Everina Maxwell > Quotes

“If he couldn't cope with you, then he couldn't have coped with anything [...]. Nobody could want more than who you are.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“Just because it’s not important doesn’t mean it’s not important to someone.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“I don't know where that comes from. You can't be one of my own hallucinations. I haven't thought that.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“I used to be unusable because I was a mess," Tennal said. "Now I've spent time as a ranker and time as an officer, and you know what? Now I'm unusable by choice.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“Jainan,” he said into his fingers. He pulled his hands down until his dark agonized eyes met Jainan’s. “You’re beautiful.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“wasn’t really about facts, it was about people. People were many things, but by and large they weren’t masterminds. They always wanted something. They always had a reason for what they did.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“It's not fair for goats to be in space, sir. They don't know which way is up.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“We have solved your situation for you," Tennal announced grandly.
"You haven't!" Zin said. "You absolutely haven't!"
"We have fucked up the situation," Tennal amended, just as grandly, "in a new and interesting way.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“It's not fair. It's not equal. You have to let things go, over and over and over again. But it's mine, and it's important, and I'm doing what I can.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“He hadn’t considered it might be possible to cause more low-level chaos with a rule book than without.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“Just because someone else is okay doesn’t mean you had to be.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“This is nothing. One more incredibly dumb problem to baffle my therapist with.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“Some things feel the same no matter how much time passes.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Surit worked in a universe of fixed possibilities. Tennal was a chaos event. Surit was drawn to it like a gravity well.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“Society isn't something you can just snap your fingers and change.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“His eyes reflected the light from the hall; behind him, beyond the void, the stars burned in the enduring points; far beyond them, a telescope could have seen the maelstrom of the link, and a million more stars beyond that; and this tiny station spinning around a tiny jeweled planet like the fulcrum of the universe.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Kiem smiled that ridiculous, unfairly stunning smile. "Did I say thank you, by the way? You know, for saving my life. Possibly twice. I must have said thank you."
Jainan just wanted to store that smile in his memory forever. He groped for a reply. "I didn't save your life."
"You did. You fought off a bear."
''That was chance.''
"Fine, play it down," Kiem said. "I'll sell the story to a vidmaker, then you'll see."
The helpless amusement was getting worse. Jainan held his grave face with an effort. "It's hardly vid material."
"It'll star me, falling into a river. In my undershirt. The ratings will be off the charts."
Jainan's felt his face crack into a smile. "I might watch it for that.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“I think,” Jainan said slowly, “that it’s very possible to spend all your energy doing the right thing but still miss something obvious. I think that doesn’t make your effort meaningless.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Y’know, your elbow. ’S perfect.” Jainan shifted his head and made an inquiring noise before he had time to realize that Kiem was still half-asleep, or might even be talking in his sleep. But Kiem woke up further and seemed to take that as a request for clarification. “I mean, probably both your elbows. Can’t see the other one. Everything’s perfect.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“He was talking to the reporters, but he was only looking at Jainan, and his words were only the edges of what he was saying, like the breaking crests of waves on a tide. Jainan didn’t laugh, but only because laughter was no more than a fraction of what he felt. He stepped up and kissed Kiem.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Gender on Iskat was easy: anyone wearing flint ornaments was a woman, wooden ornaments signified a man, and glass—or nothing—meant nonbinary.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“Jainan felt a sudden intense gratitude for Kiem’s existence: for his easygoing manner, for his ability to take everything in his stride, for how he seemed to think Jainan’s opinion was important.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“You’re just standing there smiling,” Tennal said suspiciously.

“Yeah,” Surit said. He didn’t see any reason to hide it now. “You’re here.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“Jainan’s thoughts were transparent and slippery, and every time he tried to face one, it fled.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Structurally unsound,” Jainan said. “Blame the contractors.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“said. “Am I the only one seeing something weird about this? Why didn’t you tell me about the clearance issue before? Why don’t I understand anything that’s going on?”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter's Orbit

“So…” Kiem said. He trailed off. For once he didn’t seem to know the right thing to say. “So,” Jainan echoed. The shadows of the tent wavered. Jainan took his courage into both hands and plunged over the edge. “Come here.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Surit knew his own tendencies, which had nothing to do with gender and everything to do with people who were lightning strikes on dead land.”
― Everina Maxwell, Ocean's Echo

“Jainan stared at the wreckage of the flybug’s dome and empty seat for a full three seconds before he looked farther and saw a dark form lying at the end of a track gouged in the snow. It was suddenly very hard to breathe again. His head must still be hazy, because there didn’t seem to be any time at all between spotting Kiem and kneeling down next to him, shaking so badly he had to stop with his hand an inch from Kiem’s face. Kiem’s eyes were shut. It wouldn’t help to touch him. What would help? Jainan was useless.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit

“Kiem had seen a couple of the Empire’s planets from space—Eisafan, Rtul—but he was prepared to award Thea the prize for first impressions, with a bonus entry for Planet He Might Consider Dating.”
― Everina Maxwell, Winter’s Orbit