Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

What books have amazing (or amazingly bad) opening lines? Did they hook you? Make you laugh?

Perhaps more interestingly, and oft overlooked, which books have great final lines?

Obviously when discussing last lines spoilers will abound, so please keep them hidden in the tags. However if possible include a non-spoilery reason why it was impactful.

Opening Lines:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built
"Sometimes, a person reaches a point in their life when it becomes absolutely essential to get the fuck out of the city."
I just love this one so much.

Can't forget the sequel:
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
"The thing about fucking off to the woods is that unless you are a very particular, very rare sort of person, it does not take long to understand why people left said woods in the first place."
Genius.

All Systems Red
"I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure."

I read this opening paragraph to a friend in order to convince him to read Murderbot, and converted him. Now one of his favorite series that he also peddles to friends. :)
(BTW I realized I'm writing this in my "The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon" T-shirt.)

Ending Lines:

This is the book that made me think to create this thread.

The Homeward Bounders
(view spoiler)[ "But you wouldn't believe how lonely you get." (hide spoiler)]
My god this line kills me. It's so painfully bittersweet and tragic. I have a whole Thing about The Pathos of Time that this taps into perfectly.

To give context, (view spoiler)[the character must sacrifice themselves, by leaving their Home behind forever. For essentially an eternity. They must forever travel from place to place to keep the Big Bad at bay, aging slowly as everyone around them grows old and dies. A hero that no one will remember. (hide spoiler)]
And did I mention this is a children's book!?

I loved the opening of Red Sister.

"It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of Sweet Mercy Convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men."

"Lets start with the end of the world, why don't we? Get it over with, and move on to more interesting things." -- Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin, beginning of the Broken Earth trilogy...

I always remember this trilogy for coming full circle, from beginning to end...

Ending "paragraph" of Stone Sky:

(view spoiler)[You consider. I listen to the slow ongoing roar of the volcano, down here in the deep. Then you say, “I want the world to be better.”
I have never regretted more my inability to leap into the air and whoop for joy.
Instead, I transit to you, with one hand proffered. “Then let’s go make it better.”
You look amused. It’s you. It’s truly you. “Just like that?”
“It might take some time.”
“I don’t think I’m very patient.” But you take my hand.
Don’t be patient. Don’t ever be. This is the way a new world begins.
“Neither am I,” I say. “So let’s get to it.” (hide spoiler)]

I could have just done the reciprocal line, but I felt I needed a bit of context...

Almost makes me want to do a re-read... this was such a great trilogy... I haven't managed to read any more Jemisin, yet...

I love the opening to Blood Rites:

"The building was on fire, and it wasn't my fault."

It's a bit of a running gag throughout the series :)

Timelord Iain wrote: ""Lets start with the end of the world, why don't we? Get it over with, and move on to more interesting things." -- Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin, beginning of the Broken Earth trilogy...

I always rem..."

Yes, loved the symmetry here! I need to do a reread soon. *Checks 2023 plans* errr is 2024 soon?