Mull Quotes & Sayings

If we can expect another journey tomorrow, we should secure horses," Ferrin went on. "And if the sun will be shining, perhaps a goat for Aram."
"Keep it up," Aram dared him through clenched teeth.
"Is a goat too large and unruly?" Ferrin asked? "Maybe we should saddle a raccoon."
"Odd how these taunts tend to fade after sundown," Aram growled, taking a large bite of bread.
"But a new day always dawns," Ferrin replied. "And we can all use some entertainment."
Aram glowered. "Then perhaps tonight I should pull you apart and let the others puzzle you back together."
"That's the spirit!" Ferrin applauded. "Taunt back! I get the sense you've seldom had to deal with ridicule."
Aram appeared to be resisting a pleased little smile. — Brandon Mull

It's hard to decide if TV makes morons out of everyone, or if it mirrors Americans who really are morons to begin with. — Martin Mull

Most of you will probably never really discover anything. You may not contribute anything to the great equations that describe the universe to the world. But you will have the good fortune of encountering people of exceptional intelligence. People who are much smarter than you. Never get in their way, never group together in disgruntled circles and play games. Respect talent, real talent. Worship it. Clever people will always be disliked. Don't exploit that to crawl your way to the top. By the laws of probability most of you are mediocre. Accept it. The tragedy of mediocrity is that even mediocre people shake their heads and mull over how "standards are falling". So don't mull. Just know when you've to get out of the way. Most of you will be sideshows, extras in the grand unfolding of truth. That's all right. Once you accept that and let the best brains do their jobs, you will have done your service to science and mankind. — Manu Joseph

In order to be good, you must recognize the difference between right and wrong and strive to choose the right. To be truly evil you must do the contrary. Being good or evil is a choice. — Brandon Mull

Your attempt was valiant, but the fight was unfair. He was a seasoned warrior, fully armored. You were a lad with a short sword. You have a brave heart. That can be more important than size or strength. — Brandon Mull

Brandon's greatest regret is that he has but one life to give for Gondor. — Brandon Mull

Jason decided not to add that the best way to get him to focus on something was to tell him not to think about it. — Brandon Mull

Don't let the brownies bite. — Brandon Mull

The comforts of life as a fugitive," Drake sighed. "Stumbling about in the dark without mounts. — Brandon Mull

Fablehaven's awesome!!so is the candy shop war! — Brandon Mull

The Rat, meanwhile, was busy examining the label on one of the beer-bottles. "I perceive this to be Old Burton," he remarked approvingly. "Sensible Mole! The very thing! Now we shall be able to mull some ale. Get the things ready, Mole, while I draw the corks." — Kenneth Grahame

If the real world is orange juice, then art is like orange-juice concentrate. — Martin Mull

It is not like studying German, where you mull along, in a groping, uncertain way, for thirty years; and at last, just as you think you've got it, they spring the subjunctive on you, and there you are. No- and I see now plainly enough, that the great pity about the German language is, that you can't fall off it and hurt yourself. There is nothing like that feature to make you attend strictly to business. — Mark Twain

The man unwilling to brave the test has already shown himself to be much more craven than the man who fails. — Brandon Mull

What's the dog called?"Jason asked. "Feraclestinius Androbrelium Pathershin the Seventh." "No, I meant his entire name. — Brandon Mull

Any cyclist will tell you that one of the things they value most about cycling is what it does for their heads. It cleans out the clutter. Cycling allows for reflection. It simultaneously offers time to mull over problems and to escape those problems. It's both meditative and contemplative. Whether you're weaving through traffic or climbing a long country road, the effect is the same. Your body's working, and your mind is working. And when those two things start working in concert, other aspects of life can start falling into place too. — BikeSnobNYC

Music helps set a romantic mood. Imagine her surprise when you say, "We don't need a stereo - I have an accordion." — Martin Mull

Can you see the power emotion has to distort our outlook? Makes you wonder, did you have a bad day, or did you make it a bad day. — Brandon Mull

The only furniture in the dank space was a flimsy cot. Water dripped steadily in one corner. A hole in the floor appeared to serve as a latrine. What most caught Kendra's eye were the messages scratched on the wall. She roamed the cell, reading the crudely inscribed phrases.

"Seth rules!

Welcome to Seth's House.

Seth rocks!

Seth was here. Now it's your turn.

Seth Sorenson forever.

Enjoy the food!

If you're reading this, you can read.

All roads lead to Seth.

Is it still dripping?

Seth haunts these halls.

You're in a Turkish prison!

Seth is the man!

Use the meal mats as toilet paper." And so forth.

Cold, hopeless, and alone, Kendra found herself giggling at the messages her brother had scrawled. He must have been so bored! — Brandon Mull

An unread book does nobody any good. Stories happen in the mind of a reader, not among symbols printed on a page. — Brandon Mull

Her smile was genuine-looking and later he would mull her question over and over in his head until it mushroomed into something larger. — Anthony Doerr

A reader of The Unspeakables recently contacted me. She said she had become so engrossed with the paperback she'd taken it to the top of a Munro whilst climbing on the Isle of Mull. I'm delighted to have three-dimensional circulation as well. — Peter F. Jemison

What has three heads, six arms, and half a brain?" Three asked. One and Two answered in unison. "Nate Sutter. — Brandon Mull

Each human being has significant potential for light and darkness," Grandpa continued. "Over a lifetime, we get a lot of practice leaning toward one or the other. Having made different choices, a renowned hero could have been a wretched villain. — Brandon Mull

Rolling flat onto his back, Drake shuddered. Then he inhaled deeply. He stared up at the night sky. "We're going to win," he said, his voice calmer, less strained. "This is nothing. Keep going. They can't stop us. Jason, give Rachel the necklace. Tell her ... tell her I'm sorry. Tell her ... I wanted ... to show her ... my little valley. Tell her I tried."
His voice was growing weak. Farfalee smoothed a hand over his brow. "Shhh," she whispered. "Be still, Drake. You can rest now. You did it. Rest. We'll take it from here."
"Failie," he whispered, his hand twitching toward the back of his neck with little jerks. "Where's my seed?" His head tipped sideways. The breath went out of him. — Brandon Mull

Wasn't that awesome?" Seth asked.
Warren cocked his head, his expression mildly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Kendra
it was pretty cool."
"All boys belong in insane asylums," Kendra said. — Brandon Mull

There are no insect eggs in my food." Mrs. White reiterated.
You should use that in your advertising," Nate suggested. — Brandon Mull

The bear would have to be stopped," Grandma agreed. "Stan is just making the distinction that you wouldn't blame the bear the same way you would blame a responsible person. — Brandon Mull

When you have to jump, you jump. — Brandon Mull

Stupidity was when you took risks for no good reason. Courage was when you took a calculated risk in order to accomplish something important. Had — Brandon Mull

Have to get to Shoreless Isle? You'll have to go back in time from there, right? — Brandon Mull

If we might be able to save this world, how can we walk away? Too many people around here have given up! Galloran said heroes sacrifice for causes; they do things that others hide from. I may not be some great hero, but I won't hide from this. I would never live with myself. — Brandon Mull

You can't fully prepare. You do your best to acquire diverse skills. You try to learn from your successes and mistakes over the years. You try to assemble a team with varied talents and expertise. Mostly, you strive to stay calm enough to think clearly even under extreme pressure. You try to use the adrenaline for focus rather than panic. You stay on your toes, ready to improvise. And you hope for the best. — Brandon Mull

Instead of testing a new idea or tool, "paralysis by analysis" takes hold. We overanalyze new options, mull over all of the things we don't know, think about how students will react, and then we don't act! — Matt Miller

Seth put his ear against the door. "I can't hear anything."
"There are probably ten of them patiently waiting on the far side, ready to pounce."
Brownies are shrimps. All I'd need are some heavy boots, a pair of shin guards, and a weed whacker."
The image made Kendra giggle. — Brandon Mull

Imagination can take you Places....READ — Brandon Mull

He recalled Galloran stating that being a hero meant doing what was right regardless of the consequences. The thought sent a thrill through him. Galloran had been in this same situation and had made the right choice. Jason felt less alone. Malodor had claimed that his opponents had no heroes among them. But Galloran was proof to the contrary. And Jason would be evidence as well. p. 420 — Brandon Mull

Show business is just like high school, except you get paid. — Martin Mull

I, Galloran, master of this castle, rightful heir to the throne at Trensicourt, dub thee Lord Jason of Caberton, herby transmitting all rights and priveleges befitting a nobleman of rank and title."
Jason arose, moved by the simple ceremony despite the Blind King's ruined castle, raspy voice, and tarnished crown.
"What about me?" Rachel asked testily.
"You can be my cook," Jason said, unable to resist. — Brandon Mull

Say no to death pies. Another good motto. — Brandon Mull

The town where I grew up has a zip code of E-I-E-I-O. — Martin Mull

I have an evening dress, pink mull over silk (I'm perfectly beautiful in that), and a blue church dress, and a dinner dress of red veiling with Oriental trimming (makes me look like a Gipsy), and another of rose-coloured challis, and a grey street suit, and an every-day dress for classes. That wouldn't be an awfully big wardrobe for Julia Rutledge Pendleton, perhaps, but for Jerusha Abbott - Oh, my! — Jean Webster

I think we should probably get Vanessa out of the Quiet Box to help us. What do you guys say?'
'Absolutely,' Newel affirmed. 'Best idea I've heard all day.'
'I'll second that,' Doren said gladly.
Seth gave the satyrs a doubtful scowl. 'Wait a minute. You guys just think she's pretty.'
'I've been around a long time,' Newel said. 'Vanessa Santoro is not jut pretty.'
'He's right,' Doren agreed. 'She's walking dynamite. My pulse is rising just talking about her.'
'She also might be a traitor,' Seth stressed.
'The lethal temptress,' Newel said with relish. 'Even better.'
'It will definitely spice up the adventure,' Doren encouraged.
'I'm obviously talking to wrong guys,' Seth sighed.
'Believe me,' Newel said cockily. 'you're talking to the right guys. We've been chasing babes since the world was flat.'
Seth rolled his eyes. — Brandon Mull

Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but the head cut her off. — Brandon Mull

The society killed Kendra.
...
Don't mention it to Verl. He might dive into a chasm. — Brandon Mull

I sometimes question whether I'm even an artist or just a painter. — Martin Mull

Only two towers remained standing, one of which was so crooked and damaged it looked ready to topple at a cough from a butterfly. — Brandon Mull

In his writings, Patton was shameless about his ambition to woo Lena to be his bride. He detailed the gradual progress he made, playing music for her on his violin, writing her poems, beguiling her with stories, engaging her in conversation. It was clear that he obsessed over her. He knew what he wanted and never relented until she was his. — Brandon Mull

No matter how hard I try, there's a cynical corner of my mind where everything is an act. People are game pieces. Information is currency. — Brandon Mull

She (Rachel) pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Don't give up."
"There goes my plan."
"I'm serious. Even if things look bad, find a way to win. Find it."
"You too," Jason urged. "Within reason. Don't try some huge Edomic command and blow yourself to pieces."
"There goes my plan."
"You stole my line. — Brandon Mull

Do us all a favor and toss your mouth overboard. — Brandon Mull

You're free to dream however you wish," Nollin teased. "But don't ask the rest of us to share your unrealistic - "
"Then don't ask us to share your weakness!" Jason interrupted. — Brandon Mull

A bar of gold means much more to a pauper than to a king — Brandon Mull

The tragedy of mediocrity is that even mediocre people shake their heads and mull over how standard are falling.
- Serious Men — Manu Joseph

You've pulled off some shocking upsets in the past, but only a fool would bet on you this time. So I will. — Brandon Mull

Patience mimics the power of infinity. — Brandon Mull

Laughing, Bracken threw his sword aside and extended a hand towards the wizard. "To me," he said ... The unicorn horn lept from the wizard's hand and streaked to Bracken, who caught it effortlessly. In his grasp the horn immediately transformed into a sword ... — Brandon Mull

For anything worth accomplishing, we can always find reasons to doubt, just as we can also find reasons to proceed ... I have chosen to side with faith and hope over doubt and despair. — Brandon Mull

Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others. — Brandon Mull

You and I move through time like a flame on a string. The ashes behind are the past, consumed, unreachable. The string ahead is the future. But the only moment we inhabit, the only moment where we can act, is the present, the point where the flame burns, the point where time touches eternity. — Brandon Mull

Being butchered by monkeys is pretty low on my list of ways to go. — Brandon Mull

Before Five Kingdoms is complete, I will begin work on the sequel series to my Fablehaven books. It will be called Dragonwatch. I'm excited to share more stories about the characters of Fablehaven including Kendra, Seth, Newel, Doren, Warren, Bracken, Vanessa, Raxtus, etc. If you're liking Five Kingdoms but haven't tried Fablehaven, you should get to know those people! If you'd like to connect — Brandon Mull

We all posses different gifts and abilities. How we use those gifts determines who we are. — Brandon Mull

Josey shook her head, thinking, if Della Lee were a candy, she would be a SweeTart. Not the hard kind that broke your teeth, the chewy kind, the kind you had to work on and mull over, your eyes watering and your lips turning up into a smile you didn't want to give. — Sarah Addison Allen

It took my year in England to make me realize how much I had been simply treading water, settling on surviving and avoiding pain rather than being actively involved in and seeking out life. The chance to escape from the reminders of illness and death, from a hectic life, and from clinical and teaching responsibilities was not unlike my earlier year as an undergraduate in St. Andrews: it gave me a semblance of peace that had eluded me, and a place of my own to heal and mull, but most important to heal. England did not have the Celtic, magical quality of St. Andrews - nothing, I suppose, ever could for me - but it gave me back myself again, gave me back my high hopes of life. And it gave me back, my belief in love. — Kay Redfield Jamison

Vannessa wasn't wrong. — Brandon Mull

Cleansing. An occasional foray into negative emotions makes feeling normal that much sweeter." "He's right, I feel great — Brandon Mull

Then I'm going?" Kendra asked. The adults in the room exchanged tacit glances before nodding. Then we only have one more problem left to discuss," Seth said. Everyone turned to him. How do I get invited — Brandon Mull

A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Although any person could fit that description, very few do. Choose this day to be one of them. — Brandon Mull

Fantasy leaves imaginations larger than it finds them. — Brandon Mull

Telling that guy a secret is like writing it across the sky — Brandon Mull

Running toward danger is foolhardy ... But so is closing your eyes to it. Many perils become less dangerous once you understand their potential hazards. — Brandon Mull

This surpassed the fear of death. Death would be a mercy if it would make the feeling stop, the uncontrollable panic mingling with the mind-scrambling certainty of something sinister approaching, something with no need to hurry, something that would not be so kind as to let him die. The fear was palpable, suffocating, irresistible. — Brandon Mull

Forgive my brother," Camira apologized. "We don't normally let him out of his cage when guests are present. — Brandon Mull

I will not know that day has come because I will not stop trying. — Brandon Mull

I've been thinking." She pretended to mull the question over. "What if I decided to go flying around the galaxy with some scoundrel?" Han raised his eyebrows and pointed toward his own chest. Leia laughed. "Unless you had another scoundrel in mind." "Hey, hey. I'm the only scoundrel up for the job." He shook his head in - surprise? Disbelief? Leia wasn't sure. What mattered most was the warmth in his smile. Even if Han wasn't convinced she intended to do this, he liked the idea. Down — Claudia Gray

The last thing we need is a giant magical cow running around loose. It could be total mayhem. — Brandon Mull

What'll you do if you can't find a way to cure him?" Seth asked.
Dale paused. "I'll never know that day has come, because I'll never stop trying. — Brandon Mull

You have been spying all along," Conrad said, unconvinced. "The manhunt for you was a ruse."
"Check with the emperor," Ferrin replied coolly.
... "That will not take long," said a man in the corner, studiously picking at a fingernail with a small knife. He raised his head, wavy gray hair framing his pallid face. He wore a long coat of brown leather.
"Torvic!" Ferrin called, the exuberance hollow. "I hadn't seen you over there. Still in touch directly with Felrook? You know, to come clean, I haven't brought Maldor in on my plan yet, so it might be of little use to bother him at this juncture. — Brandon Mull

All who oppose me must be broken! — Brandon Mull

The only thing that would make her jealous would be if I led a parade riding a unicorn while ballerinas sang love songs. — Brandon Mull

I don't jog. It makes the ice jump right out of my glass. — Martin Mull

But you don't need to understand everything about a world to live in it. — Brandon Mull

Agreements. Specifically, a treaty ratified by all the orders of whimsical like forms who dwell here that affords a measure of security for mortal caretakers. In a world where mortal man has become the dominant force, most creatures of enchantment have fled to refuges like this one. — Brandon Mull

The most important thing is insight, that is to be - curious - to wonder, to mull, and to muse why it is that man does what he does. — William Faulkner

I guess Smart Seth is glad, he said reluctantly. But be careful. Idiot Seth is the guy to watch out for. — Brandon Mull

He was being really cute and funny. Then he moved in close. I was terrified - I mean, I hardly know him, but it was also sort of exciting. Until we actually kissed.
Kendra, he had dog breath. — Brandon Mull

The good stupid is the brave kind. When there's a real reason behind. Bad stupid is everything else. — Brandon Mull

Nothing matters more than what happens in our minds," Trillian said. "Your experiences in what you consider your real life in the real world only exist in your mind and in the minds of others. The mind is everything. And dreams are the playground of the mind. — Brandon Mull

Want a reliable road to emotional and spiritual suicide? Spend your life trying to fit in. — Brandon Mull

I was involved in the Great Folk Music scare back in the sixties, when it almost caught on. — Martin Mull

Early to bed, early to rise," Ziggy said. "Early or late, — Brandon Mull

The pendulum swings between Light and Darkness — Brandon Mull

Ew, sicko. I was practicing Edomic."
"Sure you were," Jason said. "You're just too embarrassed to admit you were playing hide-and-seek all alone. Rachel hiding, nobody seeking. — Brandon Mull

I sound the same to myself — Brandon Mull

I am custodian of the knowledge hoarded here. — Brandon Mull

I'll not have my grandson subjected to the humiliation of his reading becoming public. We have to cope with this disgrace discreetly
Grandma Ruth — Brandon Mull

Naiads who liked to drown people, which meant she needed a sturdy — Brandon Mull

This was a great book! It follows how Jason Walker is transported back to earth after spending months in Lyrian. He knows that he has things that he still must do in Lyrian. He decides to try and find a way back. The problem is that if he doesn't travel through the portal correctly, he will die. What happens next? You'll have to read the book to find out. — Brandon Mull

The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass. — Martin Mull