On the day King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, Billy Williams went down the pit in Aberowen, South Wales.
-- Author (Prologue: Chapter One)

Importance: This quote establishes the disparity between the working class and the elite, especially royalty. George V is crowned the highest of honors: King of England. Meanwhile, Billy is forced into the lowest of the low: a job in the mining pits of Aberowen. This theme of disparity continues throughout the novel, especially between Fitz and the rest of the characters from Great Britain. This is also why the working class struggles to find their voice in the government, as they are against insurmountable odds.

May you live long,' said the old man. 'Long enough to take revenge on the bloodstained tsar for the evil he has done this day.
-- Man to Grigori (Part 1: Chapter Three)

Importance: This establishes Grigori’s hatred of the Tsar. The death of Grigori’s mother on Bloody...