Lucienne

“when she saw the open sky above her, purple in the evening light, she could have cried”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“She had not just altered the fabric of the universe, had not simply rewritten the script. She had torn it, ripped a great gaping hole in the cloth of reality, and set fire to it with the ravenous rage of an uncontrollable god.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“This is what you have to tell yourself," Qara said fiercely. "You have to believe that it was necessary. That it stopped something worse. And even if it wasn't, it's the lie we'll tell ourselves, starting today and every day afterward. You made your choice. There's nothing you can do about it now. It's over.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“She began to burn herself again. She found release in the pain; it was comforting, familiar. It was a trade-off she was well used to. Success required sacrifice. Sacrifice meant pain. Pain meant success.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War