Darren Shan > Quotes

“Real life's nasty. It's cruel. It doesn't care about heroes and happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins.”
― Darren Shan

“I don't like it, but my hands are tied. I just want you to know this: if I ever get the chance to betray you, I will. If the opportunity arises to pay you back, I'll take it. You'll never be able to trust me.”
― Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

“Even a minute of dying is better than an eternity of nothingness. ”
― Darren Shan, Sons of Destiny

“Ever hear of the phrase, Banging you're head on a brick wall?"
Ah, but you forget, Darren, vampires can break brick walls with their heads.”
― Darren Shan, Hunters of the Dusk

“The thing about real life is, when you do something stupid, it normally costs you. In books the heroes can make as many mistakes as they like. It doesn't matter what they do, because everything works out in the end. They'll beat the bad guys and put things right and everything ends up cool.
In real life, vacuum cleaners kill spiders. If you cross a busy road without looking, you get whacked by a car. If you fall from a tree, you break some bones.
Real life's nasty. It's cruel. It doesn't care about heroes and happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins.
I just wanted to make that clear before I begun.”
― Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

“A world of "if"s, but it would make no difference. If I could go back in time... but I couldn't. The past was behind me. The best thing now would be to stop looking over my shoulder. It was time to forget the past and look to the present and future.”
― Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

“Even in death may you triumphant”
― Darren Shan

“...The pain didn't bother me. In fact, I welcome it: It meant I was alive. ”
― Darren Shan, The Vampire's Assistant

“Maybe you're going insane."
"Maybe," agreed Kernel.
"I was joking."
"I wasn't.”
― Darren Shan, Wolf Island

“It is too easy to say 'what if' and paint a picture of a perfect world.”
― Darren Shan, The Lake of Souls

“You do not have to be alone. The world never inflicts loneliness upon us. That is something we choose or reject by ourselves.”
― Darren Shan, Birth of a Killer

“The hands of Fate keep time on a heart-shaped watch."

- Harkat Mulds(The Trials of Death)”
― Darren Shan, Trials of Death

“What are you doing?"
"Looking for my fangs."
"We don't grow fangs you idiot!”
― Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

“Indecision is the source of chaos."

- Paris Skyle(Allies of the Night)”
― Darren Shan, Allies of the Night

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

- Harkat Mulds (Hunters of the Dusk)”
― Darren Shan, Hunters of the Dusk

“You thought I was a werewolf?" Dervish asks.
"Yes" I answer hollowly.
"You ass.”
― Darren Shan, Lord Loss

“But in life we don't usually get to choose the time of our defining moments. We just have to stand and face them when they come, no matter what sort of a state we're in.”
― Darren Shan, Sons of Destiny

“There's something different about you," he says.
"I've started styling my hair differently," I laugh.
"Oh. I thought it was that you were three feet taller, a hell of a lot broader, look like a werewolf, and are naked expect for that bit of cloth around your waist. But you're right - it's the hair.”
― Darren Shan, Wolf Island

“You can't hang around waiting for somebody else to pull your strings. Destiny's what you make of it. You have to face whatever life throws at you. And if it throws more than you'd like, more than you think you can handle? Well then you just have to find the heroism within yourself and play out the hand you've been dealt. The universe never sets a challenge that can't be met. You just need to believe in yourself in order to find the strength to face it.”
― Darren Shan, Hell's Heroes

“Life is a challenge" he once told me, "and only those who rise to the challenge truly know what it means to live.”
― Darren Shan, Vampire Mountain

“For a long time that's all I could do, howl and scream and cry like the wild animal of the night that I'd become.”
― Darren Shan, The Vampire's Assistant

“Stick it up your crack, you warped son of a mutant b*tch!”
― Darren Shan, Lord Loss

“She was a beautiful woman." Gavner sighed, tracing the outline of one of the elephants. "She just had very bad taste in underwear …"
"And in boyfriends," I added impishly.
Mr. Crepsley burst into laughter at that”
― Darren Shan, Vampire Mountain

“Underneath me, Sam Grest - who'd been my friend and saved my life - lay perfectly still and slipped further and further into the final sleep of an unfair and horrible death.”
― Darren Shan, The Vampire's Assistant

“Now sod off back to your own world, you motherless scum, and save your threats for those who care. ”
― Darren Shan, Lord Loss

“Students never appreciate their teachers while they are learning. It is only later, when they know more of the world, that they understand how indebted they are to those who instructed them. Good teachers expect no praise or love from the young. They wait for it, and in time, it comes.”
― Darren Shan, Vampire Mountain

“But stories don't end. They continue as long as you're alive. You just have to get on with things. Turn the page, start a new chapter, find out what's in store for you next, and keep your fingers crossed that it's not too awful. Even if you know in your heart and soul that it most probably will be.”
― Darren Shan, Slawter

“That’s what you taught me - we don’t have to accept destiny or Des Tiny. We can create our own future, all of us. We have the power to rule our lives - we just have to make the choice to use it.”
― Darren Shan, Sons of Destiny

“Cirque du Freak' is the best vampire series ever.”
― Darren Shan

“You should take more pride in your appearance,” I tell him. “You'll never attract girls with an ugly mug like that.”
― Darren Shan, Lord Loss