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Sarantine Mosaic #2
Lord of Emperors
In the golden city of Sarantium, the renowned mosaicist Crispin seeks to fulfill his artistic ambitions and his destiny high upon a dome intended to be the emperor's enduring sanctuary and legacy. But the emperor is plotting a conquest of Crispin's homeland to regain an empire. And with his fate entwined with that of his royal benefactor, Crispin's loyalties come with a very high price.
580 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2000
233 people are currently reading
9133 people want to read
About the author
Guy Gavriel Kay
46 books9,367 followersGuy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid. Those works are published and marketed as historical fantasy, though the author himself has expressed a preference to shy away from genre categorization when possible.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 694 reviews
October 23, 2024
“The great events of an age appear, to those living through them, as backdrops only to the vastly more compelling dramas of their own lives, and how could it be otherwise?
In this same way, many of the men and women there in the Hippodrome (and some who were not, but later claimed to have been) would cling to one private image or another of what transpired. They might be entirely different things, varying moments, for each of us has strings within the soul, and we are played upon in different ways, like instruments, and how could it be otherwise?”
That is what Lord of Emperors is about. It is a book that takes places as great events happen, but is not primarily about the grand narrative you would read in a history book, but about the struggles, triumphs, failures, feuds, foolishness, and brilliance about those who live in interesting times.
This also happens to be my favorite Guy Gavriel Kay book to date, pretty comfortably. The way he has me invested in not just the grand narrative, but all the little stories that make the big one. Has me feeling joy for people when someone they look up to praises their work, the way he makes me feel sad for people when things don't go their way, is brilliant. The cast of characters here is just, ahhh, it is chefs kiss. This book has a lot of PoVs, and a lot of the time it is omniscient, and has a narrator, and I was invested in every story. The artist working on his masterpiece while being pushed and pulled by political forces, the emperor with a dream to leave a legacy, the physician sent off to the city of cities, the cooks, chariot drivers, soldiers, and even the people who I hated, the spoiled son of the senator, and the historian(who I am invested in in a different sort of way) that will particularly piss people off who often look at historical records, and can't tell much about a person, due to all the conflicting, and probably false information.
Guy Gavriel Kay wrote the shit out of this book. Sometimes you can tell an author is in their groove when it comes to their writing. Toll The Hounds for Erikson, The Emperors Soul for Brandon, and Lord of Emperors for Guy Gavriel Kay.
Holy crap.
One thing to keep in mind about this. Do not expect some kind of epic magical showdown. This is a book whose themes are legacy, the ability to find art in things we do not see as art, and the amount of stories going on at the same time as a bigger story, that on aggregate are way more important.
That's all i'm going to say, if you are here for long as chapters, GGK switching tense and perspective, and type of perspective whenever the hell you want, and general hornyness, this can take you on an emotional wild ride
9.8/10
Would not be suprised if this is my favorite book of 2022
Reread update: On my first read of Lord of Emperors I thought it was a truly staggering achievement of literary brilliance, and unprecedented attention to detail, and mastery of the written language.
I was wrong though. It's way better than that
10/10
In this same way, many of the men and women there in the Hippodrome (and some who were not, but later claimed to have been) would cling to one private image or another of what transpired. They might be entirely different things, varying moments, for each of us has strings within the soul, and we are played upon in different ways, like instruments, and how could it be otherwise?”
That is what Lord of Emperors is about. It is a book that takes places as great events happen, but is not primarily about the grand narrative you would read in a history book, but about the struggles, triumphs, failures, feuds, foolishness, and brilliance about those who live in interesting times.
This also happens to be my favorite Guy Gavriel Kay book to date, pretty comfortably. The way he has me invested in not just the grand narrative, but all the little stories that make the big one. Has me feeling joy for people when someone they look up to praises their work, the way he makes me feel sad for people when things don't go their way, is brilliant. The cast of characters here is just, ahhh, it is chefs kiss. This book has a lot of PoVs, and a lot of the time it is omniscient, and has a narrator, and I was invested in every story. The artist working on his masterpiece while being pushed and pulled by political forces, the emperor with a dream to leave a legacy, the physician sent off to the city of cities, the cooks, chariot drivers, soldiers, and even the people who I hated, the spoiled son of the senator, and the historian(who I am invested in in a different sort of way) that will particularly piss people off who often look at historical records, and can't tell much about a person, due to all the conflicting, and probably false information.
Guy Gavriel Kay wrote the shit out of this book. Sometimes you can tell an author is in their groove when it comes to their writing. Toll The Hounds for Erikson, The Emperors Soul for Brandon, and Lord of Emperors for Guy Gavriel Kay.
Holy crap.
One thing to keep in mind about this. Do not expect some kind of epic magical showdown. This is a book whose themes are legacy, the ability to find art in things we do not see as art, and the amount of stories going on at the same time as a bigger story, that on aggregate are way more important.
That's all i'm going to say, if you are here for long as chapters, GGK switching tense and perspective, and type of perspective whenever the hell you want, and general hornyness, this can take you on an emotional wild ride
9.8/10
Would not be suprised if this is my favorite book of 2022
Reread update: On my first read of Lord of Emperors I thought it was a truly staggering achievement of literary brilliance, and unprecedented attention to detail, and mastery of the written language.
I was wrong though. It's way better than that
10/10
September 25, 2017
*** 5 ***
A buddy read with the Kay Squad @ FBR, because sometimes we need something to feed the soul!!!
I am not going to beat around the bush. I have been melancholy. Many reasons, mostly Real Life is a B@#$h, and I have been struggling with reading anything. However, you know that moment while you are reading something and your soul gets heavier at first, then starts pulsing with life again and you realize you are reading something remarkable? This is what happened toward the end of this duology. I wanted to cry, but I also felt awakened to life and was reminded of all the beauty and wonder that surrounds us, if only we allow ourselves to see it. Yes, there is plenty of ugly and hard and horrid around us as well, but it only gives us the opportunity to appreciate the miracle and Majesty of the "thing", the power, the omnipresent "something" which gives breath to us all, gives color, form and sound to nature, and gives us the ability to perceive it!
"...“The great events of an age appear, to those living through them, as backdrops only to the vastly more compelling dramas of their own lives, and how could it be otherwise?
In this same way, many of the men and women there in the Hippodrome (and some who were not, but later claimed to have been) would cling to one private image or another of what transpired. They might be entirely different things, varying moments, for each of us has strings within the soul, and we are played upon in different ways, like instruments, and how could it be otherwise?”..."
Growing up I had many interests, many loves and quite a few passions. Among those were music, dance, theater and art. Even better if I could have them in any combination - a glutton of beauty and sensory input. I often ditched school to go to a play, an art exhibition or the Circus, which was my private self-indulgence. I was like a drug addict, only my drug was the way human artists, each in their medium, funneled their artistry down my gullet, never enough and always amazing! I had learned how to appreciate not only the works which showed greatness or the promise of it, but also those works which struggled to be more than they were, the ones which talent had passed by and only ambition kept together, those which had scarcely anything to do with art, but showed parts of the makeup of their creators nonetheless. Every line, note, tone, syllable, hue, shape, or resonance, each symbol a key to another mystery. Needless to say, I got kicked out of school and had to finish as a private student, while as much as I personally tried to enter into the teachings of all those beloved artistic disciplines, I was never good enough in my own eyes to get anything but frustration to go with my understanding of the divinity in the spark of all natural talents.
Relying on his own vast and supple talent, Guy Gavriel Kay tells us a story of political intrigue at the second century of greatness in a city and world based on Byzantium in the 5th or 6th centuries. Sarantium, a city of power, the seat of the Emperor of the East, the place where the contemporary greats go to unleash their talents, be it as chariot racers, as soldiers, as politicians, as dancers, actors, prostitutes, doctors or artisans. This is where Crispin, our main protagonist and very gifted mosaicist, is working on the dome of the biggest hose of worship ever created. It is the crowning jewel of the rain of Emperor Valentine II, his legacy, since he and his beloved wife, the exquisite ex-dancer Aliana had no children or other hairs... The two of them are overwhelmingly smart and savvy in court intrigue, elevating it to art of machinations. Crispin, with his obvious likability and openness of manner wins them and many other influential people over, getting himself tangled up in their games of power. No matter how many times he made the point that he is only an "artisan", the red-headed mosaicist was instrumental in the faith of the emerging new powers in the region.
With the winds of Fate blowing in from different directions, the job Crispin is charged with changes and loses its initial purpose, to which Crispin was so devoted. With riots and wars waiting in the not-so-far-away-distance, priorities change and the value of beauty always seem to diminish when survival becomes a primary concern. GGK is brilliant in the way he parcels the story in perfect bites, creating a mosaic of words, each small piece important to the whole, but each insignificant compared to the overall image. He gives us the little pieces, we know them, develop attachments to them, learn of their vulnerabilities and strengths through actions and situations, not through info-dumps or bogging down by endless angst or over-description. Each character has its destiny, its prominence in the sea of others just by being unique, having its small role to play with its adventures or daily grind. And if any one of them was in a different place at a different time, moved one this way than that, made a slightly divergent choice, the end result would be completely altered. There are no useless pieces in this artistic creation.
"...“The room seemed laden and layered with intricacies of past and present and what was to come. Nuances coiling and spreading like incense, subtle and insistent.”..."
This author speaks to me, he reaches into my soul and pulls on my heartstrings with virtuosity I have rarely encountered. But just as all art, it speaks to all of us in various ways and I cannot say that he is for everyone. I know some of my friends did not enjoy this book as much as I, but this is the beauty of Life - our diversity not only in form, but in mind and soul. The conclusion of this series was breathtakingly moving for me for so many reasons, I would have to write a tome just to count the ways:) But the main way the author triumphs is in the ability to show us how to see and feel the beauty of artistic creativity and the innate human talents. He venerates the things which makes us profoundly singular in the world we live in. ... Once again, I warned you I have been melancholy:). This book did not make me happy, it just gave me back the wonder of wanting to keep on living and loving and appreciating all that we are given in this to fragile, to fleeting, but utterly precious Life!!! Thank you, GGK!
I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
A buddy read with the Kay Squad @ FBR, because sometimes we need something to feed the soul!!!
I am not going to beat around the bush. I have been melancholy. Many reasons, mostly Real Life is a B@#$h, and I have been struggling with reading anything. However, you know that moment while you are reading something and your soul gets heavier at first, then starts pulsing with life again and you realize you are reading something remarkable? This is what happened toward the end of this duology. I wanted to cry, but I also felt awakened to life and was reminded of all the beauty and wonder that surrounds us, if only we allow ourselves to see it. Yes, there is plenty of ugly and hard and horrid around us as well, but it only gives us the opportunity to appreciate the miracle and Majesty of the "thing", the power, the omnipresent "something" which gives breath to us all, gives color, form and sound to nature, and gives us the ability to perceive it!
"...“The great events of an age appear, to those living through them, as backdrops only to the vastly more compelling dramas of their own lives, and how could it be otherwise?
In this same way, many of the men and women there in the Hippodrome (and some who were not, but later claimed to have been) would cling to one private image or another of what transpired. They might be entirely different things, varying moments, for each of us has strings within the soul, and we are played upon in different ways, like instruments, and how could it be otherwise?”..."
Growing up I had many interests, many loves and quite a few passions. Among those were music, dance, theater and art. Even better if I could have them in any combination - a glutton of beauty and sensory input. I often ditched school to go to a play, an art exhibition or the Circus, which was my private self-indulgence. I was like a drug addict, only my drug was the way human artists, each in their medium, funneled their artistry down my gullet, never enough and always amazing! I had learned how to appreciate not only the works which showed greatness or the promise of it, but also those works which struggled to be more than they were, the ones which talent had passed by and only ambition kept together, those which had scarcely anything to do with art, but showed parts of the makeup of their creators nonetheless. Every line, note, tone, syllable, hue, shape, or resonance, each symbol a key to another mystery. Needless to say, I got kicked out of school and had to finish as a private student, while as much as I personally tried to enter into the teachings of all those beloved artistic disciplines, I was never good enough in my own eyes to get anything but frustration to go with my understanding of the divinity in the spark of all natural talents.
Relying on his own vast and supple talent, Guy Gavriel Kay tells us a story of political intrigue at the second century of greatness in a city and world based on Byzantium in the 5th or 6th centuries. Sarantium, a city of power, the seat of the Emperor of the East, the place where the contemporary greats go to unleash their talents, be it as chariot racers, as soldiers, as politicians, as dancers, actors, prostitutes, doctors or artisans. This is where Crispin, our main protagonist and very gifted mosaicist, is working on the dome of the biggest hose of worship ever created. It is the crowning jewel of the rain of Emperor Valentine II, his legacy, since he and his beloved wife, the exquisite ex-dancer Aliana had no children or other hairs... The two of them are overwhelmingly smart and savvy in court intrigue, elevating it to art of machinations. Crispin, with his obvious likability and openness of manner wins them and many other influential people over, getting himself tangled up in their games of power. No matter how many times he made the point that he is only an "artisan", the red-headed mosaicist was instrumental in the faith of the emerging new powers in the region.
With the winds of Fate blowing in from different directions, the job Crispin is charged with changes and loses its initial purpose, to which Crispin was so devoted. With riots and wars waiting in the not-so-far-away-distance, priorities change and the value of beauty always seem to diminish when survival becomes a primary concern. GGK is brilliant in the way he parcels the story in perfect bites, creating a mosaic of words, each small piece important to the whole, but each insignificant compared to the overall image. He gives us the little pieces, we know them, develop attachments to them, learn of their vulnerabilities and strengths through actions and situations, not through info-dumps or bogging down by endless angst or over-description. Each character has its destiny, its prominence in the sea of others just by being unique, having its small role to play with its adventures or daily grind. And if any one of them was in a different place at a different time, moved one this way than that, made a slightly divergent choice, the end result would be completely altered. There are no useless pieces in this artistic creation.
"...“The room seemed laden and layered with intricacies of past and present and what was to come. Nuances coiling and spreading like incense, subtle and insistent.”..."
This author speaks to me, he reaches into my soul and pulls on my heartstrings with virtuosity I have rarely encountered. But just as all art, it speaks to all of us in various ways and I cannot say that he is for everyone. I know some of my friends did not enjoy this book as much as I, but this is the beauty of Life - our diversity not only in form, but in mind and soul. The conclusion of this series was breathtakingly moving for me for so many reasons, I would have to write a tome just to count the ways:) But the main way the author triumphs is in the ability to show us how to see and feel the beauty of artistic creativity and the innate human talents. He venerates the things which makes us profoundly singular in the world we live in. ... Once again, I warned you I have been melancholy:). This book did not make me happy, it just gave me back the wonder of wanting to keep on living and loving and appreciating all that we are given in this to fragile, to fleeting, but utterly precious Life!!! Thank you, GGK!
I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
March 8, 2020
I was thinking for a long time what to write about this book. I let my emotions cool down a bit before I write anything because "OH MY GOOD THIS IS FUCKING GREAT" type of review seems out of character. After some consideration I decided that I mostly said everything in in my review of the first book but there is one big difference.
In that review I wrote:
Story is slow paced and not that eventful and without huge twists or tear jerking moments.
This doesn't apply here. Here we see story develop much faster as some big events unfold and we see some very emotional moments. We see subtle writing from first book describe some very unsubtle times.
In conclusion I hesitate to call this one of my favorite fantasy books simply because of how little it plays out like fantasy.In any hypothetical conversation about this series I'm dropping "fantasy" but "favorite" stays.
In that review I wrote:
Story is slow paced and not that eventful and without huge twists or tear jerking moments.
This doesn't apply here. Here we see story develop much faster as some big events unfold and we see some very emotional moments. We see subtle writing from first book describe some very unsubtle times.
In conclusion I hesitate to call this one of my favorite fantasy books simply because of how little it plays out like fantasy.In any hypothetical conversation about this series I'm dropping "fantasy" but "favorite" stays.
September 10, 2024
I'm honestly speechless at how remarkable a book Lord of Emperors is. I went in with sky high expectations - surely a recipe for my lofty expectations to be dashed - only to have them exceeded. Plot, character, setting, theme, prose... all absolutely superb. The ending Epilogue was such a thing of beauty that left me very emotional, as it brought what was already an extremely satisfying ending together so well. I honestly feel I lack the skill to convey my high esteem for this author and this book. Greatest of all time? Quite possibly so.
January 27, 2026
Продължението на „Сарантийска мозайка“ ме разтърси още по-силно от първата част... За мен, тази история има просто чудесен завършек, а пък героите в нея са изключително интересни и запомнящи се образи!
В „Бог на императори“ дворцовите интриги се задълбочават още повече, докато император Валерий подготвя предстоящата военна кампания… Кралицата на антите в изгнание Гизел вече живее в Сарантион, опитвайки се да се бори за своите интереси. В столицата на империята е изпратен басанидският лекар Рустем, който още с пристигането си е нападнат от богаташкия син Клеандър, а впоследствие му се налага да лекува прочутия колесничар Скорций… Майсторът на мозайки Гай Крисп също си остава важен персонаж - случващите се покрай него събития са все така вълнуващи. Невероятната атмосфера и страхотно изградените персонажи превръщат това историческо фентъзи в истинско книжно съкровище. „Сарантийската мозайка“ на Кай (също като „Сказанието за Артур“ на Корнуел) веднага ми стана страшно любима поредица, и няма как да не се завръщам след време към нейния великолепен свят…
„Рустем бързо започваше да осъзнава колко много от казаното и показаното тук е грижливо замислен и хитро импровизиран театър. Сарантион беше сцена за п��едставления, реши той. Нищо чудно, че една актриса можеше да упражнява такава власт тук, да склони толкова хора да уважат дома й — или да стане императрица, ако се стигнеше до това.“
„Най-сетне утрото идва. Утрото винаги идва. Винаги има загуби в нощта: цената, плащана за светлината.“
„Безспорна истина е, че възлови за една епоха събития се оказват маргинални в живота на повечето хора.“
„Изборът на подходящия момент е в сърцевината на всяка кампания, както знае всеки добър пълководец.“
„Отново имаше делфини. Беше се чуд��л дали ще ги види, но бързо осъзна, че има нещо глупаво и суетно в това да се съмнява: сякаш морските същества щяха да се появяват или крият според онова, което смъртните мъже и жени правеха в градовете, на сушата.“
„Пътуване към Сарантион“:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
В „Бог на императори“ дворцовите интриги се задълбочават още повече, докато император Валерий подготвя предстоящата военна кампания… Кралицата на антите в изгнание Гизел вече живее в Сарантион, опитвайки се да се бори за своите интереси. В столицата на империята е изпратен басанидският лекар Рустем, който още с пристигането си е нападнат от богаташкия син Клеандър, а впоследствие му се налага да лекува прочутия колесничар Скорций… Майсторът на мозайки Гай Крисп също си остава важен персонаж - случващите се покрай него събития са все така вълнуващи. Невероятната атмосфера и страхотно изградените персонажи превръщат това историческо фентъзи в истинско книжно съкровище. „Сарантийската мозайка“ на Кай (също като „Сказанието за Артур“ на Корнуел) веднага ми стана страшно любима поредица, и няма как да не се завръщам след време към нейния великолепен свят…
„Рустем бързо започваше да осъзнава колко много от казаното и показаното тук е грижливо замислен и хитро импровизиран театър. Сарантион беше сцена за п��едставления, реши той. Нищо чудно, че една актриса можеше да упражнява такава власт тук, да склони толкова хора да уважат дома й — или да стане императрица, ако се стигнеше до това.“
„Най-сетне утрото идва. Утрото винаги идва. Винаги има загуби в нощта: цената, плащана за светлината.“
„Безспорна истина е, че възлови за една епоха събития се оказват маргинални в живота на повечето хора.“
„Изборът на подходящия момент е в сърцевината на всяка кампания, както знае всеки добър пълководец.“
„Отново имаше делфини. Беше се чуд��л дали ще ги види, но бързо осъзна, че има нещо глупаво и суетно в това да се съмнява: сякаш морските същества щяха да се появяват или крият според онова, което смъртните мъже и жени правеха в градовете, на сушата.“
„Пътуване към Сарантион“:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 19, 2021
I adore this man's writing. Love, love, love it. His people are so real. They are imperfect and you love some and hate others. Love them or hate them, you understand why they do what they do. And Kay shows you, with the minimum of telling. They may be part of an ancient society, but I feel how much humanity I share with them.
The other thing that I deeply appreciate is Kay's treatment of his female characters. They have aspirations, desires, and ambitions of their own, despite their supposedly inferior position in this society. The relationships are largely that of equals, in emotion if not in law. He writes women as real people, not the unknowable enigmas that so many male writers like to give us. Thank you, Mr. Kay for recognizing my humanity!
Caius and his monumental mosaic spoke loud and clear to me. As true art does. Just as in the first book, this mosaic made me think of What's Bred in the Bone, where Francis Cornish used the symbolism of his own life to paint a wonderful and enigmatic painting in the Old Master style. Just as Caius does with this pinnacle of his career.
I am not a sports aficionado, but after these two books, I could be convinced to go to the Hippodrome for a chariot race or two. The drama on the sands echoes the events unfolding in the Palace beautifully.
Like all of my favourite books, I was sorry to finish this one. The ending surprised me, but was pleasing. And not too tightly tied up in a bow. I prefer less cut and dried denouements, giving my imagination more to do. GGK seems to understand this need and his epilogues avoid unnecessary detail.
For some time now, I have been building a “small" collection of books that will go to the nursing home with me when the time comes. I'm embarrassed at the way it has swollen over the last few years, but Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors have now been designated as volumes that I need to add to this list.
Book number 408 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
The other thing that I deeply appreciate is Kay's treatment of his female characters. They have aspirations, desires, and ambitions of their own, despite their supposedly inferior position in this society. The relationships are largely that of equals, in emotion if not in law. He writes women as real people, not the unknowable enigmas that so many male writers like to give us. Thank you, Mr. Kay for recognizing my humanity!
Caius and his monumental mosaic spoke loud and clear to me. As true art does. Just as in the first book, this mosaic made me think of What's Bred in the Bone, where Francis Cornish used the symbolism of his own life to paint a wonderful and enigmatic painting in the Old Master style. Just as Caius does with this pinnacle of his career.
I am not a sports aficionado, but after these two books, I could be convinced to go to the Hippodrome for a chariot race or two. The drama on the sands echoes the events unfolding in the Palace beautifully.
Like all of my favourite books, I was sorry to finish this one. The ending surprised me, but was pleasing. And not too tightly tied up in a bow. I prefer less cut and dried denouements, giving my imagination more to do. GGK seems to understand this need and his epilogues avoid unnecessary detail.
For some time now, I have been building a “small" collection of books that will go to the nursing home with me when the time comes. I'm embarrassed at the way it has swollen over the last few years, but Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors have now been designated as volumes that I need to add to this list.
Book number 408 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
October 1, 2017
So, how does one make a mosaic?
First, you mix quicklime for the setting bed. Then, you tend to it in the oven making sure the texture is just right. Once this has been accomplished, you lay it smoothly on the surface. Only then can you start placing the tesserae in the setting bed.
tes·ser·a (tĕs′ər-ə) n. pl. tes·ser·ae (tĕs′ə-rē′). One of the small squares of stone or glass used in making mosaic patterns.
The previous book in the duology accounts for first three steps (under the disguise of talking about life changing experiences). My main problem back then was the fact that I couldn’t quite put my finger on what is the main axis, the guiding motif for Kay. Only now do I understand fully, that he was just setting his ground, assembling and preparing the gems of individual characters for the great design of this two-volume masterpiece. Previously we were given a sketch, a contour of the creation, in the Lord of Emperors, the space is filled with light and darkness and all the hues in between.
This book is a design equal to the vastness of the setting: Sarantium (basically Byzantium in the apex of its glory, a little before Justinian opened St. Sophia and a little after closed the Academy of Plato) ruled by a pair of formidable monarchs surrounded by the court full of dangerous people where nothing can be taken for what it seemed to be and where nuanced intrigues are coiling and spreading like incense, subtle and insistent. At the same time a city of cities inhabited by thousands of people charioteers and cooks, dancers and soldiers, clerks and doctors, all with their own dreams and pathways, plots and counterplots separate and yet intertwined under the very same sun.
“The great events of an age appear, to those living through them, as backdrops only to the vastly more compelling dramas of their own lives, and how could it be otherwise?… The central moments of an age occur on the margins of the lives of most people.”
Our main protagonist, Caius Crispus, sailed to Sarantium commissioned to create a mosaic in the new Sanctuary built by the Emperor. A man who ruled gazing on generations yet to be born as much as on those he ruled already, a man of visions as breathtaking as they were dangerous. And yet, Sarantium is not a place in which one found refuge, even in pursuit of a vision and so Crispin is caught in the turning gyres of events unfolding. There is the barren ruling pair searching for legacy, military and ecclesiastic interests on the crossroads between strategy and theology, revenges to be taken, loves to be stolen, races to be won, dances to be danced, and deaths to be administered, and avoided. Lives to be done and undone, sometimes spent and sometimes discarded.
I will be very frank: Kay is a genius. I know whole books containing less plot, emotion, and beauty than his single chapter. In his novels everything is coming together so effortlessly that in a book of a lesser writer it would scream "fake" like a topiary in a middle of a French garden. Here, it is masterful, with each detail fitting all other details but in a natural way, it is like a contained force of nature, simply an art.
The way Kay places the events both in space and time is unparalleled . Those thirsty for action, will have the whole Hippodrome drama and chariot races to quicken their pulse. Furthermore, not a single detail is wasted. For example, at one point in the book he gives us an image of a person with no solitude; it is very beautiful (if frightening) but seemingly trivial. And yet, this detail proves to be crucial in the grand scheme of things. There are patterns within patterns, changing depending on perspective and light, just like a real mosaic does. Lord of the Emperors is a rare gem, but in order to appreciate it fully, I think you need to be a mature, attentive reader.
Initially I thought that the title refers to some holy divinity, regardless of the name. In reality, the novel talks about time that rules us all, grinds us down equally without any preference to race, sex, religion, profession or station in life. Or maybe, even more accurately, about the evanescence of all things. About our legacies. Kay asks us to ponder about what do we want to leave behind and how would we like to be remembered? What truly matters in the end?
Because time claims us all, it is the chroniclers, the painters, sculptors, the historians, the people who filter us into immortality through art and craft who truly reign. Maybe this is the reason why an artisan is the main protagonist. Maybe this is also the reason why we are warned about the fragility of beauty and the defining impermanence of art that actually only intensifies its glory. It is only fitting that a book about art and beauty is written in an exquisitely artful and beautiful way. Soul-wrenching really .
“It was a truth of the world that certain women carried a magic about them and dreams followed where they went.”
Just as it has been in the previous instalment, Sarantium is a city of women, for it is the women, who shape the story, not the men with their armies and blades. They are beautiful, smart, and deadly - certainly not pawns in someone else's games.
There are also villains to abhor and to admire (ice with an edge of malice), oh so beautiful in their personal tragedies. Caught in their own passions and enslaved by their own pasts they plan disasters as effortlessly as we prepare shopping lists, both unwilling and unable to change the (pre)destined course. I love how Kay gives us a glimpse of what could have been a happily ever after and with the other hand an understanding that this future could never come to pass. He plays with the layered paradoxes and double-edged ironies of fate, and everything coming around in circles.
“I am what I've been made to be. Don't be deceived.”
There were things I didn’t like that much. Some protagonists, crucial in the previous book, fade into the background, much to my chagrin . The sexual chemistry between Crispin and several women is worrying - the man must be sex on legs! *I exclaim with a touch of exasperation* because he is entangled in intimacies and not each occasion these had been an act of contrivance convenience or intrigue. I don't like the epilogue, I must confess but I cannot deny the perfection of design. This masterpiece can be read in many ways . There is a happy ending without a happy ending. Villains are defeated but you mourn for them. Those who win do so with bitter tang in the victory.
When I finished the book I felt “an emptiness invade me like an army”, an abyss burdened with images. What is the reader when the book is done? What is the reader to do?
Read another Kay, that is the only answer I have.
----
My review of Sailing to Sarantium
This was a buddy read with the Kay Squad at FBR.
First, you mix quicklime for the setting bed. Then, you tend to it in the oven making sure the texture is just right. Once this has been accomplished, you lay it smoothly on the surface. Only then can you start placing the tesserae in the setting bed.
tes·ser·a (tĕs′ər-ə) n. pl. tes·ser·ae (tĕs′ə-rē′). One of the small squares of stone or glass used in making mosaic patterns.
The previous book in the duology accounts for first three steps (under the disguise of talking about life changing experiences). My main problem back then was the fact that I couldn’t quite put my finger on what is the main axis, the guiding motif for Kay. Only now do I understand fully, that he was just setting his ground, assembling and preparing the gems of individual characters for the great design of this two-volume masterpiece. Previously we were given a sketch, a contour of the creation, in the Lord of Emperors, the space is filled with light and darkness and all the hues in between.
This book is a design equal to the vastness of the setting: Sarantium (basically Byzantium in the apex of its glory, a little before Justinian opened St. Sophia and a little after closed the Academy of Plato) ruled by a pair of formidable monarchs surrounded by the court full of dangerous people where nothing can be taken for what it seemed to be and where nuanced intrigues are coiling and spreading like incense, subtle and insistent. At the same time a city of cities inhabited by thousands of people charioteers and cooks, dancers and soldiers, clerks and doctors, all with their own dreams and pathways, plots and counterplots separate and yet intertwined under the very same sun.
“The great events of an age appear, to those living through them, as backdrops only to the vastly more compelling dramas of their own lives, and how could it be otherwise?… The central moments of an age occur on the margins of the lives of most people.”
Our main protagonist, Caius Crispus, sailed to Sarantium commissioned to create a mosaic in the new Sanctuary built by the Emperor. A man who ruled gazing on generations yet to be born as much as on those he ruled already, a man of visions as breathtaking as they were dangerous. And yet, Sarantium is not a place in which one found refuge, even in pursuit of a vision and so Crispin is caught in the turning gyres of events unfolding. There is the barren ruling pair searching for legacy, military and ecclesiastic interests on the crossroads between strategy and theology, revenges to be taken, loves to be stolen, races to be won, dances to be danced, and deaths to be administered, and avoided. Lives to be done and undone, sometimes spent and sometimes discarded.
I will be very frank: Kay is a genius. I know whole books containing less plot, emotion, and beauty than his single chapter. In his novels everything is coming together so effortlessly that in a book of a lesser writer it would scream "fake" like a topiary in a middle of a French garden. Here, it is masterful, with each detail fitting all other details but in a natural way, it is like a contained force of nature, simply an art.
The way Kay places the events both in space and time is unparalleled . Those thirsty for action, will have the whole Hippodrome drama and chariot races to quicken their pulse. Furthermore, not a single detail is wasted. For example, at one point in the book he gives us an image of a person with no solitude; it is very beautiful (if frightening) but seemingly trivial. And yet, this detail proves to be crucial in the grand scheme of things. There are patterns within patterns, changing depending on perspective and light, just like a real mosaic does. Lord of the Emperors is a rare gem, but in order to appreciate it fully, I think you need to be a mature, attentive reader.
Initially I thought that the title refers to some holy divinity, regardless of the name. In reality, the novel talks about time that rules us all, grinds us down equally without any preference to race, sex, religion, profession or station in life. Or maybe, even more accurately, about the evanescence of all things. About our legacies. Kay asks us to ponder about what do we want to leave behind and how would we like to be remembered? What truly matters in the end?
Because time claims us all, it is the chroniclers, the painters, sculptors, the historians, the people who filter us into immortality through art and craft who truly reign. Maybe this is the reason why an artisan is the main protagonist. Maybe this is also the reason why we are warned about the fragility of beauty and the defining impermanence of art that actually only intensifies its glory. It is only fitting that a book about art and beauty is written in an exquisitely artful and beautiful way. Soul-wrenching really .
“It was a truth of the world that certain women carried a magic about them and dreams followed where they went.”
Just as it has been in the previous instalment, Sarantium is a city of women, for it is the women, who shape the story, not the men with their armies and blades. They are beautiful, smart, and deadly - certainly not pawns in someone else's games.
There are also villains to abhor and to admire (ice with an edge of malice), oh so beautiful in their personal tragedies. Caught in their own passions and enslaved by their own pasts they plan disasters as effortlessly as we prepare shopping lists, both unwilling and unable to change the (pre)destined course. I love how Kay gives us a glimpse of what could have been a happily ever after and with the other hand an understanding that this future could never come to pass. He plays with the layered paradoxes and double-edged ironies of fate, and everything coming around in circles.
“I am what I've been made to be. Don't be deceived.”
There were things I didn’t like that much. Some protagonists, crucial in the previous book, fade into the background, much to my chagrin . The sexual chemistry between Crispin and several women is worrying - the man must be sex on legs! *I exclaim with a touch of exasperation* because he is entangled in intimacies and not each occasion these had been an act of contrivance convenience or intrigue. I don't like the epilogue, I must confess but I cannot deny the perfection of design. This masterpiece can be read in many ways . There is a happy ending without a happy ending. Villains are defeated but you mourn for them. Those who win do so with bitter tang in the victory.
When I finished the book I felt “an emptiness invade me like an army”, an abyss burdened with images. What is the reader when the book is done? What is the reader to do?
Read another Kay, that is the only answer I have.
----
My review of Sailing to Sarantium
This was a buddy read with the Kay Squad at FBR.
March 17, 2024
Літературна мозаїка про владу, помсту та мистецтво
«Думаю, якби мені дали місяць античності й дозволили провести його в місці за моїм вибором, я б подався у Візантію незадовго до того, як Юстиніан відкрив Храм святої Софії й закрив Академію Платона. Думаю, мені б поталанило знайти в невеличкій винарні мозаїста-філософа, який би відповів на всі мої питання, коли надприродне сходить ближче до нього…» В.Б. Єйтс «Бачення»
Ця цитата зустріне вас наприкінці цієї книги і слугуватиме ідеально влучним завершенням дилогії. Кей – настільки майстерний оповідач, що ти не розумієш, як роман, де відбувається так мало подій, може так приголомшувати.
Ця дилогія вкрала моє серце, тож я не стрималася і написала видавництву, чи планують видавати у автора щось іще. На щастя, так😊
«Думаю, якби мені дали місяць античності й дозволили провести його в місці за моїм вибором, я б подався у Візантію незадовго до того, як Юстиніан відкрив Храм святої Софії й закрив Академію Платона. Думаю, мені б поталанило знайти в невеличкій винарні мозаїста-філософа, який би відповів на всі мої питання, коли надприродне сходить ближче до нього…» В.Б. Єйтс «Бачення»
Ця цитата зустріне вас наприкінці цієї книги і слугуватиме ідеально влучним завершенням дилогії. Кей – настільки майстерний оповідач, що ти не розумієш, як роман, де відбувається так мало подій, може так приголомшувати.
Ця дилогія вкрала моє серце, тож я не стрималася і написала видавництву, чи планують видавати у автора щось іще. На щастя, так😊
June 18, 2024
Unabashed 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5/5 stars!
I am reviewing the complete Sarantine mosaic duology here because to me these 2 books, Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of emperors, are really just one book broken up into two volumes. This is the best work by GGK that I have read so far. I loved A song for Arbonne and Sarantine mosaic is a much superior work. Leagues better than Tigana and Under heaven.
The story is masterfully crafted, GGK taking utmost care to hone the plotting, the pacing, the twists and turns, the surprises, and obviously the prose is the work of a maestro.
Character work in this multiPOV is also the work of a genius. It shines.
I am reviewing the complete Sarantine mosaic duology here because to me these 2 books, Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of emperors, are really just one book broken up into two volumes. This is the best work by GGK that I have read so far. I loved A song for Arbonne and Sarantine mosaic is a much superior work. Leagues better than Tigana and Under heaven.
The story is masterfully crafted, GGK taking utmost care to hone the plotting, the pacing, the twists and turns, the surprises, and obviously the prose is the work of a maestro.
Character work in this multiPOV is also the work of a genius. It shines.
July 18, 2023
I am hyperbolic. So there is a word I use sparingly, on only the top tier of things, so that I may hold myself accountable with my words, just occasionally.
This book is a masterpiece.
This is why I read books.
This book is a masterpiece.
This is why I read books.
June 29, 2018
This duology is a masterpiece. A contest between 4 and 5 stars for both books, but in the end, I think the immaculate ending sealed it for this one.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
November 8, 2024
Immaculate.
August 1, 2025
An insanely good book about legacy, memories, the arts, finding your way back to yourself and S P O R T S. Kind of epic in a different way you’d expect. Beautifully drawn complex characters. One of the best final chapter into epilogues I’ve ever read. This has been a joy to read back or back with Sailing to Sarantium. GGK crafted something really special here and it’s in contention for my book of the year…..with another GGK book. I live for shit like this man.
August 30, 2016
Lyrical, powerful and engaging since the beginning. The second part of this duet raises the stakes of this “game of countries” even higher, and the way the story's tapestry is woven is as exquisite as it could be expected, if not more.
Against the backdrop of "the city of performers, the heart of things", which has attracted so many people with different goals and desires, the characters meet, mingle, clash or form alliances, and layer after layer of deceptions, ambitions and dreams peels off with impeccable timing and pace.
"Nuances coiling and spreading like incense, subtle and insistent."
I loved the complex plot and the high drama; I only have a minor gripe regarding a certain event toward the end, not in itself (very satisfying) but rather with how it comes about. That aside, I ended up feeling like I was sailing to Sarantium myself so engrossed I was in the tale and its compelling characters. I also experienced the melancholy, hope and beauty that always pervades Kay's stories and that, at the same time, it’s tailored and unique for each of them.
A wondrous journey.
Just as it is adversity that hardens the spirit of a people, so can adversity strengthen the soul of a man. What we master becomes ours to use.
Against the backdrop of "the city of performers, the heart of things", which has attracted so many people with different goals and desires, the characters meet, mingle, clash or form alliances, and layer after layer of deceptions, ambitions and dreams peels off with impeccable timing and pace.
"Nuances coiling and spreading like incense, subtle and insistent."
I loved the complex plot and the high drama; I only have a minor gripe regarding a certain event toward the end, not in itself (very satisfying) but rather with how it comes about. That aside, I ended up feeling like I was sailing to Sarantium myself so engrossed I was in the tale and its compelling characters. I also experienced the melancholy, hope and beauty that always pervades Kay's stories and that, at the same time, it’s tailored and unique for each of them.
A wondrous journey.
Just as it is adversity that hardens the spirit of a people, so can adversity strengthen the soul of a man. What we master becomes ours to use.
September 15, 2025
This book really has taken my breath away , what an achievement this is. It's the perfect sequel to Sailing to Sarantium and it grabs the reader's attention from chapter 1 and it doesn't let go. This book was lyrical, emotional, exciting, surprising , reflective,... and often multiple of these characteristics at the same time. All of this is present in the other Kay books I have read but I'm inclined to think that he did it here best ( also these books have chariot races, which is a big plus). And even though there books are closely inspired by real history and many characters are direct parallels to real historical figures, the book was able to suprise me some twists and tweaks that diverged the story from history. And while this book isn't perfect ( which book is though ?), Kay's writing always seems able to make that seem unimportant. This was a fantastic read and it's a very strong contender for book of the year
July 26, 2022
This book is the second half of the Sarantine Mosaic, and after spending more than 800 pages in this world and with these characters…I am not okay!! I think A Brightness Long Ago will always be my favorite of Kay’s books, but this series will likely come to hold an equally treasured place in my heart, as an epic, immersive, emotional, and often exhilarating story about art, ambition, faith, empire, chariot racing (!), and what, if anything, we leave behind. GGK really never misses / brb sobbing 😭😭😭
August 27, 2023
С тази книга (в два тома) обикнах света на Източната Римска Империя (любимата ми Византия) от Времето на Юстиниан I. Свят, просъществувал 1000 години след падането на стария Рим и съхранил цивилизацията му, оставил ни “Света София” в наследство.
Нищо в този свят не е просто. Под блестящата повърхност кипи жестокост и жажда за власт. Но и под безмилостната маска често избликва неочаквана човечност. Свободата и красотата на изкуството, силата да се противопоставиш на течението, инструментите на властта с неизбежната им жестокост и прагматизъм, сблъсъкът на цивилизациите (било то варварите, плячкосали Рим, племената с човешки жертвоприношения или Сасанидската персийска империя с нейната рафинирана жестокост и също толкова рафинирана култура), религиозната нетърпимост противопоставена на здравия разум и обич към хората, политическата неизбежност - всичко това, и още много, се лее из страниците. Няма безинтересни герои - императори, генерали, принцеси, художници, лекари, колесничари, роби, войници - всички оживяват. Светът на 6-ти век е пълнокръвен и залива читателя с изумителните си прилики и не чак толкова разлики в сравнение с нашия.
За мен остава недостатък, че книгата е оформена като алтернативна история. Материалът е достатъчен за исторически роман, и Кай е свършил огромна работа по епохата. Но и така ни пренася в дворците, стадионите, храмовете, копторите и пустините на своя измислен свят, без дори да предупреди читателя за размаха на приключението, което го очаква. Кай е от лиричните, ерудирани и талантливи пера във фентъзи жанра, а този му роман в две части вероятно е най-доброто, което е написал.
March 18, 2023
Дуже сподобалася ця друга книга "Сарантійської мозаїки", не хотілося розставатися з героями роману! Чудовий історичний роман Гая Гевріела Кея, насправді епічне фентезі. Насолоджувалася читанням, персонажами і подіями, просто занурилася у світ імператорів, двірцевих інтриг, пригод, кінних забігів, страт, мозаїки та кохання...Глибокий сенс закладено й у назву роману (зрозумієте, коли прочитаєте), мудрість у багатьох фразах, цікава подача тексту - від імені героїв, ніби це також мозаїка 💥 подекуди були щемливі сторінки, що читалися з напругою і переживанням, непередбачувана кінцівка...Все сподобалося, дякую авторові за прекрасний роман, не відпускає...
September 24, 2017
Στο σχόλιο για το πρώτο μέρος το μόνο ελάττωμα είναι ότι η ίδια ιστορία δεν φαινόταν να οδηγεί σε κάτι πραγματικά συναρπαστικό, μετά την ολοκλήρωση της ανάγνωσης του έργου, όμως, μπορώ να πω ότι και αυτή η εκκρεμότητα λύνεται από το συγγραφέα. Καθώς περνάνε οι σελίδες η ιστορία περνάει μέσα από πολιτικές ίντριγκες αλλά και από πράξεις με περισσότερο θετικά κίνητρα για να φτάσει σε ένα ικανοποιητικό φινάλε, όπου οι χαρακτήρες που με τόσο κόπο δημιούργησε βρίσκουν το καλό ή το κακό τους τέλος. Φυσικά αυτό το τέλος δίνει την ευκαιρία στον συγγραφέα να ξεδιπλώσει για άλλη μία φορά το συγγραφικό του χάρισμα για να μας οδηγήσει σε ένα ιδιαίτερα συγκινητικό ταξίδι, με αποκορύφωμα έναν πανέμορφο επίλογο.
Οπότε για άλλη μία φορά αναγκάζομαι να υποκλιθώ στο μεγαλείο του Guy Gavriel Kay και να βάλω την υψηλότερη δυνατή βαθμολογία, με την προοπτική του να συνεχίσω με τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία του να με γεμίζει χαρά.
Οπότε για άλλη μία φορά αναγκάζομαι να υποκλιθώ στο μεγαλείο του Guy Gavriel Kay και να βάλω την υψηλότερη δυνατή βαθμολογία, με την προοπτική του να συνεχίσω με τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία του να με γεμίζει χαρά.
February 8, 2024
Lord of Emperors is a worthy sequel to Sailing to Sarantium, and an excellent conclusion to Guy Gavriel Kay’s epic ‘Byzantine’ mosaic.
The story is, in the best Kay fashion, at times exciting, mysterious, dramatic, and tragic. More than anything else, though, it is beautiful.
Kay does not pull any punches - characters make human mistakes, and they pay for them. And yet that is where so much of the beauty as lies! The ending is also truly, truly cathartic. It reminded me of The Lions of Al-Rassan in that way.
I won't dig too much deeper into this, as you really need to read Part 1, Sailing to Sarantium, to enjoy this book. My review for Part 1 is much more detailed.
Suffice it to say that while I enjoyed this duology, and would certainly recommend it, I think I enjoyed The Lions of Al-Rassan more.
Still, Kay is our greatest living Fantasy writer, IMHO, and I absolutely recommend any/all of his work.
The story is, in the best Kay fashion, at times exciting, mysterious, dramatic, and tragic. More than anything else, though, it is beautiful.
Kay does not pull any punches - characters make human mistakes, and they pay for them. And yet that is where so much of the beauty as lies! The ending is also truly, truly cathartic. It reminded me of The Lions of Al-Rassan in that way.
I won't dig too much deeper into this, as you really need to read Part 1, Sailing to Sarantium, to enjoy this book. My review for Part 1 is much more detailed.
Suffice it to say that while I enjoyed this duology, and would certainly recommend it, I think I enjoyed The Lions of Al-Rassan more.
Still, Kay is our greatest living Fantasy writer, IMHO, and I absolutely recommend any/all of his work.
April 4, 2018
9/10
Lord of Emperors is another great example of Kay’s talent as in this book he has added much more characters and making a more complex story than the previous one, full with intrigues, machinations, betrayals and some great twists.
The story continues with Rustem, a physician from Bassania, as he is summoned by the King of Kings to save his life but to take also a mission to Sarantium that may well bring him to great danger and will, probably, may cost him his own life in the way. However, along the way he’ll find himself in many dilemmas as he’ll have to face, not only the intrigues of Sarantium, but also and his own beliefs.
In the meantime, Crispin, having begun his dream of decorating the Sanctuary of Jad he’ll find himself in difficult situations as he will have choose between fiends and enemies, love and betrayal while Alixana, will discover a secret that will change her life and also the whole Sarantium.
I have to say that it is absolutely incredible how Kay manages through so many characters to make such a strong story and, even though this book has even less fantasy elements than the previous book (almost none I could say), makes you also to love them all.
Of course, I did wanted a little more fantasy in the mix but, as I said in my review in Sailing to Sarantium , Kay’s writing, the plot, the characters and the twists all make a wonderful and unique story.
Definitely one of his best works, by far!
Ελληνική κριτική:
Lord of Emperors is another great example of Kay’s talent as in this book he has added much more characters and making a more complex story than the previous one, full with intrigues, machinations, betrayals and some great twists.
The story continues with Rustem, a physician from Bassania, as he is summoned by the King of Kings to save his life but to take also a mission to Sarantium that may well bring him to great danger and will, probably, may cost him his own life in the way. However, along the way he’ll find himself in many dilemmas as he’ll have to face, not only the intrigues of Sarantium, but also and his own beliefs.
In the meantime, Crispin, having begun his dream of decorating the Sanctuary of Jad he’ll find himself in difficult situations as he will have choose between fiends and enemies, love and betrayal while Alixana, will discover a secret that will change her life and also the whole Sarantium.
I have to say that it is absolutely incredible how Kay manages through so many characters to make such a strong story and, even though this book has even less fantasy elements than the previous book (almost none I could say), makes you also to love them all.
Of course, I did wanted a little more fantasy in the mix but, as I said in my review in Sailing to Sarantium , Kay’s writing, the plot, the characters and the twists all make a wonderful and unique story.
Definitely one of his best works, by far!
Ελληνική κριτική:
July 11, 2017
Another re-read, but these books bear reading time and time again.
Crispin is one of the best realised heroes in modern fiction
Crispin is one of the best realised heroes in modern fiction
May 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️║ A moving, masterfully written finale that fully immersed me in its characters, plot, and poetic beauty. Easily my favorite of Guy Gavriel Kay thus far and a new addition to my list of favorite novels. Lord of Emperors is exceptional. The complex politics, the wonderful character writing, the stunning prose, the thematic depth—GGK executes it all with precision. It’s rich, layered storytelling at its finest.
What stands out most for me compared to the other GGK books I've read is the character work. Crispin and Rustem carry the narrative well, but it’s the minor characters and their intertwining relationships that took things to another level—Strumosus, Kyros, Scortius, Thenaïs, Astorgus, Shaski, Taras, Alixana, Styliane, and many more—each one distinct, memorable, and meaningful. GGK’s ability to make even tertiary players feel alive is remarkable.
The world of Sarantium is my favorite of his settings so far. It made me want to read Byzantine history and book a flight to Istanbul. The mystical elements from book one take more of a backseat here, except for a few important moments, and honestly, I didn’t miss them. The courtly intrigue, the emotional weight of legacy, the passionate identity forged through sport, and the transcendent power of art all carried the narrative with grace and power. I wish GGK wrote more series than standalones as I think that helped me feel a much deeper immersion and connection to this book than his previous books.
And the prose. God, the prose. I've raved about GGK's writing before, and it's as good as ever here. Lyrical, elegant, captivating. He weaves internal thoughts and external beauty with stunning rhythm. I found myself rereading passages aloud just to hear them again. Truly jaw-dropping beauty on nearly every page. I slowed down my reading just to savor it.
I closed this book deeply moved and fully satisfied. It’s one of the finest historical fantasy novels I’ve read. If you’re looking for something unconventional, evocative, and thought-provoking—something that lingers—The Sarantine Mosaic delivers. It deserves a place on my favorites shelf.
The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
Book 1: Sailing to Sarantium 4.5/5
Book 2: Lord of Emperors 5/5
What stands out most for me compared to the other GGK books I've read is the character work. Crispin and Rustem carry the narrative well, but it’s the minor characters and their intertwining relationships that took things to another level—Strumosus, Kyros, Scortius, Thenaïs, Astorgus, Shaski, Taras, Alixana, Styliane, and many more—each one distinct, memorable, and meaningful. GGK’s ability to make even tertiary players feel alive is remarkable.
The world of Sarantium is my favorite of his settings so far. It made me want to read Byzantine history and book a flight to Istanbul. The mystical elements from book one take more of a backseat here, except for a few important moments, and honestly, I didn’t miss them. The courtly intrigue, the emotional weight of legacy, the passionate identity forged through sport, and the transcendent power of art all carried the narrative with grace and power. I wish GGK wrote more series than standalones as I think that helped me feel a much deeper immersion and connection to this book than his previous books.
And the prose. God, the prose. I've raved about GGK's writing before, and it's as good as ever here. Lyrical, elegant, captivating. He weaves internal thoughts and external beauty with stunning rhythm. I found myself rereading passages aloud just to hear them again. Truly jaw-dropping beauty on nearly every page. I slowed down my reading just to savor it.
I closed this book deeply moved and fully satisfied. It’s one of the finest historical fantasy novels I’ve read. If you’re looking for something unconventional, evocative, and thought-provoking—something that lingers—The Sarantine Mosaic delivers. It deserves a place on my favorites shelf.
The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay
Book 1: Sailing to Sarantium 4.5/5
Book 2: Lord of Emperors 5/5
September 2, 2024
Набагато краще за першу книгу, масштабніше, глибше, цікавіше. Тому, мабуть, 5.
Хоча, все ж таки, це важко назвати фентезі. Скоріше, тут присутня містична складова. Тож, якщо хочеться саме чистокровного фентезі, вам не сюди)
Хоча, все ж таки, це важко назвати фентезі. Скоріше, тут присутня містична складова. Тож, якщо хочеться саме чистокровного фентезі, вам не сюди)
December 17, 2025
I will not lie, through the first half of this book, I thought I would like it a little less than Sailing to Sarantium. I was still really loving it, it was too good for me not to- I just felt somewhat frustrated at the lesser amount of Crispin POVs and the fact that the first half of Sailing to Sarantium hit more emotional beats.
The second half of Lord of Emperors is one of the best things I've ever experienced. The last two chapters and the epilogue- especially the epilogue- being all incredibly breathtaking in their own right, in a way that I can't really find the words to express.
9.8/10
This rating may go slightly up or down based on my feelings in the next few days, but as of now, this just feels right.
The second half of Lord of Emperors is one of the best things I've ever experienced. The last two chapters and the epilogue- especially the epilogue- being all incredibly breathtaking in their own right, in a way that I can't really find the words to express.
9.8/10
This rating may go slightly up or down based on my feelings in the next few days, but as of now, this just feels right.
October 15, 2025
I love what GGK does with the mosaic themes however, I do not love what he does with his characters.
August 30, 2019
I'll cut to the chase, as I did with this sequel. I really, really wanted to be captivated with the elegant words and the characters, but I had to give up halfway and skim through. The truth is that personally, I believe that this book exceeds itself in length and suspense, and that the fact that most of the major, powerful female characters are intrigued by the protagonist is kind of incredible, in the literal sense. If the story had wrapped itself better and been concise, I'd loved it. By Jad, it's a shame.
March 19, 2017
Από τα καλύτερα του συγγραφέα και με εξαιρετικό ενδιαφέρον για Έλληνες αναγνώστες, γιατί διαδραμτίζεται σε μια alternative universe/fantasy εκδοχή του Βυζαντίου.
August 20, 2024
Buddy read with the Kay Squad from FBR
Duology review: 5 brilliant stars!!
My favourite Kay books so far. This duology is, simply put, a masterpiece!!
A wonderful homage to art, to women, to beauty and to love!
Kay's writing is elegant, almost poetic at times and rich beyond measure at others, matching the greatness and opulence of Sarantium. He will take you on a journey through which you will just have to pay attention to the road, having no clue whatsoever as to the destination. But it is all worth it!
Full Painting of The Sarantine Mosaic used in French Canadian editions
In itself, the story is simple. Crispin, a brilliant mosaicist, still grieving for the family he lost to the plague, who lives only for his arcane craft and cares little for ambition, less for money, and for intrigue not at all, must answer an imperial summons to Sarantium, to work on the greatest art work ever imagined.
geofftaylor-artist.com
In this world still half-wild and tangled with magic, no journey is simple. Bearing with him a Queen’s seductive promise, Crispin sets out for the fabled city from which none return unaltered, guarded only by his wits and a bird soul talisman from an alchemist’s treasury.
The first half of the first book describes his journey, during which Crispin risks his life, gets into trouble, and wins the devotion of a clever former slave girl, the loyalty of a hired hand of few words and sound deeds, and the friendship and respect of a rough and foul-mouthed commander.
The second part of the book deals with Crispin’s introduction to the Sarantium court and introduces us to the ruthless game for power, in which our unsuspecting mosaicist has already unwittingly become an important player.
And this is what the second book portrays: the political intrigue in Sarantium, a city of power, the seat of the Emperor of the East, a city and world based on Byzantium in the 5th or 6th centuries.
With masterful skill Kay builds for us here a wondrous mosaic of chariot racers, soldiers, politicians, dancers, actors, prostitutes, doctors and artisans. with Crispin, our main protagonist, smack down in the middle of it all.
He is now working on the dome of the biggest house of worship ever created; the crowning jewel of the rain of Emperor Valentine II, his legacy to the world.
The Emperor himself, along his exquisitely beautiful wife Aliana are dancing on a knife's edge in a court full of dangerous albeit subtle intrigue where the tiniest nuance may mean the difference between life and death. Two bold visionaries with plans that may hold dire consequences for entire kingdoms, their fate becomes tightly entwined with that of Crispin and by extension, with that of Queen Gisel, Crispin's own monarch exiled in Sarantium herself.
Keith Birdsong Lord of Emperors: Book Two of the Sarantine Mosaic Paperback Novel Cover Painting Original Art
Art and beauty are foremost present in these books.
From the description of the masterful mosaics to that of the fabled Sarantium, from the view of a forest in sunlight to the sight of a mythic zubir standing in a clearing at dawn, above a little bird lying on its side on the grass, Kay gives us art and beauty.
Then we have the women. Clever and strong women! Women that take a man’s breath away with their beauty then make him fear for his life the next minute with just their wits for a weapon. Kay honours women not only by setting them in high places in the great power game, but also by giving them courage, strength and resilience, even if they are mere slave girls. He even honours them through memory, a lost love, a lost wife, a lost girl, whose memory will never leave the man to whom they once belonged.
And finally the love!
Love not as sex but as feeling. Crispin’s still burning love for his lost wife. The love of a man for a few captured souls for whose freedom he is ready to lay down his life. The love of emperor Valerius for his beloved Alixana, which is so deceptively simple described that one cannot help but feel its intensity:
The Emperor reads no mystic certainties of any kind in the late-night flames, sitting at the woman’s feet, one hand touching her instep and the jewelled slipper. He says, “Never leave me.”
“Wherever would I go?” she murmurs after a moment, trying to keep the tone light and just failing.
He looks up. “Never leave me,” he says again, the grey eyes on hers this time.
He can do this to her, take breath from chest and throat. A constriction of great need. After all these years.
“Not in life,” she replies.
And last, but not least, the love of art. Love brought to us by a simple craftsman, willing to risk being maimed or blinded to follow his dream, to create the greatest artwork ever imagined, a masterpiece to be remembered for ages to come.
How far would you go to follow your dream? How far will Crispin go? You're gonna have to read this to find out but I guarantee ... it's worth it!! With his exquisite prose and elegant style, Kay will make you realize the beauty of living, the fleetingness and fragility of life! He will show you how every little moment is precious, a gift to be treasured and enjoyed!
I highly recommend this to all those who love beauty, strength and life! Smooth sailing on the winds of fate!!
Cover of Sailing to Sarantium (Croatian hardback)
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
Duology review: 5 brilliant stars!!
My favourite Kay books so far. This duology is, simply put, a masterpiece!!
A wonderful homage to art, to women, to beauty and to love!
Kay's writing is elegant, almost poetic at times and rich beyond measure at others, matching the greatness and opulence of Sarantium. He will take you on a journey through which you will just have to pay attention to the road, having no clue whatsoever as to the destination. But it is all worth it!
Full Painting of The Sarantine Mosaic used in French Canadian editions
In itself, the story is simple. Crispin, a brilliant mosaicist, still grieving for the family he lost to the plague, who lives only for his arcane craft and cares little for ambition, less for money, and for intrigue not at all, must answer an imperial summons to Sarantium, to work on the greatest art work ever imagined.
geofftaylor-artist.com
In this world still half-wild and tangled with magic, no journey is simple. Bearing with him a Queen’s seductive promise, Crispin sets out for the fabled city from which none return unaltered, guarded only by his wits and a bird soul talisman from an alchemist’s treasury.
The first half of the first book describes his journey, during which Crispin risks his life, gets into trouble, and wins the devotion of a clever former slave girl, the loyalty of a hired hand of few words and sound deeds, and the friendship and respect of a rough and foul-mouthed commander.
The second part of the book deals with Crispin’s introduction to the Sarantium court and introduces us to the ruthless game for power, in which our unsuspecting mosaicist has already unwittingly become an important player.
And this is what the second book portrays: the political intrigue in Sarantium, a city of power, the seat of the Emperor of the East, a city and world based on Byzantium in the 5th or 6th centuries.
With masterful skill Kay builds for us here a wondrous mosaic of chariot racers, soldiers, politicians, dancers, actors, prostitutes, doctors and artisans. with Crispin, our main protagonist, smack down in the middle of it all.
He is now working on the dome of the biggest house of worship ever created; the crowning jewel of the rain of Emperor Valentine II, his legacy to the world.
The Emperor himself, along his exquisitely beautiful wife Aliana are dancing on a knife's edge in a court full of dangerous albeit subtle intrigue where the tiniest nuance may mean the difference between life and death. Two bold visionaries with plans that may hold dire consequences for entire kingdoms, their fate becomes tightly entwined with that of Crispin and by extension, with that of Queen Gisel, Crispin's own monarch exiled in Sarantium herself.
Keith Birdsong Lord of Emperors: Book Two of the Sarantine Mosaic Paperback Novel Cover Painting Original Art
Art and beauty are foremost present in these books.
From the description of the masterful mosaics to that of the fabled Sarantium, from the view of a forest in sunlight to the sight of a mythic zubir standing in a clearing at dawn, above a little bird lying on its side on the grass, Kay gives us art and beauty.
Then we have the women. Clever and strong women! Women that take a man’s breath away with their beauty then make him fear for his life the next minute with just their wits for a weapon. Kay honours women not only by setting them in high places in the great power game, but also by giving them courage, strength and resilience, even if they are mere slave girls. He even honours them through memory, a lost love, a lost wife, a lost girl, whose memory will never leave the man to whom they once belonged.
And finally the love!
Love not as sex but as feeling. Crispin’s still burning love for his lost wife. The love of a man for a few captured souls for whose freedom he is ready to lay down his life. The love of emperor Valerius for his beloved Alixana, which is so deceptively simple described that one cannot help but feel its intensity:
The Emperor reads no mystic certainties of any kind in the late-night flames, sitting at the woman’s feet, one hand touching her instep and the jewelled slipper. He says, “Never leave me.”
“Wherever would I go?” she murmurs after a moment, trying to keep the tone light and just failing.
He looks up. “Never leave me,” he says again, the grey eyes on hers this time.
He can do this to her, take breath from chest and throat. A constriction of great need. After all these years.
“Not in life,” she replies.
And last, but not least, the love of art. Love brought to us by a simple craftsman, willing to risk being maimed or blinded to follow his dream, to create the greatest artwork ever imagined, a masterpiece to be remembered for ages to come.
How far would you go to follow your dream? How far will Crispin go? You're gonna have to read this to find out but I guarantee ... it's worth it!! With his exquisite prose and elegant style, Kay will make you realize the beauty of living, the fleetingness and fragility of life! He will show you how every little moment is precious, a gift to be treasured and enjoyed!
I highly recommend this to all those who love beauty, strength and life! Smooth sailing on the winds of fate!!
Cover of Sailing to Sarantium (Croatian hardback)
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
April 28, 2013
Where to begin with this one??? I guess I should tell you that I was trying not to cry (without success) after reading the first 30 pages. I did in fact cry a little bit, which is extremely rare for me to do while reading. I shed some tears and then walked outside to get some fresh air. Suddenly people were asking me why my eyes were so bloodshot? I'd been discovered!!! Of course in defense of my manhood I had to lie and tell them that I was just tired and had been yawning a lot. I thought that tidbit was worth mentioning, but now let me get to my thoughts on this amazing book.
Book two of "The Sarantine Mosaic" picks up right where Book one left us. Crispin the Mosaicist is now fully involved with all of the scheming involved in the Sarantine political world. We are introduced to several new characters including a Physician from the mysterious east and a King who would intimidate Alexander the Great. I was nervous when Kay introduced yet another character because I didn't want the ending to be rushed! I should never have doubted because Kay pulls it off wonderfully, and when the story came to an end, I felt satisfied and rewarded. The story was original and compelling just like book one, and if you read book's one and two back to back, then everything makes sense. I never got lost, or confused when I was reading. I was comfortable in Sarantium, peering in on the lives of the characters. Some fantasy books can get complicated in regards to names, places, events, etc. but with Kay it all flowed very well.
I could go on and on about Kay's prose, but you really should just read for yourself. My only complaint about this book was that it had to end! Kay could have easily written another novel set in the world of Sarantium and made this a trilogy. It was sad to say goodbye to the characters, but it was also refreshing to have a good old fashioned ending, not some cliffhanger or tease for a spin off. I already purchased another book written by Mr. Kay, and I suggest you do the same if your a fan of Fantasy. Once again, I'm glad I gave this a chance. Some writers pen entertaining stories and others write beautiful ones, Kay's Sarantium Duology is of the latter. Go check him out!
Book two of "The Sarantine Mosaic" picks up right where Book one left us. Crispin the Mosaicist is now fully involved with all of the scheming involved in the Sarantine political world. We are introduced to several new characters including a Physician from the mysterious east and a King who would intimidate Alexander the Great. I was nervous when Kay introduced yet another character because I didn't want the ending to be rushed! I should never have doubted because Kay pulls it off wonderfully, and when the story came to an end, I felt satisfied and rewarded. The story was original and compelling just like book one, and if you read book's one and two back to back, then everything makes sense. I never got lost, or confused when I was reading. I was comfortable in Sarantium, peering in on the lives of the characters. Some fantasy books can get complicated in regards to names, places, events, etc. but with Kay it all flowed very well.
I could go on and on about Kay's prose, but you really should just read for yourself. My only complaint about this book was that it had to end! Kay could have easily written another novel set in the world of Sarantium and made this a trilogy. It was sad to say goodbye to the characters, but it was also refreshing to have a good old fashioned ending, not some cliffhanger or tease for a spin off. I already purchased another book written by Mr. Kay, and I suggest you do the same if your a fan of Fantasy. Once again, I'm glad I gave this a chance. Some writers pen entertaining stories and others write beautiful ones, Kay's Sarantium Duology is of the latter. Go check him out!
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