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Mai’rinnen Tearza was the warrior queen of Speer who—supposedly—sold out Speer to the Red Emperor, allowing Nikan to annex Speer and subjugate the Speerlies. She died in the process, and it’s unclear whether she killed herself or died some other way. There are numerous stories surrounding what happened, the most common of which being that Tearza fell in love with the Red Emperor and sold out Speer for love. However, Qara and Tearza herself (Tearza, as the Woman, regularly haunts Rin when Rin goes to the spirit world and tries to keep Rin from accessing the Phoenix) suggests that Tearza actually believed that the Phoenix asked too much of her, and she didn’t think giving in to its violent and destructive demands was worth it to save her people. While Qara finds this explanation morally suspect, Tearza warns Rin that the Phoenix will never be satisfied—and that calling it will result in tragedy.
Mai’rinnen Tearza (The Woman) Quotes in The Poppy War
The The Poppy War quotes below are all either spoken by Mai’rinnen Tearza (The Woman) or refer to Mai’rinnen Tearza (The Woman). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
“I think Tearza was wise. And I think that she was a bad ruler. Shamans should know when to resist the power of the gods. That is wisdom. But rulers should do everything in their power to save their country. That is responsibility. If you hold the fate of the country in your hands, if you have accepted your obligation to your people, then your life ceases to be your own. Once you accept the title of ruler, your choices are made for you. In those days, to rule Speer meant serving the Phoenix. Speer used to be a proud race. A free people. when Tearza killed herself, the Speerlies became little more than the Emperor’s mad dogs. Tearza has the blood of Speer on her hands. Tearza deserved what she got.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20
Quotes
“That boy is beyond redemption,” said the Woman. “That boy is broken like the rest. But you, you are still pure. You can still be saved.”
“I don’t want to be saved!” Rin shrieked. “I want power! I want Altan’s power! I want to be the most powerful shaman there ever was, so that there is no one I can’t save!”
“That power can burn down the world,” the woman said sadly. “That power will destroy everything you’ve ever loved. You will defeat your enemy, and the victory will turn to ashes in your mouth.”
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Mai’rinnen Tearza (The Woman) Quotes in The Poppy War
The The Poppy War quotes below are all either spoken by Mai’rinnen Tearza (The Woman) or refer to Mai’rinnen Tearza (The Woman). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
“I think Tearza was wise. And I think that she was a bad ruler. Shamans should know when to resist the power of the gods. That is wisdom. But rulers should do everything in their power to save their country. That is responsibility. If you hold the fate of the country in your hands, if you have accepted your obligation to your people, then your life ceases to be your own. Once you accept the title of ruler, your choices are made for you. In those days, to rule Speer meant serving the Phoenix. Speer used to be a proud race. A free people. when Tearza killed herself, the Speerlies became little more than the Emperor’s mad dogs. Tearza has the blood of Speer on her hands. Tearza deserved what she got.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20
Quotes
“That boy is beyond redemption,” said the Woman. “That boy is broken like the rest. But you, you are still pure. You can still be saved.”
“I don’t want to be saved!” Rin shrieked. “I want power! I want Altan’s power! I want to be the most powerful shaman there ever was, so that there is no one I can’t save!”
“That power can burn down the world,” the woman said sadly. “That power will destroy everything you’ve ever loved. You will defeat your enemy, and the victory will turn to ashes in your mouth.”
