Favourite Book Dedications & Sizzling Starts

[Farseer]

We have a Favourite Quote/Saying thread but I am interested to hear more about your favourite book dedications.

I really liked RH's one for 'Shaman's Crossing':

To Caffeine and Sugar, my companions through
many a long night of writing.

but my favourite, thus far, is from Nancy E. Turner's 'These is my Words':

For everyone who has ever stood alone on a hill in a storm

Nice of Nancy to include me in her dedication, I thought!

[Mervi]

The one in Susan Cooper's "The Grey King" although I guess you'd call it more a "note to readers" than dedication. After visiting those places I can confirm they are almost exactly like described in the book, even the swans and the fish in the lake are straight from the pages. But it's how the note ends that sends chills down my spine even after all these years.

Although all the characters in this book are fictitious, the places are real. I have however taken certain liberties with the geography of the Dysynni Valley and Tal y Llyn, and there are no real farms where I have made Clwyd, Prichard's and Ty-Bont stand.

The Brenin Llwyd I did not invent.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I have always been rather fond of the dedication to Jeff Grubb's The Brothers' War. You know, the novel about the brothers Urza and mishra who go to war against each other, lay waste to an entire continent and plunge the world into a dark age:

To my own brother Scott

who will agree that we got along much better

than Urza and Mishra

You really can't dedicate a book like that to anyone else.

[Farseer]

I always have to smile at the dedications made by "Lemony Snicket" in his 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' books. Every dedication that is found in all of the thirteen books (it's no accident that there's thirteen either!) in the series are related and aimed toward Beatrice Baudelaire, a character within the books and the subject of LS's unrequited love. They are quite dark for kids but they tend to love them, and the books, for that reason...such a frightening thrill for young people! Very clever, the whole package.

Some examples:

Book Two, ‘The Reptile Room’:

For Beatrice –
My love for you shall live forever.
You, however, did not.

Book Four, ‘The Miserable Mill’:

To Beatrice –
My love flew like a butterfly
Until death swooped down like a bat
As the poet Emma Montana McElroy said:
“That’s the end of that.”

Book Five, ‘The Austere Academy’:

For Beatrice –
You will always be in my heart,
in my mind,
and in your grave.

Book Seven, ‘The Vile Village’:

For Beatrice –
When we were together I felt breathless.
Now, you are.

[redchild]

Snicket's dedications are awesome, indeed.

[Farseer]

I am currently teaching my daughter the importance of a "sizzling start" in her writing, so, I thought I'd amend this thread to include favourite starts as well as dedications.

What gets you sucked into a book? Are you won or lost within the first page? Do you have any favourite "sizzling starts"?

I wouldn't say it's my favourite start but an interesting start nonetheless, and something to get you thinking...this one comes from the prologue of the first book of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, 'The Ruins of Gorlan' (a brilliant series, but I've told you all that already!):

Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, former Baron of Gorlan in the Kingdom of Araluen, looked out over his bleak, rainswept domain and, for perhaps the thousandth time, cursed.

You never know, we may see some sizzling starts that will make us want to read the whole book!

['thul]

something has to happen in the first part of the book... It could be a murder, or a significant change... Or something else... but something has to happen...

[Nuytsia]

Yes absolutely! So many books fail this.
Hey Farseer have you mentioned that quote before somewhere? I don't recall the name of the book or author, but I am sure I've read the quote before somewhere, semi-recently.