Sailing to Sarantium (Sarantine Mosaic Book 1)

Guy Gavriel Kay's latest offering is, as usual, wonderfully compelling and cumpulsively readable. While this is possibly not his best book (perhaps my expectations are higher) this is still the kind of story that stays with you when you are no longer reading it. I found myself driving along wondering what Crispin was going to do next - ponderng his emotional state and generally thinking about all the characters as if they were true aquaintances. Kay's habit of taking four years to write a book may be frustrating for his fans, but the detail that he provides when the book emerges is always worth the wait. This book portrays an alternative Roman Empire with many details from the real one. However, the detail is not really what makes Kay's books great - his characters and the way they link up with each other combine with an amazing writing style to capture the reader imagination the way that few authors can. Kay's books are alive with an inimitable richness and beauty. Read it!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is different enough from typical fantasy to be interesting and memorable, although it doesn't lose the magical flavor of fantasy. I love that the book is firmly rooted in real history without actually being an alternative-history style novel. Kay uses his knowledge of Byzantine history to weave an elaborate but believable tale (and, incidentally to teach us all a little cultural history as he goes).

Sailing to Sarantium has many elements in common with Kay's first and greatest books - the Fionavar Tapestry. Unlike most of Kay's more recent books, it is full of magic, the ultimate tesserae of a fantasy novel. Other elements in common with Fionavar are: sacrifice to a forest god, hanging on a holy tree, magic grove, and the giving of a soul. I had been worried after Kay's most recent books - they are not what his earlier ones were - until this. Sailing to Sarantium reassured me that Kay is still the greatest writer on earth, and can still write things that break my heart, like no other writer. If only he hadn't killed my favorite character a hundred pages into the book. . .

Love this author! He's such a phenomenal storyteller. Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors--are really one big book, broken into 2 parts and they are by far my favorite Guy Gavriel Kay work. His characters are so real and three dimensional, with such human weaknesses and strengths, they feel like old friends (and enemies) by the time the story is over. And the stories he tells are so epic and so intimately human at the same time--just an all around wonderful writer.

...this should come as no surprise, but this book is wonderful. From the best fantasy writer I've run across, it's impossible to put down. I've read it at least three times so far. Intelligent, complicated, suspenseful, fun, and written with incomparable artistry. Read this book, and all his others, while you're at it!

No great battles, although the 'necessary' violence is not shunned is used by the rulers in this book but an intricate and astonishing scheming is used to strenghten positions and destroy opponents, and the main character caught in this whirlwind of politicil struggle for power is played out by different fractions. On the large epic scale this book lacks the grandeur of many other but that is made more than up to by the reality and believability of characters and occurences and of course Kay's literary style.

This book was recomended to me by someone who said that it was better than George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books. They could not have been more wrong. This book takes forever to get going, and when it does, it ends, forcing you to read the second book even if you don't want to. It has virtually no fighting, or battles, and is mostly political intrigue. But even if thats the kind of book you like, it falls short there too.
On the plus side, the book gives you an interesting and one would hope, well researched looked into the Byzantine empire. But aside from that, this book did not impress me. I'm only glad I didn't pay full price for it. Don't waste your time getting into this series, you'll regret it.

No, this book does not have that heart-wrenching, sweeping dramatic quality of the Fionavar series. The conflicts and dramas here are more personal, smaller scale but no less moving. The story here is not so much about Crispin's physical journey but of his rediscovery of his own humanity and of his faith. There are no cardboard cut-outs in Kay's worlds, and no-one functions in a vacuum. The world changes his people; they change each other and their world. This is Kay's genius and, for me, the reason that his books become more rewarding with each re-reading.

The metaphore, Sailing to Sarantium, is a drum that beats through the entirety of this book. What is personal, becomes public. Beliefs become reality, what is good and great and politic is not necessarily the sensible choice. We, like the characters, are asked to suspend judgement, heed the metaphors as if they were oracles and believe in the integrity of a very few men. Sarantium blends Gavriel Kay's fantastic rendition with philosophic integrity. Sarantium is the Island of the Day Before in the Fantasy genre, and I believe that Umberto Eco would find elegance in this most recent work.

Evocative, haunting, mythic, this story is beautifully written. I love the detail that Kay brings to all his characters, and the eerily recognizable landscape and time -- you think you know when/where the story occurs, but it is Kay's fantasy.
This is the first Guy Gavriel Kay book I've read. I'm so excited about discovering him that I'm going to read all his other books.
One caveat: The cover of "Sailing to Sarantium" looks like a cover to a romance novel. Surely the publisher can do better!

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.

I find with each book Kay writes, he becomes even more brilliant. While the Sarantine Mosaic Duology may not be for everyone, it is for those who enjoy beautifully developed characterization and cleverly woven storylines. Sailing to Sarantium is a wonderful beginning to the tale; I would suggest buying it and Lord of Emperors together, so the anticipation of the second book will not eat away at you while you wait for it ship.

Although Kay is my favorite author, and I find myself happily re-reading his previous novels every so often, this one did not live up to Kay's usual promise. The characters lack depth, the rich symbolism I usually enjoy in Kay's works is given only a passing nod and the story only really begins towards the end of the book. Alhtough I realize there will be a sequel, there is certainly no sense of closure to this volume.

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 "fantasy kingdom" is nothing more than thinly disguised historical fiction. Everything in here (with the exception of the three main characters) has a direct equivalent in the Byzantine Empire of Justinian. This goes for culture, characters, terms, events, everything. Just to show how utterly slavishly he sticks to this here's a brief list of names and their historical equivalents:
Sarantium=Byzantium
Valerius II=Justinian
Hildric=Theoderic
Gisel=Amalasuntha
Pertennius=Procopius
hippodrome=hippodrome
Rhodias=Rome
Bassania=Sassanian Persia
Esperana=Spain
Thrakesia=Thrace
Varena=Ravenna

There are too many to list, but rest assured that even the ones I don't list here have their equivalents. Not only are these copies, but most of them are pretty obvious too (my favorite is Varena which is simply an anagram for Ravenna. Bassanid feels like a bad joke). These parallels exist in the narrative as well. The easiest way to show that is to summarize the plot using the real names, with the changed names in parentheses. Rome (Rhodias) ruled the original empire, but now the empire has converted to Christianity (Jaddism) from paganism and moved to Byzantium (Sarantium). Justinian (Valerius II) helped put his uncle on the throne, and now rules alongside his wife, the former prostitute Theodora (Alixana). After the Church of Holy Wisdom (Sanctuary of Holy Wisdom) is destroyed in the dangerous Nika Riot (Victory Riot, which is just the translation of the Greek word), Justinian orders it rebuilt. He summons artisans from all over the empire to help. In addition Justinian's preparing to send Belisarius (Leontes) off to reconquer Italy (Batiara) from the Ostrogoths (Antae). His reign is also known for a devastating plague. Every bit of this is in the book.

Now if I sound righteously outraged about this it's not intentional. Fantasy authors are allowed to steal from historical periods. They just shouldn't do so this directly. It makes the book boring for anyone with a background in the period. Here's an example: Game of Thrones is based off the War of the Roses. It takes a good deal of the setup and even obvious imitations of the names (Stark and Lannister vs. York and Lancaster) from that period. So why is that book original while this one isn't? Because while it might be inspired by the War of the Roses it created a new world for it (with additions from other periods and cultures) and set off in a direction of its choosing. Knowing how the War of the Roses ends doesn't mean I know how those books will end. Another example is The Foundation Trilogy. It features an empire based off Rome going into the Dark Ages (kinda like this book) and even has a character called Bella Riose who is obviously based off Belisarius and follows approximately the same narrative. Again, he makes changes and doesn't feel compelled to stick to real events. But I know exactly where these books will end, so why should I even finish reading them?

I'm annoyed at the sheer lack of originality and effort on display here yes, but what really gets me is that it's truly so close he could have just kept the original names and made himself a decent historical fiction. A mosaicist summoned from Italy to work on Justinian's Hagia Sophia would not be a bad plot for a novel. It's not even that implausible. The fantastical elements in here are so few and far between that they feel forced as it is. They could easily be excised from the plot without any noticeable effect. As it stands it's probably already more realistic than Conn Iggulden's Emperor series. Some might find it clever to create a fantasy world so identical to the real world (oooh there are two moons. So different!) but I don't see the point. I understand this author does that a lot in his books.

As far as the writing style goes, this guy has an extremely annoying quirk. He seems to dislike the conventional straight narrative and enjoys doing unusual things with it. For example, he'll start off a chapter talking about a chariot race, then go back and explain how there was a major riot in the city two years ago, then he's back with the race, then back to the riots again, only to conclude with a description of the race itself. Or he'll tell a story from one point of view before switching to another and telling the same story again. Many times these are characters who are irrelevant to the plot. Sometimes he switches characters numerous times simply to establish what everyone is experiencing at the same time. It's confusing and irritating. He also has a really nasty tendency to go on and on about what might have happened had only things gone another way. Like the following example: "Had he arrived back at the inn after the racing, as he had intended, had he spoken with Kasia and learned of her encounter with a visitor-the details of which would have meant rather more to him than they did to her-Crispin would almost certainly have conducted himself differently in certain matters that followed. This, in turn, might have occasioned a significant change in various affairs, both personal and of much wider import. It could, in fact, have changed his life and a number of other lives, and-arguably-the course of events in the Empire." He never explains what would have changed of course, merely gets all epic and self-important about it. It's meant to be portentous and foreboding but it just comes off as pretentious and silly.

Those who do want to see a good fantasy world based on the Byzantines should check out the Videssos Cycle. It also copies quite a lot from Byzantine history, but it doesn't stick to one specific time or narrative. It also put some actual thought into the changes it made instead of merely changing the name and hoping for the best. Changing God to Jad does not a new religion make, while Videssos' Phos was actually a well developed theology.

This "fantasy kingdom" is nothing more than thinly disguised historical fiction. Everything in here (with the exception of the three main characters) has a direct equivalent in the Byzantine Empire of Justinian. This goes for culture, characters, terms, events, everything. Just to show how utterly slavishly he sticks to this here's a brief list of names and their historical equivalents:
Sarantium=Byzantium
Valerius II=Justinian
Hildric=Theoderic
Gisel=Amalasuntha
Pertennius=Procopius
hippodrome=hippodrome
Rhodias=Rome
Bassania=Sassanian Persia
Esperana=Spain
Thrakesia=Thrace
Varena=Ravenna

There are too many to list, but rest assured that even the ones I don't list here have their equivalents. Not only are these copies, but most of them are pretty obvious too (my favorite is Varena which is simply an anagram for Ravenna. Bassanid feels like a bad joke). These parallels exist in the narrative as well. The easiest way to show that is to summarize the plot using the real names, with the changed names in parentheses. Rome (Rhodias) ruled the original empire, but now the empire has converted to Christianity (Jaddism) from paganism and moved to Byzantium (Sarantium). Justinian (Valerius II) helped put his uncle on the throne, and now rules alongside his wife, the former prostitute Theodora (Alixana). After the Church of Holy Wisdom (Sanctuary of Holy Wisdom) is destroyed in the dangerous Nika Riot (Victory Riot, which is just the translation of the Greek word), Justinian orders it rebuilt. He summons artisans from all over the empire to help. In addition Justinian's preparing to send Belisarius (Leontes) off to reconquer Italy (Batiara) from the Ostrogoths (Antae). His reign is also known for a devastating plague. Every bit of this is in the book.

Now if I sound righteously outraged about this it's not intentional. Fantasy authors are allowed to steal from historical periods. They just shouldn't do so this directly. It makes the book boring for anyone with a background in the period. Here's an example: Game of Thrones is based off the War of the Roses. It takes a good deal of the setup and even obvious imitations of the names (Stark and Lannister vs. York and Lancaster) from that period. So why is that book original while this one isn't? Because while it might be inspired by the War of the Roses it created a new world for it (with additions from other periods and cultures) and set off in a direction of its choosing. Knowing how the War of the Roses ends doesn't mean I know how those books will end. Another example is The Foundation Trilogy. It features an empire based off Rome going into the Dark Ages (kinda like this book) and even has a character called Bella Riose who is obviously based off Belisarius and follows approximately the same narrative. Again, he makes changes and doesn't feel compelled to stick to real events. But I know exactly where these books will end, so why should I even finish reading them?

I'm annoyed at the sheer lack of originality and effort on display here yes, but what really gets me is that it's truly so close he could have just kept the original names and made himself a decent historical fiction. A mosaicist summoned from Italy to work on Justinian's Hagia Sophia would not be a bad plot for a novel. It's not even that implausible. The fantastical elements in here are so few and far between that they feel forced as it is. They could easily be excised from the plot without any noticeable effect. As it stands it's probably already more realistic than Conn Iggulden's Emperor series. Some might find it clever to create a fantasy world so identical to the real world (oooh there are two moons. So different!) but I don't see the point. I understand this author does that a lot in his books.

As far as the writing style goes, this guy has an extremely annoying quirk. He seems to dislike the conventional straight narrative and enjoys doing unusual things with it. For example, he'll start off a chapter talking about a chariot race, then go back and explain how there was a major riot in the city two years ago, then he's back with the race, then back to the riots again, only to conclude with a description of the race itself. Or he'll tell a story from one point of view before switching to another and telling the same story again. Many times these are characters who are irrelevant to the plot. Sometimes he switches characters numerous times simply to establish what everyone is experiencing at the same time. It's confusing and irritating. He also has a really nasty tendency to go on and on about what might have happened had only things gone another way. Like the following example: "Had he arrived back at the inn after the racing, as he had intended, had he spoken with Kasia and learned of her encounter with a visitor-the details of which would have meant rather more to him than they did to her-Crispin would almost certainly have conducted himself differently in certain matters that followed. This, in turn, might have occasioned a significant change in various affairs, both personal and of much wider import. It could, in fact, have changed his life and a number of other lives, and-arguably-the course of events in the Empire." He never explains what would have changed of course, merely gets all epic and self-important about it. It's meant to be portentous and foreboding but it just comes off as pretentious and silly.

Those who do want to see a good fantasy world based on the Byzantines should check out the Videssos Cycle. It also copies quite a lot from Byzantine history, but it doesn't stick to one specific time or narrative. It also put some actual thought into the changes it made instead of merely changing the name and hoping for the best. Changing God to Jad does not a new religion make, while Videssos' Phos was actually a well developed theology.

(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.

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...