Sailing to Sarantium (The Sarantine Mosaic, #1)

by Guy Gavriel Kay

The first part of The Sarantine Mosaic, Kay’s sweeping tale of politics, intrigue and adventure inspired by ancient Byzantium.

Rumored to be responsible for the ascension of the previous Emperor, his uncle, amid fire and blood, Valerius the Trakesian has himself now risen to the Golden Throne of the vast empire ruled by the fabled city, Sarantium.

Valerius has a vision to match his ambition: a glittering dome that will proclaim his magnificence down through the ages. And so, in a ruined western city on the far distant edge of civilization, a not-so-humble artisan receives a call that will change his life forever.

Crispin is a mosaicist, a layer of bright tiles. Still grieving for the family he lost to the plague, he lives only for his arcane craft, and cares little for ambition, less for money, and for intrigue not at all. But an imperial summons to the most magnificent city in the world is a difficult call to resist.

In this world still half-wild and tangled with magic, no journey is simple; and a journey to Sarantium means a walk into destiny. Bearing with him a deadly secret, and a Queen's seductive promise; guarded only by his own wits and a bird soul talisman from an alchemist's treasury, Crispin sets out for the fabled city from which none return unaltered.

• ISBN13: 9780007342082
• Publish Date: 3 March 2011 (first published 1 October 1998)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HarperVoyager
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 624
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[ross91]

Wow this was boring!
I finished it only because the writing was beautiful and I wanted to know if things would go somewhere but... basically nothing really happens in this book and it made me sad, 'cause I expected a lot more.
All the characters are very unlikable and I couldn't care less about any of them (except maybe Alixana, who I randomly liked but wasn't there for the majority of this book).
All women are whores and/or throws themself at the main protagonist, who is a very unlikable and irascible man... why he's so popular with the female population is truly unknown.
Lastly, it seems GGK is very interested in horse races: we get a looong (stress on LOOOOOONG) chapter almost entirely about a chariot race, recounted in minute detail.
The same happened in A Brightness Long Ago (a truly beautiful book) where the author took his time describing what is basically a reenactment of the "Palio di Siena".
But while in this second book the moment was vital to the story and I felt all the pressure of the moment and the urgency of what was at stake, in this one the race seamed very disjointed from the actual plot and I was confused (and bored) by it.
Sadly, 2* and I don't think I'll ever read the second book