Lord Of Emperors

One of the world's foremost masters of fantasy, Guy Gavriel Kay has thrilled readers around the globe with his talent for skillfully interweaving history and myth, colorful characterization, and a rich sense of time and place. Now, in Lord of Emperors, the internationally acclaimed author of The Lions of Al-Rassan continues his most powerful work.
In Sailing to Sarantium, the first volume in the Sarantine Mosaic, renowned mosaicist Crispin, beckoned by an imperial summons of the Emperor Valerius, made his way to the fabled city of Sarantium. A man who lives only for his craft, who cares little for ambition, less for money, and nothing for intrigue, Crispin now wants only to confront the challenges of his art high upon a dome that will become the emperor's magnificent sanctuary and legacy.
But Crispin's desire for solitude will not be fulfilled. Beneath him the city swirls with rumors of war and conspiracy, while otherworldly fires mysteriously flicker and disappear in the streets at night. Valerius is looking west to Crispin's homeland of Varena to assert his power, a plan that may have dire consequences for the family and friends Crispin left behind. But loyalty to his homeland comes at a high price, for Crispin's fate has become entwined with that of Valerius and his empress, as well as the youthful Queen Gisel, his own monarch who is an exile in Sarantium herself. And now another voyager arrives in Sarantium, a physician determined to earn his fortune amid the shifting currents of loyalty, intrigue, and violence.
Drawing from the twin springs of history and legend, Lord of Emperors is also a deeply moving exploration of art, power,and the ways in which people from all walks of life seek to leave an impressionthat endures long after thery're gone. It confirms Kay's place as one of the most esteemed masters of fantasy.
Kay's new novel would be historical fiction if it weren't for the fact that his tale unfolds in a landscape that doesn't exist....Kay is a literate, fiercely intelligent writer, and he brings all his considerable imaginative powers to the creation of a fully realized world, a brilliantly nuanced set of characters, and a Byzantine plot that draws you in and leaves you wanting more.(, Terri Windling, Top 10 )
Kay at his finest. Sarantium itself is vast, sumptuous, and dangerous.Beneath the shining authorial handiwork lies something closer toYeatsian miracle.(, Locus)
Sailing to Sarantium confirms, yet again, Kay's status as one of our most accomplished and engaging storytellers.(, Toronto Star)
A rich tapestry of a story that surpasses even Kay's previous novels.(, SF Site)
Compulsively readable.... Once again, Guy Gavriel Kay has taken a period of history and transformed it into something magical, creating a multilayered society you can lose yourself in for days.(, Lisa Goldstein, author of The Red Magician and Walking the Labyrinth)
A super adventure. An extraordinary writer at his best.(, Jack McDevitt, author of Infinity Beach)
For some time now, Guy Gavriel Kay has been recognized as one of the finest writers of high fantasy in the world. Now, he has achieved one of the finest works of historical fantasy ... in years. Kay has constructed his novel as a literary mosaic of great intricacy and delicacy.(, Edmonton journal)
Simply one of the most beautifully written books...in ages. Indescribably elegant, a pleasure to read.(, Evening Telegram (St. john's, Newfoundland, Canada))