Status
Available
Call number
Description
After being given a talisman and tasked with carrying out a mission for the queen in the city of Sarantium, Crispin's talent for making mosaics leads him to discover a source of great power that may be his only hope of survival.
Pages
448
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |
Language
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 2001)
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — Novel — 1999)
SF Site Editor's Choice (1998)
Prix Aurora Award (Finalist — 1999)
Series
Library's review
Rereading this since taking early church history last semester, I keep getting distracted by trying to map Kay's variant races, religions, races, persons, and events onto real history - it was less of a problem the first time I read it!
This time, I'm again appreciating the beautiful articulation of
This time, I'm again appreciating the beautiful articulation of
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art and beauty through the eyes of an artist, and additionally appreciating the witty turns of phrase. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member xicanti
An artisan undertakes a journey to the most celebrated city in the world.
I've read this book twice now. The first time through, I was struck by the feel Kay manages to create. This isn't a happy book, by any means, but I always felt entirely comfortable in the world. The setting, (an alterante
I was also very impressed with Kay's talent for character. That first time, I found that I didn't feel particularly strongly about any of these people... but I did feel like I knew them through and through. They're remarkably well delineated. Kay manages to quickly and fully convey just who a person is with a few well-placed background details and some telling dialogue.
So I was very, very impressed after my first reading. I promptly went out and acquired the rest of Kay's bibliography, and I consider it one of the best literary decisions I've ever made.
This second time, though... well, it utterly trumped my first reading. Some books, some stories, are just better when you know what's coming. I found myself noticing much, much more. I could see the groundwork Kay laid for the next volume, and many times I found myself in tears just thinking of where all this was leading. I discovered that I did, in fact, feel strongly for all these peple. I found myself in awe of the way Kay had layered each individual element, placing small pieces of each story into the larger whole to create a literary mosaic of surprising depth and beauty.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's far from action-packed, but those who enjoy character-based stories and intricate settings should find it more than worthwhile.
I've read this book twice now. The first time through, I was struck by the feel Kay manages to create. This isn't a happy book, by any means, but I always felt entirely comfortable in the world. The setting, (an alterante
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version of 6th century Byzantium and its surrounding environs), was so well drawn that I never felt as though I were reading fantasy. There are many parallels with real historical places that help add veracity to the text. As an art historian, I was particularly delighted with Varena, (this world's Ravena equivalent), and with the differences between Eastern and Western mosaics. The whole thing felt so real that when the fantastical elements did appear I, like Crispin, initially assumed they were slight-of-hand. I was also very impressed with Kay's talent for character. That first time, I found that I didn't feel particularly strongly about any of these people... but I did feel like I knew them through and through. They're remarkably well delineated. Kay manages to quickly and fully convey just who a person is with a few well-placed background details and some telling dialogue.
So I was very, very impressed after my first reading. I promptly went out and acquired the rest of Kay's bibliography, and I consider it one of the best literary decisions I've ever made.
This second time, though... well, it utterly trumped my first reading. Some books, some stories, are just better when you know what's coming. I found myself noticing much, much more. I could see the groundwork Kay laid for the next volume, and many times I found myself in tears just thinking of where all this was leading. I discovered that I did, in fact, feel strongly for all these peple. I found myself in awe of the way Kay had layered each individual element, placing small pieces of each story into the larger whole to create a literary mosaic of surprising depth and beauty.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's far from action-packed, but those who enjoy character-based stories and intricate settings should find it more than worthwhile.
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LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
I’ve always been fond of (the little I've read of) Kay’s work, but there tends to go a few years between the reads for me. Not sure why. Perhaps it’s as simple as his blend of historical fiction with a twist of fantasy is always better than I think. I might even have a certain reluctance
I’m not going into detail about the plot here, as I see the obvious risk of creating an unbearable behemoth of a review. For this is a very rich, polyphone book, populated by (mostly) fully developed characters and containing quite a few storylines. I’ll just settle for a brief outline: The great empire of Rhodias, the centre of belief in the sun god Jad, has fallen to the barely reformed barbarians from the north. The power centre has shifted to the eastern city Sarantium, where the emperor Valerius is creating the greatest sanctuary to Jad ever created. To this respect, he invites the best artisans from all around, including the renowned mosaicist Martinian of Varena. Who refuses to go, and instead sends his partner Crispin – a brilliant artist but with a bad temper and a fading will to live after losing his family to the plague a few years earlier. Crispin goes, more or less for the heck of it, but finds at least the beginning of a new purpose in life on the way.
This is my third Kay, and I enjoyed it just like I did The Lions of Al-Rassan and Tigana. Kay is good at balancing between detail that feels well-researched and authentic, and high paced action. He also possesses a rare talent among fantasy writers in having the ability to create suspense without violence. Everyone who’s read the chapter where Crispin is trying to navigate his first meeting at the lethal and complex court of Sarantium knows what I’m talking about.
I very much enjoy how Kay handles fantasy elements. He creates a world where magic and mystical creatures exist, but are very rare. This gives a strong ambience and poignancy to the instances, like the eerie trip into the Alderwood, where he leaves the path of historical realism and gives a glimpse of something else.
My one beef with Kay is his female characters. He does write interesting women with real dilemmas. A few too many of them are prostitutes or high royalty though, and all of them are beautiful and young. And being so good with polyphony, I kind of wish he’d have more of them. Still, the romantic cliffhanger at the end of this book leaves me rushing straight to the second part – and I hardly ever read two bricks in a row by the same author. As good a sign as any of the magic Kay works in this novel.
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towards picking up a thousand page chronicle of Byzantium behind a thin veil of an altered map and a hint of magic. But once I do, and find myself properly engrossed yet again, I can’t for the life of me understand why.I’m not going into detail about the plot here, as I see the obvious risk of creating an unbearable behemoth of a review. For this is a very rich, polyphone book, populated by (mostly) fully developed characters and containing quite a few storylines. I’ll just settle for a brief outline: The great empire of Rhodias, the centre of belief in the sun god Jad, has fallen to the barely reformed barbarians from the north. The power centre has shifted to the eastern city Sarantium, where the emperor Valerius is creating the greatest sanctuary to Jad ever created. To this respect, he invites the best artisans from all around, including the renowned mosaicist Martinian of Varena. Who refuses to go, and instead sends his partner Crispin – a brilliant artist but with a bad temper and a fading will to live after losing his family to the plague a few years earlier. Crispin goes, more or less for the heck of it, but finds at least the beginning of a new purpose in life on the way.
This is my third Kay, and I enjoyed it just like I did The Lions of Al-Rassan and Tigana. Kay is good at balancing between detail that feels well-researched and authentic, and high paced action. He also possesses a rare talent among fantasy writers in having the ability to create suspense without violence. Everyone who’s read the chapter where Crispin is trying to navigate his first meeting at the lethal and complex court of Sarantium knows what I’m talking about.
I very much enjoy how Kay handles fantasy elements. He creates a world where magic and mystical creatures exist, but are very rare. This gives a strong ambience and poignancy to the instances, like the eerie trip into the Alderwood, where he leaves the path of historical realism and gives a glimpse of something else.
My one beef with Kay is his female characters. He does write interesting women with real dilemmas. A few too many of them are prostitutes or high royalty though, and all of them are beautiful and young. And being so good with polyphony, I kind of wish he’d have more of them. Still, the romantic cliffhanger at the end of this book leaves me rushing straight to the second part – and I hardly ever read two bricks in a row by the same author. As good a sign as any of the magic Kay works in this novel.
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LibraryThing member reichec
By the time Sailing to Sarantium was published in 1998, Guy Gavriel Kay had settled on a comfortable formula: select a place or period in history, research historical elements relevant to the story and then create a fantasy analogue.
It is a formula that works well in establishing a back-story that
In Sailing to Sarantium, the veil of the analogue is very thin indeed. In many places, it appears that only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The Christian God is represented by “Jad” and Jesus Christ by “Heladikos”. Sarantium, of course, represents the historical city of Byzantium.
Writing to formula is acceptable if it serves merely as the vehicle for transporting the reader to somewhere more fascinating and original. Kay’s works have mixed success in this respect. In Sailing to Sarantium, the author does not quite succeed. Kay’s strengths are his often complex characterisations, intricate plotlines and emotional depth. There are certainly elements of that here, but Kay seems more preoccupied with conveying his version of ‘historical’ events and reaching for a drama of epic proportions than playing to those strengths. In the end it falls a little flat, appearing more mundane than epic.
However, there is some delightful writing in this book, some great characters and some interesting concepts. I look forward to reading the sequel, hoping that I will be carried beyond the expectations established in the first volume.
It is a formula that works well in establishing a back-story that
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is tantalizingly familiar, yet sufficiently removed from history so that it does not hinder Kay’s own version of contemporary sentiment and morality.In Sailing to Sarantium, the veil of the analogue is very thin indeed. In many places, it appears that only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The Christian God is represented by “Jad” and Jesus Christ by “Heladikos”. Sarantium, of course, represents the historical city of Byzantium.
Writing to formula is acceptable if it serves merely as the vehicle for transporting the reader to somewhere more fascinating and original. Kay’s works have mixed success in this respect. In Sailing to Sarantium, the author does not quite succeed. Kay’s strengths are his often complex characterisations, intricate plotlines and emotional depth. There are certainly elements of that here, but Kay seems more preoccupied with conveying his version of ‘historical’ events and reaching for a drama of epic proportions than playing to those strengths. In the end it falls a little flat, appearing more mundane than epic.
However, there is some delightful writing in this book, some great characters and some interesting concepts. I look forward to reading the sequel, hoping that I will be carried beyond the expectations established in the first volume.
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LibraryThing member clfisha
Sailing is at heart a tale of journeys, of change and of beginnings, subtly echoing Yeat’s famous poem Sailing to Byzantium we follow our reluctant hero, Crispin the mosaciast, as he travels to Saratium on request on the Emperor to help create a wonder of the world.
It may sound far too simple a
It has a wonderful balance between history and fantasy, the fantasy maybe light but it is powerful as a little goes a long long way and I think it is one of GGK ‘s most compelling and atmospheric fantasy books outside the Fiovionar tapestry
If there is an problem it’s a different type of book to his others, it is after all a precursor to the more dramatic second book. The action here, whilst gripping is more of a personal nature. I don’t want to sell it short though it’s got intrigue, action sequences, delightful characters, heartbreaking tragedy and wonderful moments.
Sailing is the 1st book of a two book series and so closely are they entwined just reading the 1st will be a lesser experience, each book shapes each other. So I do recommend you have the 2nd nearby just in case you love this book.
It may sound far too simple a
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story but in the hands of GGK it is a dramatic, gripping life changing journey. We may follow just one man but there is a large supporting cast that GGK deftly and judiciously populates to make his world feel real. No one goes to waste here, we drop into other ‘s thoughts briefly serving not to confuse but to enhance. Take for example one beautiful moment of reflection, the night after a dramatic event where three characters mull over what happened. It’s brief in length but serves on so many levels to enrich the tale; characters, the plot & pacing are all the better for it and this is one of the books strengths.It has a wonderful balance between history and fantasy, the fantasy maybe light but it is powerful as a little goes a long long way and I think it is one of GGK ‘s most compelling and atmospheric fantasy books outside the Fiovionar tapestry
If there is an problem it’s a different type of book to his others, it is after all a precursor to the more dramatic second book. The action here, whilst gripping is more of a personal nature. I don’t want to sell it short though it’s got intrigue, action sequences, delightful characters, heartbreaking tragedy and wonderful moments.
Sailing is the 1st book of a two book series and so closely are they entwined just reading the 1st will be a lesser experience, each book shapes each other. So I do recommend you have the 2nd nearby just in case you love this book.
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LibraryThing member shelterdowns
The Sarantine Mosaic (Sailing to Sarantium, Lord of Emperors) by Guy Gavriel Kay: It's close call between this and his Lions of Al-Rassen for favorite Kay. Both are inhabited by characters who welcome me each time I arrive, and a story that sings. But this cycle, venturing deeper then ever into the
Most of Kay's writings (everything but the Fionavar cycle) are classed in the sub-genre he created, historical fantasy. The Sarantine Empire is a reflection of the real-world Byzantine Empire; the city of Sarantium is Constantinople, now Istanbul. And the great dome described in the book can be glimpsed in the still-standing Hagia Sophia, the dome that twins with the Blue Mosque to create the Istanbul skyline.
Through the eyes of a temperamental mosacist named Crispin, we watch as the Empire survives yet another religious war, this one over the hands of artists. And with this simple, unwilling man, we are bewildered by the fog-stained forests and burning city streets, and suffer the conflict between violent tradition and heartfelt faith.
This is Kay at his best, which means stunning diction, stakes that raise subtly, suddenly, and with inevitable force, and characters that you want to marry. This is also possibly the best introductory Kay, starting you off with a person who wants nothing whatsoever to do with the politics and fates of his world, and taking you through the map with him. (“possibly”, because the Fionavar Tapestry is also a good first, since the main characters begin in the University of Toronto and are completely freaked out by the mystical world they tumble into)
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spiritual and psychological life of Kay’s people, catches my heart.Most of Kay's writings (everything but the Fionavar cycle) are classed in the sub-genre he created, historical fantasy. The Sarantine Empire is a reflection of the real-world Byzantine Empire; the city of Sarantium is Constantinople, now Istanbul. And the great dome described in the book can be glimpsed in the still-standing Hagia Sophia, the dome that twins with the Blue Mosque to create the Istanbul skyline.
Through the eyes of a temperamental mosacist named Crispin, we watch as the Empire survives yet another religious war, this one over the hands of artists. And with this simple, unwilling man, we are bewildered by the fog-stained forests and burning city streets, and suffer the conflict between violent tradition and heartfelt faith.
This is Kay at his best, which means stunning diction, stakes that raise subtly, suddenly, and with inevitable force, and characters that you want to marry. This is also possibly the best introductory Kay, starting you off with a person who wants nothing whatsoever to do with the politics and fates of his world, and taking you through the map with him. (“possibly”, because the Fionavar Tapestry is also a good first, since the main characters begin in the University of Toronto and are completely freaked out by the mystical world they tumble into)
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
This was the journey to Sarantium part, so of course we were introduced to the characters, the mosaicist and his companions, and went through dangers on the journey. One could say it was slow, but there was a reason. Mr. Kay was setting up the 'action' for when the characters are in Sarantium in
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the sequel. I enjoyed this one very much. I thought the title was great: wordplay on Yeats's poem "Sailing to Byzantium." Show Less
LibraryThing member Clurb
The first of the two book Sarantine Mosaic series, Sailing to Sarantium is a well researched and very involved alternative history of the Byzantine empire. A mosaicist is called to Sarantium to help with the construction of a temple to the god, Jad and becomes embroiled in political intrigue.
LibraryThing member twilightlost
Whenever I talk about why I love Kay's books, I always talk about the elegance of his writing style. I feel there is no other word that describes the way he can turn a phrase, or how he can weave past and present tense together in a story to give greater meaning to people or events.
Sailing to
Sailing to
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Sarantium was the first book of Kay's that I read, and I, like other reviewers, wondered a bit at the slow pacing of the beginning. This book truly comes alive during subsequent readings, when one can put all the puzzle pieces together at the beginning and see the foreshadowing of what is to come. Show Less
LibraryThing member trinibaby9
A work full of wit, humor, intrigue, love, hate, excitement, depth and sadness, this one really has it all. The characters are engrossing and well developed. Full of excellent description, but never boring or dry. I can't wait to read the second half, Kay is truly a master.
LibraryThing member palemantle
The first book of The Sarantine Mosaic duology starts off a bit ponderously and never does reach a frantic pace. I didn't mind though. The prose is elegant and beautiful, the world has just enough of an otherworldly air, and the characters are interesting, particularly Crispin and Carullus. There's
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some lively court intrigue and religious bickering to add spice to the tale as well. The journey to Sarantium was thoroughly enjoyable overall. Show Less
LibraryThing member silentq
Dreamy language and hard truths and physical danger and a long voyage ending in political intrigue for a western mosaicist. Crispin takes on the summons from the city of Sarantium that was sent to his partner and heads west to escape the memory of plague deaths and to hopefully find his own path
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forward. He encounters wild pagan magic on the road that changes him forever, as well as true companions. The city itself is overwhelming (strong echoes of Rome) and so are the women in power. Half a star off because Kay still bugs me with his heavy handed foreshadowing. Show Less
LibraryThing member iayork
Disappointed...: Guy Gavriel Kay came very highly recommended, so I was quite excited about reading the first book in the duology. Doubly so because I've always been fascinated by the Roman and Byzantine Empires, and Sarantium is Byzantium with the serial numbers filed off.
Others have mentioned
When we meet the main character I have some sympathy for him, I think he's a bit of a jerk, and your typical "reluctant hero". Nevertheless the machinations in the beginning of the story are somewhat interesting. The reasons why he finally accepts the offer to go to Sarantium is also fairly well played, as is the visit to the alchemist.
I found it tedious, but I will grant that it was in a sense well written.
It's hard to give more details without spoiling the story but I will say that the hero struck me as an insufferable moron. Yes the character is consistent; he was consistently a moron whose sharp tongue got him into a lot of trouble. His supposed wit only seemed to get him out of problems that his own stupidity had gotten him into.
However that's not necessarily a deal killer, once more that's fairly stereotypical. So is the fact that the hero has lost his entire family in the plague (I'm not really giving anything away, it's revealed very early on). I could live with that.
The problem is that I don't care about the main character, he keeps talking about his grief. He doesn't sleep with a young woman because of it. However I don't *feel* any grief, I don't feel like I'm watching someone who is deeply in grief.
Likewise the young woman (whose name I shan't reveal to avoid spoilers) doesn't feel real either. She's the Suffering Young Woman and the Victim, yes her sob story is described from her point of view, her being unable to go home, etc. It's presented in such a dispassionate way that I find it very hard to *care* about any of it.
The only character that actually seemed to come alive was the hero's bodyguard. His thoughts, actions, and behaviour seemed very realistic, and it was possible to relate to them.
Even if you disregard the characters the book isn't even all that exciting, we're constantly told that they can never recover from an incident on their journeys. I just didn't feel any grandeur, or mystery, or power about the incident or the aftermath. The fog and the crazy cultists were reminiscent of a cheap slasher film, nothing more cerebral than that.
All too often we see things like "And that is why I want you to do this" or "And that sent a chill down his spine," followed by an infodump to make us understand *why* this was such a horrible thing. As examples I offer the Zubir and the Empress' dolphins, neither of them inspired the awe and worry they should have.
The plot bounces up and down the chronology, and between points of view, like a deranged jackrabbit. Over and over again we get a scene, then we skip back in time to a different character, and see his or her perspective on the events leading up to the scene. Sometimes we're then shown that the scene is really something *quite different*! The first time this happened it was alright, the second it was a little annoying, the third, and fourth, and so on times...
Well it got very, very annoying, very fast. Nor was it effective as a story telling device.
Then there's the Jadite faith, which is meant to stand in for Christianity. I'm suppose to care about the different sects and beliefs thereof, or at least see why they're important. I don't. Mainly because the portrayal of religion is so shallow and half-hearted that I can't be bothered. I mean Harry Turtledove of all people did a better job of portraying religious and sectarian strife in his Basil Agyros / Agent of Byzantium series! And that is a series of cheap action spy thrillers set in an alternate Byzantium!
Perhaps it's worse for me since I recognised all of the Byzantine, sorry Sarantian, characters, and I know exactly what incidents he's referring to (and yes all the important Sarantians are based on equivalent historic figures, up to and including the charioteer). Perhaps I'm not able to enjoy it because I'm aware of what tribes and pagan gods he's referring to. Perhaps I'm troubled because I recognise where the Jadite faith comes from (a mixture of Sol Invictus and Mithraism unless I miss my bet).
Thing is that sort of knowledge should *increase* my enjoyment of the book.
One quick note, some people complain that the charioteering factions in Sarantium are too simplistic. That's unfair, since Guy Gavriel Kay ripped them off wholesale from Byzantium, it may be simplistic but, hey, worked for the real Byzantines. Beside how sophisticated are modern day sports fans?
Overall I didn't like this book much, and when I finished it I decided I wouldn't bother to get the sequel. Quite frankly I don't care *what* happens next.
Two stars for getting all the grammar right, and for good research. Not recommended.
Others have mentioned
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the very long, and I have to say insufferable, introduction. It was exceedingly long and tedious, but I persevered as I have something very rare these days, an actual attention span. Even though the introduction becomes relevant later on it could easily have been cut down to four or five pages. When we meet the main character I have some sympathy for him, I think he's a bit of a jerk, and your typical "reluctant hero". Nevertheless the machinations in the beginning of the story are somewhat interesting. The reasons why he finally accepts the offer to go to Sarantium is also fairly well played, as is the visit to the alchemist.
I found it tedious, but I will grant that it was in a sense well written.
It's hard to give more details without spoiling the story but I will say that the hero struck me as an insufferable moron. Yes the character is consistent; he was consistently a moron whose sharp tongue got him into a lot of trouble. His supposed wit only seemed to get him out of problems that his own stupidity had gotten him into.
However that's not necessarily a deal killer, once more that's fairly stereotypical. So is the fact that the hero has lost his entire family in the plague (I'm not really giving anything away, it's revealed very early on). I could live with that.
The problem is that I don't care about the main character, he keeps talking about his grief. He doesn't sleep with a young woman because of it. However I don't *feel* any grief, I don't feel like I'm watching someone who is deeply in grief.
Likewise the young woman (whose name I shan't reveal to avoid spoilers) doesn't feel real either. She's the Suffering Young Woman and the Victim, yes her sob story is described from her point of view, her being unable to go home, etc. It's presented in such a dispassionate way that I find it very hard to *care* about any of it.
The only character that actually seemed to come alive was the hero's bodyguard. His thoughts, actions, and behaviour seemed very realistic, and it was possible to relate to them.
Even if you disregard the characters the book isn't even all that exciting, we're constantly told that they can never recover from an incident on their journeys. I just didn't feel any grandeur, or mystery, or power about the incident or the aftermath. The fog and the crazy cultists were reminiscent of a cheap slasher film, nothing more cerebral than that.
All too often we see things like "And that is why I want you to do this" or "And that sent a chill down his spine," followed by an infodump to make us understand *why* this was such a horrible thing. As examples I offer the Zubir and the Empress' dolphins, neither of them inspired the awe and worry they should have.
The plot bounces up and down the chronology, and between points of view, like a deranged jackrabbit. Over and over again we get a scene, then we skip back in time to a different character, and see his or her perspective on the events leading up to the scene. Sometimes we're then shown that the scene is really something *quite different*! The first time this happened it was alright, the second it was a little annoying, the third, and fourth, and so on times...
Well it got very, very annoying, very fast. Nor was it effective as a story telling device.
Then there's the Jadite faith, which is meant to stand in for Christianity. I'm suppose to care about the different sects and beliefs thereof, or at least see why they're important. I don't. Mainly because the portrayal of religion is so shallow and half-hearted that I can't be bothered. I mean Harry Turtledove of all people did a better job of portraying religious and sectarian strife in his Basil Agyros / Agent of Byzantium series! And that is a series of cheap action spy thrillers set in an alternate Byzantium!
Perhaps it's worse for me since I recognised all of the Byzantine, sorry Sarantian, characters, and I know exactly what incidents he's referring to (and yes all the important Sarantians are based on equivalent historic figures, up to and including the charioteer). Perhaps I'm not able to enjoy it because I'm aware of what tribes and pagan gods he's referring to. Perhaps I'm troubled because I recognise where the Jadite faith comes from (a mixture of Sol Invictus and Mithraism unless I miss my bet).
Thing is that sort of knowledge should *increase* my enjoyment of the book.
One quick note, some people complain that the charioteering factions in Sarantium are too simplistic. That's unfair, since Guy Gavriel Kay ripped them off wholesale from Byzantium, it may be simplistic but, hey, worked for the real Byzantines. Beside how sophisticated are modern day sports fans?
Overall I didn't like this book much, and when I finished it I decided I wouldn't bother to get the sequel. Quite frankly I don't care *what* happens next.
Two stars for getting all the grammar right, and for good research. Not recommended.
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LibraryThing member elmyra
I still remember a lot of the things I thought and felt the first time I read those two books, because it was fairly recently (about three years ago, large chunks read on the night ferry from Angelsey to Dublin as I just couldn't stop reading and refused to sleep). I was actually surprised how much
I think, stylistically, the Mosaic is Kay's best work. In it, he shows that he is in complete mastery and control of his craft. Some of the things he pulls off are amazing. The pacing for one is absolutely astonishing. The second part of the first book (over 200 pages) describes events which take place in the space of 24 hours (the day after Crispin arrives in Sarantium). So, for that matter, does the first part of the second book (another 200 pages, the day of Kasia and Carullus's wedding), and most of the second part of the second book (the day of Valerius' death). Despite this, I personally couldn't stop turning the pages. Kay uses shifts in narrative perspective and tense so cleverly, it's dazzling. He reveals bits of plot slowly, but because of the shifts in perspective the reader barely has time to assimilate everything. Reading the books feels a bit like seeing Sarantium for the first time - absolutely overwhelming.
In most of his other novels, Kay is extremely careful of when he shifts to present tense. In the Mosaic, he uses it on a more regular basis, but in places where if flows naturally out of and into the surrounding passages. There's is only one place where the shift back into past tense seems extremely harsh and abrupt - after Valerius' death. And that has an effect of its own. The reader definitely gets the feeling that this is the end, that an rea is over and whatever comes after it will not be a smooth transition.
Another example of Kay's absolute control over the writing is the way he plays with the reader's emotions. I remember this from my first reading of the books. He takes a long time to set up Valerius' death. It starts with Alixana's visit to the island, then we get a chariot race, all the time dreading what we know is going to happen in the palace. This for me created a feeling of utter doom. I could no imagine Sarantium going on after Valerius. And at the same time, Kay kept giving us glimpses of the future, reassuring us that there would a future. He does it when he mentions that Cleander would one day write his Reflections. And there is one quote which for me puts everything into perspective:
"The first of what would be one thousand, six hundred and forty-five triumphs for the Blues. By the time the boy in that chariot retired eighteen years later only two names in the long history of the Sarantium Hippodrome would have won more races, and no one who followed him would do so. There would be three statues to Taras of Megarium in the spina to be torn down with all the others, seven hundred years after, when the great changes came."
What this is saying to me is: "If you think the death of an Emperor is the end of Sarantium, think again."
On the other hand, despite some very touching moments, I don't think the Mosaic has the raw emotional power I found in Lions. To use one of Kay's own images, Lions for me is a bit like the image of Jad in the chapel in Sauradia - so powerful it floored me both times I read it. The Mosaic, on the other hand, is more like Crispin's mosaic on the dome in Sarantium: still powerful and emotional, but above all a mastery of the craft.
One of the really nice touches about the Mosaic is the historical accuracy of the setting. A lot of the characters (Valerius, Alixana, Leontes, Pertennius, the Greens and the Blues) are based on real historical figures, and a lot of the plot (the Victory Riot, Ashar going into the desert, Pertennius' Secret History, mosaics in Varena) is based on real events. Of course, there are also a lot of divergences, but the picture Kay paints of Byzantium is fascinating. When I first read the Mosaic, I did some historical research and reached the conclusions that Islam was founded around the same time as Justinian ruled in Byzantium. I was amused and gratified to see Kay mention this.
Like all of Kay's books, the Mosaic, too, is about loss; and moving on. It starts with loss (Crispin's loss of his family, Styliane's loss of her father and her life) and ends with loss (Alixana's loss of her life, Crispin's loss of his work). It shows how different characters deal with loss and succeed or fail to move beyond it. It shows change and destruction, and at the same time makes a compelling case for hope and faith in the future.
A lot of it, I think, boils down to what Rustem says: we have to bend, or we break. We see a lot of extremely strong characters, all facing change and destruction. Some of them bend; and other break. Two of those who break strike me in particular: Styliane, who cannot move beyond loss and hate and revenge and whom I find myself unable to hate despite her deeds; and Thenais, whose world is so frozen that the slightest tension or pressure makes shatter.
And then there are those who do bend, and who through bending move on. Kasia finds a new life. Gisel, through being clever and flexible and probably also being luckier than one might think she deserves, not only stays alive but keeps her kingdom and becomes Empress. Crispin, despite all that life has thrown in his path, goes on, lives. Above all, though, there is Alixana. Despite, or perhaps because of, who and what she is, after tremendous loss, she, too, moves on.
There are two defining moments to Alixana, I think. The first is during the victory riot. "The vestments of Empire are seemly for a shroud, my lord. Are they not?" And then dropping her Porphyry cloak on the island after finding out about Lecanus' escape. These may seem contradictory at a first glance, but I think they are two sides of the same coin. It is not only about bending, so as not to break; is also about knowing when to bend and when to stand in the face of change.
The pairing of Crispin and Alixana at the end also seems unlikely at first. Thinking about it again, however, there is something between them throughout the books. It starts even before they meet, with the death of Crispin's wife and with Alixana during the Victory Riot. There is a lot of interaction between them, and we see Alixana trusting Crispin without even knowing why. And then she asks him how he lived after his wife died. He cannot answer, but she finds the answer for herself and thus the way to him and a new life. Yes, Alixana and Valerius were very much two halves of a whole; but once Valerius was gone, Alixana had the choice: she could die, or she could move on.
Finally, I would like to say that a lot of highly unpleasant things involving swords, or tesserae, or possibly both, and which Crispin or Carullus could describe much better than me, should be done to Leontes. He is a spoilt arrogant brat. He is also a religious zealot. I cannot stand religious zealots. In fact, I have very little patience for religion in general. And I feel sorry for Gisel marrying him. While Gisel is definitely a match for Alixana and with passage of time one can see her become even more so, Leontes is no match for Petrus. His failings, however, are in many respects what makes the Mosaic so good and what makes the loss - of the mosaics, of a culture and an era, of a civilisation - so keenly felt.
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of the plot I still remembered. And I think it's partly because I remembered that much of it that this time there we completely different things which struck me and reduced me to tears/laughter/outbreak of random other emotion.I think, stylistically, the Mosaic is Kay's best work. In it, he shows that he is in complete mastery and control of his craft. Some of the things he pulls off are amazing. The pacing for one is absolutely astonishing. The second part of the first book (over 200 pages) describes events which take place in the space of 24 hours (the day after Crispin arrives in Sarantium). So, for that matter, does the first part of the second book (another 200 pages, the day of Kasia and Carullus's wedding), and most of the second part of the second book (the day of Valerius' death). Despite this, I personally couldn't stop turning the pages. Kay uses shifts in narrative perspective and tense so cleverly, it's dazzling. He reveals bits of plot slowly, but because of the shifts in perspective the reader barely has time to assimilate everything. Reading the books feels a bit like seeing Sarantium for the first time - absolutely overwhelming.
In most of his other novels, Kay is extremely careful of when he shifts to present tense. In the Mosaic, he uses it on a more regular basis, but in places where if flows naturally out of and into the surrounding passages. There's is only one place where the shift back into past tense seems extremely harsh and abrupt - after Valerius' death. And that has an effect of its own. The reader definitely gets the feeling that this is the end, that an rea is over and whatever comes after it will not be a smooth transition.
Another example of Kay's absolute control over the writing is the way he plays with the reader's emotions. I remember this from my first reading of the books. He takes a long time to set up Valerius' death. It starts with Alixana's visit to the island, then we get a chariot race, all the time dreading what we know is going to happen in the palace. This for me created a feeling of utter doom. I could no imagine Sarantium going on after Valerius. And at the same time, Kay kept giving us glimpses of the future, reassuring us that there would a future. He does it when he mentions that Cleander would one day write his Reflections. And there is one quote which for me puts everything into perspective:
"The first of what would be one thousand, six hundred and forty-five triumphs for the Blues. By the time the boy in that chariot retired eighteen years later only two names in the long history of the Sarantium Hippodrome would have won more races, and no one who followed him would do so. There would be three statues to Taras of Megarium in the spina to be torn down with all the others, seven hundred years after, when the great changes came."
What this is saying to me is: "If you think the death of an Emperor is the end of Sarantium, think again."
On the other hand, despite some very touching moments, I don't think the Mosaic has the raw emotional power I found in Lions. To use one of Kay's own images, Lions for me is a bit like the image of Jad in the chapel in Sauradia - so powerful it floored me both times I read it. The Mosaic, on the other hand, is more like Crispin's mosaic on the dome in Sarantium: still powerful and emotional, but above all a mastery of the craft.
One of the really nice touches about the Mosaic is the historical accuracy of the setting. A lot of the characters (Valerius, Alixana, Leontes, Pertennius, the Greens and the Blues) are based on real historical figures, and a lot of the plot (the Victory Riot, Ashar going into the desert, Pertennius' Secret History, mosaics in Varena) is based on real events. Of course, there are also a lot of divergences, but the picture Kay paints of Byzantium is fascinating. When I first read the Mosaic, I did some historical research and reached the conclusions that Islam was founded around the same time as Justinian ruled in Byzantium. I was amused and gratified to see Kay mention this.
Like all of Kay's books, the Mosaic, too, is about loss; and moving on. It starts with loss (Crispin's loss of his family, Styliane's loss of her father and her life) and ends with loss (Alixana's loss of her life, Crispin's loss of his work). It shows how different characters deal with loss and succeed or fail to move beyond it. It shows change and destruction, and at the same time makes a compelling case for hope and faith in the future.
A lot of it, I think, boils down to what Rustem says: we have to bend, or we break. We see a lot of extremely strong characters, all facing change and destruction. Some of them bend; and other break. Two of those who break strike me in particular: Styliane, who cannot move beyond loss and hate and revenge and whom I find myself unable to hate despite her deeds; and Thenais, whose world is so frozen that the slightest tension or pressure makes shatter.
And then there are those who do bend, and who through bending move on. Kasia finds a new life. Gisel, through being clever and flexible and probably also being luckier than one might think she deserves, not only stays alive but keeps her kingdom and becomes Empress. Crispin, despite all that life has thrown in his path, goes on, lives. Above all, though, there is Alixana. Despite, or perhaps because of, who and what she is, after tremendous loss, she, too, moves on.
There are two defining moments to Alixana, I think. The first is during the victory riot. "The vestments of Empire are seemly for a shroud, my lord. Are they not?" And then dropping her Porphyry cloak on the island after finding out about Lecanus' escape. These may seem contradictory at a first glance, but I think they are two sides of the same coin. It is not only about bending, so as not to break; is also about knowing when to bend and when to stand in the face of change.
The pairing of Crispin and Alixana at the end also seems unlikely at first. Thinking about it again, however, there is something between them throughout the books. It starts even before they meet, with the death of Crispin's wife and with Alixana during the Victory Riot. There is a lot of interaction between them, and we see Alixana trusting Crispin without even knowing why. And then she asks him how he lived after his wife died. He cannot answer, but she finds the answer for herself and thus the way to him and a new life. Yes, Alixana and Valerius were very much two halves of a whole; but once Valerius was gone, Alixana had the choice: she could die, or she could move on.
Finally, I would like to say that a lot of highly unpleasant things involving swords, or tesserae, or possibly both, and which Crispin or Carullus could describe much better than me, should be done to Leontes. He is a spoilt arrogant brat. He is also a religious zealot. I cannot stand religious zealots. In fact, I have very little patience for religion in general. And I feel sorry for Gisel marrying him. While Gisel is definitely a match for Alixana and with passage of time one can see her become even more so, Leontes is no match for Petrus. His failings, however, are in many respects what makes the Mosaic so good and what makes the loss - of the mosaics, of a culture and an era, of a civilisation - so keenly felt.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
A great book in an excellent 2 book series. The characters and the setting are very well done, and the book is written very well. Unlike some of Kay's books, it is more direct, without some of the wandering his books are sometimes prone too, and it is not overly long. My only dislike was how long
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it took the plot to build, but it was worth the wait. Show Less
LibraryThing member chndlrs
Fun beach reading.
LibraryThing member babyblade
Vivid characters and setting.
LibraryThing member Nodosaurus
The book is set in a fantasy-world equivalent of Byzantium. The title refers to going to Sarantium in order to find opportunity or the cost of failure in not standing up to that opportunity.
The protagonist is a mosaicist who goes to Sarantium in place of his master to build a mosaic for the King.
I'm not sure why it's set in a fantasy setting, as the fantastic elements seems of negligible importance and could have been achieved by other means. It could easily have been set in Rome or Byzantium, among other ancient cultures.
The book got off to a slow start, but became much more interesting when the protagonist reached Sarantium.
The protagonist is a mosaicist who goes to Sarantium in place of his master to build a mosaic for the King.
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There is some courtly intrigue and it has interesting and well-developed characters. I'm not sure why it's set in a fantasy setting, as the fantastic elements seems of negligible importance and could have been achieved by other means. It could easily have been set in Rome or Byzantium, among other ancient cultures.
The book got off to a slow start, but became much more interesting when the protagonist reached Sarantium.
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LibraryThing member JudithProctor
I had this book sitting on my shelves for nearly a decade before I got around to reading it. As soon as I finished it, I ordered the sequel and will be buying other books by this writer as well.
An alternative history of the Byzantine Empire, with light fantasy elements, with the central character
Kay's skill is to show us how major historical events impact at all levels. One person may fear assassination, but another may not care who is in charge as long as the crop can be harvested.
An alternative history of the Byzantine Empire, with light fantasy elements, with the central character
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being a mosaicist. Crispin's position as a skilled craftsman brings him into contact with people from all walks of life, and thus he becomes the central character with a circle of friends/clients from the Emperor to chariot racers. Kay's skill is to show us how major historical events impact at all levels. One person may fear assassination, but another may not care who is in charge as long as the crop can be harvested.
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LibraryThing member treehorse
2.5
So having sex with the girl who reminds the protagonist of his daughter is, like, totally OK. And the offstage rape-based ceremony is OK, too! Because this is about religion -- a little birdie tells us so! Really, a bird does gift us with this wonderfully tasteful and sexually charged
In short, this book is about this, like, guy that will make mosaics. But we only get to meet said protagonist after a very long and somewhat unnecessary prologue.
... and yet I want to know what happens next. Ugh.
So having sex with the girl who reminds the protagonist of his daughter is, like, totally OK. And the offstage rape-based ceremony is OK, too! Because this is about religion -- a little birdie tells us so! Really, a bird does gift us with this wonderfully tasteful and sexually charged
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description of human sacrifice and soul-capturing. And it's fine that Kasia serves only as a rape victim in the plot because she learns to stand by her man and sees The City. In short, this book is about this, like, guy that will make mosaics. But we only get to meet said protagonist after a very long and somewhat unnecessary prologue.
... and yet I want to know what happens next. Ugh.
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LibraryThing member jercox
Classic Kay - in the style of and a prequel to Lions of Al-Rassan.
LibraryThing member jsabrina
Kay's books are always worth reading, but in the two books of "The Sarantine Mosaic" his deliberately convoluted manner detracts from the flow of the story. Again and again he leads the reader up to a dramatic point, only to change locations -- or time periods. I suspect this is intended to mimic
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the "mosaic" theme, but its repeated use becomes irritating. Still, Kay's characters are always worth spending time with, and he does a marvelous job of conveying both the grit and the grandeur of Sarantium. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
So, so slow to develop a theme and ultimately, for me, the characters were never engaging or the action intriguing. May have improved but by about 80 pages, I was just reading the words. DNFed.
LibraryThing member threadnsong
Another extraordinary exploration of humans, history, and faith. While Jad is the Supreme Deity in this re-envisioning of ancient Byzantium, there are still other faiths at work in this world with its twin moons and they play a crucial part of the events in this first book in the series.
The book
Add to the mix two rulers with distinct human origins, a journey across the Southern boundary of the known world, an overnight stay in an inn, a bodyguard who takes up with the travelers for part of their journey, and an experienced fighter and you have an intriguing tale spun across the miles. Then, of course, you have the descriptive, poetic language of Guy Gavriel Kay who says everything in his quiet way, and leaves you wanting the book to never end. One even learns much about the art of mosaicists in the bargain!
The book
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begins with the death of the Emperor of Sarantium and the political machinations that his successor takes to help his uncle take the throne. We also look at the post-plague years of the Western capital and the plague's effect on a mosaicist who has lost his family and his reason for being.Add to the mix two rulers with distinct human origins, a journey across the Southern boundary of the known world, an overnight stay in an inn, a bodyguard who takes up with the travelers for part of their journey, and an experienced fighter and you have an intriguing tale spun across the miles. Then, of course, you have the descriptive, poetic language of Guy Gavriel Kay who says everything in his quiet way, and leaves you wanting the book to never end. One even learns much about the art of mosaicists in the bargain!
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
I like Come-backs, having failed a number of things at the first encounter. I admire the Eastern Roman Empire for that reason. GGK seems to be investigating all major world cultures as fantasy settings. It's a good way to make your education pay off. I enjoy this volume one of his Byzantine moments.
LibraryThing member libraryofus
(Amy) I've always been moderately interested in Byzantium - sufficiently that I recognized the historical bit from which the story was grown, at least - and equally fascinated with Kay's turn of phrase. I loved this duology, but I think it was perhaps somewhat poorly paced - this volume is very
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slow, and unless the reader is able to stop looking for much in the way of plot advancement and instead simply enjoy the prose, it might seem somewhat tedious. The payoff is worth it, though. Show Less
Publication
Earthlight (2002), Edition: New edition, 448 pages
Original language
English
Original publication date
1998-09
Physical description
448 p.
ISBN
0743450094 / 9780743450096