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I thought: I cannot bear this world a moment longer. Then, child, make another.

- Circe by Madelline Miller

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We go intertwined, And the day is no more pure Than the depths of our thoughts, And our dreams are azure

[Nous allons entrelacées, Et le jour n’est pas plus pur Que le fond de nos pensées, Et nos rêves sont d’azur]

- La chanson des Ingénues by Paul Verlaine

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He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none

- Circe by Madelline Miller

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Just before his world turned black, he looked toward the sky and saw, at last, the form of death. Death, as it turns out, had wings.

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

[the-red-shelf-of-westmarch]

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

To be kin to a dragon, you must not only have a soul of water. You must have the blood of the sea, and the sea is not always pure. It is not any one thing. There is darkness in it, and danger, and cruelty. It can raze great cities with its rage. Its depths are unknowable; they do not see the touch of the sun. To be a Miduchi is not to be pure, Tané. It is to be the living sea. That is why I chose you. You have a dragon’s heart.

An expansive world and rich story exploring it. Incorporates aspects of mythologies, folklore and mythical “Age of Heroes” from different cultures and traditions, making a unique and diverse world. Magic and dragons mix with court intrigue, international tensions, alchemy and world-spanning adventures at every corner.

Read full review here: Red Shelf of Westmarch

3.25 ★ / 5