Book Review
Jun. 9th, 2016 04:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariSailing to Sarantium
by Guy Gavriel Kay
This engrossing novel is the first of a two book set. Sailing to Sarantium is set in a very low-magic fantasy version of the sixth century CE and tells the story of mosaicist Crispin as he leaves his native Varena (i.e. Ravenna) for Sarantium (i.e., Byzantium) at the behest of Emperor Valerius I who is building a new and glorious sanctuary. A good-hearted but often prickly man, Crispin soon realizes that to succeed in Sarantium, he will not only have to create a great work of art but also navigate the complex politics of the imperial court.
I have long been a fan of Kay's - The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of my most favorite books - and Sailing to Sarantium has only confirmed my opinion of him. The characters are wonderful, from the main group of Crispin and his gradually accumulated companions Kasia, Vargos, and Carullus to the Emperor, his shrewd Empress, and all the rest of the court. Kay also seems to be beginning an interesting exploration of the relationships between art, artists, and politics. I also love the rich world-building and the way Kay makes everything so vivid. I'm not quite sure where the plot is going, as this is only the first half of the story, but everything about this book makes me want to find out.
by Guy Gavriel Kay
This engrossing novel is the first of a two book set. Sailing to Sarantium is set in a very low-magic fantasy version of the sixth century CE and tells the story of mosaicist Crispin as he leaves his native Varena (i.e. Ravenna) for Sarantium (i.e., Byzantium) at the behest of Emperor Valerius I who is building a new and glorious sanctuary. A good-hearted but often prickly man, Crispin soon realizes that to succeed in Sarantium, he will not only have to create a great work of art but also navigate the complex politics of the imperial court.
I have long been a fan of Kay's - The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of my most favorite books - and Sailing to Sarantium has only confirmed my opinion of him. The characters are wonderful, from the main group of Crispin and his gradually accumulated companions Kasia, Vargos, and Carullus to the Emperor, his shrewd Empress, and all the rest of the court. Kay also seems to be beginning an interesting exploration of the relationships between art, artists, and politics. I also love the rich world-building and the way Kay makes everything so vivid. I'm not quite sure where the plot is going, as this is only the first half of the story, but everything about this book makes me want to find out.
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Date: 2016-06-09 11:04 pm (UTC)Taken as one book in two volumes, Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors are one of the rare cases where although the protagonist is not my favorite character, I quite like him and I also quite like many other people in the supporting cast. It also does something interesting with Byzantine history, namely that while it looks like an obvious remix and implies that the reader familiar with late antiquity will be able to tell where all of this is going, it still manages to throw at least one spectacular curveball against audience expectation which is even worse if you know the history. I respect Kay for that, even when I feel sometimes that his narration is just slightly too on-the-nose. I'm glad you're enjoying it!