Customer Reviews

Sailing to Sarantium, Book One of the Sarantine Mosaic

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another spectacular journey by Mr. Gavriel Kay, this time through a parallel byzantine empire. His character development as always leaves you missing good friends when the two book series ends. This two book glimpse into life during the peak of byzantium/constantinople/instabul sends the reader around the byzantine chariot track, into the chambers of the emperor and empress, and through the countryside between a crumbling roman empire and the new power in the world. He is my favorite author which is the best recommendation I can give.

As with all of Kay's books, this one holds your attention and reads quickly. The character development is nicely done and at the end you are looking for more of the same.

If you want to lose yourself in another world, with fully realized characters, an intricately laid plot, and a thought-provoking theme, look no further than Guy Gavriel Kay. This series was wonderful...

Sailing to Sarantium, the first book of the Sarantine Mosaic, is another masterful work by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay, perhaps best known for the stunning standalone novel Tigana. Sailing to Sarantium is built around a world closely analogous to the Byzantine Empire during Justinian I's reign.

Although the scope of the plot is grand - war, political maneuverings, religious conflicts, etc., the story is primarily told from the viewpoint of those who are only marginally involved. It is told from the perspectives, among others, of an artisan, a low ranking soldier, a common guard, a recently freed slave, etc. Through various twists and turns, these characters become involved in the great events of the world. We see the Emperor and Empress, the members of the court, the various conflicts, primarily through their eyes. In fact, most of the point of view characters are outsiders to Sarantium, seeing the city and the culture for the first time.

Despite the massive array of characters, many of whom provide the perspective for at least a small section of the novel, almost every character is masterfully drawn, unique and realistic. There are very few clichéd characters, there are no purely evil characters, no purely good characters. In so many ways, the characters of Sailing to Sarantium seem like real people. The artisan Crispin, the main protagonist, is a very likeable character. He starts the story as a broken man, having lost his wife and children to the plague during the previous summer, and, against his will, is summoned to Sarantium to assist with the decoration of the Emperor's new Sanctuary (akin to a cathedral). Despite all the great events that Crispin and the other characters witness, the story, at its most basic level, is about learning to start again after a terrible tragedy. It's about a man's struggle to find happiness after everything he cared most about what destroyed. In that way, Sailing to Sarantium is a far more moving novel than most fantasy novels, because it is far more personal, far more intimate, despite the massive scope.

Kay is also an incredibly capable writer. He produces some of the most beautiful, elegant prose that you are likely to find in any novel, let alone a fantasy novel. Although his dialogue is, at times, a little trite, the prose remains a work of art. Further, Kay does a wonderful job of building suspense. For a novel with very little action, Sailing to Sarantium is remarkably exciting. Although many authors can make a battle scene exciting, few could make the mundane so exciting.

My only real complaint with the novel is that it felt almost entirely like a setup for its sequel, the Lord of Emperors. While one would certainly expect the first novel in a duology to serve primarily to setup the following conclusion, one expects that at least some issues will be resolved in the first novel. But practically nothing is resolved in Sailing to Sarantium. The ending, indeed, is about as anti-climactic as one can get. As another minor point, although Kay's female characters are remarkably well drawn, they all seem to be highly sexualized. Almost every section told from their perspective or about them involves at least some innuendo. This is, probably, a consequence of the time period which Kay is trying to portray, but it was a little annoying at times.

Although none of the following issues bothered me, other readers might find them problematic. There is very, very little of the fantastical in Sailing to Sarantium. There is very little real magic, very little of the supernatural. In fact Sailing to Sarantium is probably closer to historical fiction than fantasy. Aside from the fact that it takes place in another world, there is little fantastical about the novel. Also, there is very little action. The only violent scenes involve riots. The most action-packed scenes were built around a chariot race (which was rather remarkably narrated). For those who like battles and magic, Sailing to Sarantium probably isn't for you. Others might have a problem with the language, which can be a bit difficult to dissect at times. Sailing to Sarantium is not a light, easy novel, but it is well worth the effort.

Although Sailing to Sarantium may not quite reach the level of Kay's Tigana, it is an excellent novel. The world that Kay builds is incredible: it is deep, complex, realistic. The characters he develops are astonishing: they, too, are deep, complex, realistic. They feel like real people. The story is engaging and surprising, not at all standard fantasy fare. If you have never read a novel by Guy Gavriel Kay, Sailing to Sarantium is as good a place as any to start. If you have read some of his other novels and liked them, then you will like this one too. If you didn't like other novels, though, you probably won't like this one, as Kay's novels tend to be very similar stylistically.

All in all, I loved reading Sailing to Sarantium and cannot wait to pick up its sequel, Lord of Emperors, which concludes the Sarantine Mosaic. Sailing to Sarantium probably deserves a 4.5 star rating (note, amazon, please allow for .5 star ratings), but it's closer to a 5 than a 4. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

After reading and re-reading the Lions of Al-rassan and enjoying the intricate but understandable relationships between diverse cultures which are relevant in todays societies, I finally got round to reading another of his works this xmas. There is enough information to flesh out the characters without bogging the storyline, keeping the reader riveted to the final page. This is the way I like to learn history, where the people come alive in the settings in which they lived.

(This is a slightly edited version of an older review I posted)

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. I am a bit of a history buff and the later Roman Empire is my favourite era, especially the religious strife in the early Church. Therefore I should be the target audience for this novel.

Others have mentioned 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. We are shown in far too great detail the journey of a courier sent with a message to a master craftsman. During this introduction we see how our courier dines, how he fornicates, how he diddles expense accounts, and diddles whores. It is segments like this which makes me curse the day that "show don't tell" entered a writers vocabulary, for if there is ever a time when you should "tell, don't show" this was it! Even though the introduction becomes relevant later on it could easily have been cut down to a couple of 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'm not really giving anything away here.

Unfortunately he goes ahead and spoils the somewhat favourable first impression. It's hard to give more details without spoiling the story, but the hero is an insufferable (yes, there's that word again) and irritating 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, jackass heroes who mouth off too much are cliché, but workable if handled well. Another cliché 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). 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. I'm serious here, at one point she lists her problems and it's like reading a Ye Olde Liste of Women's Grivances.

The only character that actually seemed to come alive was the hero's bodyguard. His thoughts, actions, and behaviour seemed 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. First he showed them to us, and then he told us why it was a Big and Important Deal! In many cases what we get is something like this: "And then he noticed that the man was wearing green shoes! His blood froze to ice right then and there, wondering how he'd gotten himself into this mess. For the great heretic Unga-Bunga wore green shoes when he danced a flamenco on top of the great altar of the High Cathedral in Hock-Ptui. Ever since green shoes had been banned to the true believers, and only the most devoted heretics would wear them." If something like this comes out of nowhere it simply cannot inspire awe or fear, but if it was slowly built up on the way it might.

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. Is it Orthodoxy? Is it a mish-mash of Mithraism, Sol-Invictus and Philosophy? Who can tell! I did notice the "amusing" joke about how the orthodox Jadites claimed Jad had no son, but the desert dwelling nomad faux-arab heretics claimed he did. By amusing I naturally mean that I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out of their sockets. Let me just say that if you want to portray religions that care about their doctrines you need to have a cast-iron view of what those doctrines are, you can't just rely on a jaundiced view of Christianity.

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, not decrease it.

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. I found it tedious, but I will grant that it was in a sense well written, so two stars.

This book (and its sequel, Lord of Emperors--the two books should be thought of as one novel in two parts) is set in an alternate universe version of Byzantium. As with Mr. Kay's other stories, this story features detailed, living, breathing characters, who make mistakes and have a very human side.

This story is something of a poetic circle. This is a character story of an artist, a maker of mosaics. The story begins with his life in a small town at the fringes of the Empire, the main character's entire family dead of the plague, and relatively little to live for. The story ends after a spectacular series of events with the main character back in the small town, at the fringes of the Empire, with a lot to live for. The ending is immensely satisfying, following naturally from a complex series of events in the story itself.

The story is the middle part of the above. It is the story of an interesting human being caught up in extraordinary events. He is summoned before the Emperor to help complete the greatest work of art of the time. From this relatively ordinary beginning, you will encounter richly developed characters intertwined by events, in a setting composed of past tragedies, primed on a razor's edge for an accounting. The unfolding of these events and the decisions of our main character all naturally lead to its poetic ending.

Read the novel to find out how. If you like good characterization, you can't possibly be disappointed.

The story is a work of low fantasy, which is always a good sign in a fantasy work. I have found that high fantasy often uses new and cliched fantastic elements like a crutch, at the expense of effective characterization. You'll find none of that here; Mr. Kay is a virtuoso of character development, and these two novels show him at the height of his art.

My love for Byzantium led me to this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent writing, the complex characters, and very believable plot. There wasn't anything in this book, or in the sequel, that I would have wanted changed. Since reading these, I have read several more of Kay's work. While he considers these books Historic Fantasy, I know enough about history to find them at explaining history than some Historic Fiction books I've read. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a good read with a historic bent.

I have a love-hate relationship with Kay's work: loved Tigana, really liked Song for Arbonne, put Lions of Al-Rassan down in disgust halfway through. (Last Light of the Sun is the only one I've been ambivalent about so far.) Maybe this book is too similar to Lions for me--and most people seem to love Lions (if you do, you might want to ignore this review). Or maybe I've just read too much Kay.

At any rate, this book is about Crispin, a mosaicist who travels to Sarantium (a very thinly disguised Byzantium) in the place of his more famous but aged partner, who was summoned to work on a project for the Emperor. I like historical fantasy, and I liked the worldbuilding here: the charioteering, the glimpses into the famous bureaucracy, and the descriptions of the world. What I didn't like was.... just about everything else.

The plot: Crispin travels. He gets to Sarantium. He meets a bunch of people who are involved in intrigues. A bit-part character tries to kill him. Then.... it ends. If you want any kind of climax, let alone a resolution, buy book two, I guess. Given my reaction to this one, I have little interest in book two, and I'm still of the belief that the first book in a sequence ought to have a complete plot arc. And what we have here isn't even all that interesting; halfway through the book I put it down for a month and read some other books.

Then there's the characters. Almost every woman in this book is a current or former prostitute. Literally every woman in the book (except Crispin's mother, who has a walk-on role) throws herself at Crispin right after meeting him, or otherwise tries to seduce him. For that matter, almost everyone in this book of either gender is obsessed with Crispin. He shows up in Sarantium, and all of the sudden, aristocratic women are stalking him back to his hotel and getting in his bed, aristocratic men are stalking him to the bathhouses to have a private chat, the Emperor and Empress are drinking and bantering (and flirting, of course, in the Empress's case) with him in their private chambers.... Why? I have no idea.

Because unfortunately, Crispin is an uninteresting character for whom I never felt any sympathy. All the tired fantasy stereotypes are on display here. Dead family in the backstory? Check. Speaks his mind at inopportune moments, like when he's presented at court? Check. No formal weapons training, but can still soundly defeat an assassin who has the advantage of surprise and walk away with nothing more than a bruise or two? Check. Rescues pretty, hapless girls for no apparent reason and is rewarded with sex? Check. The only thing here I hadn't seen many times before was the mosaicist thing, which did not come close to redeeming this tiresome, obnoxious character. Some of the other characters were much better and there is some decent character development in this book, but it suffers from the focus on Crispin.

And finally, there's the writing. Stylistically, Kay's a competent writer, sometimes even a very good writer. This book is not poetically written like Tigana. It is well-written compared to most fantasy, but Kay has a tendency to become overwrought. He's quite obviously in love with his own use of language. Don't keep telling me how significant and nuanced and layered every character interaction is--SHOW me the consequences of these interactions. There's a tendency to rhapsodize about character emotions, and for characters to have exaggerated emotional reactions to each other's words and actions, to prove to us (in the absence of events actually happening) just how important and meaningful this all is.

In sum: if you're new to Kay, don't start here. If you've loved all his other books, and you don't care that this is only half a book, then go ahead, you'll probably love this one too. If you're a heterosexual male, you might enjoy the wish-fulfillment aspect. As for me, I've had as much of this author as I can take.

I checked this book out from the library intrigued by both the title and the "idea" behind it. Personally, I LOVE the driving goal behind Kay's "mock" historical fiction, which is indeed something I would like to try one day. Other reviewers elsewhere have noted this is the weakest of Kay's works, and I think they are correct. The storyline is good, the characters believable, and the plot-twists are enough to keep the story going, but it suffers from the following flaws:

a. While Byzantine politics (the idea behind which this novel is based) and religion are quite complex, I am not sure if Kay himself was sure if he wanted to use Byzantine Religoin and/or Orthodoxy as a template. Sometimes there were clear parallels, but sometimes the parallels broke down. Now, if he had no intention of having a 1:1 parallel, then that's fine. But if that were the case, he shouldn't have led the reader on with earlier parallels.

b. The early development of the story was convoluted. About three hundred things happened in the first four chapters, yet only like five were discussed. Now, I can make inferences in books and pick up on the story, but I have to have the material in which to make said inferences. In this story most of that material was not given.

c. His introduction of the main character should have been done in a different vein. I had to reread that chapter twice to make sure I knew of whom he spoke. Yeah, the interplay between the two characters is designed to throw the Imperial envoy off--I get that. But when you are *introducing* the most important character of the story, it does no good to confuse the reader.

d. The location of the story: I understand some will say I am nitpicking on this point, and perhaps I am, but I think it needs to be said anyway. I know that his story is not directly paralleling the Middle East and Southern Europe, but it is specifically designed with that in mind. Since that is the case, I had no idea where the main character and his posse were traveling for the first half of the book. Since a Patriarch in the West was mentioned, I figured they were somewhere in Italy or Rome; however, their traveling route had them wandering vaguely in the vicinity of northeastern Germany, only to end up in bizarro-Byzantium.

I am not bashing Kay's work. I just checked out another one, but I think this volume is the weakest.