Product Description

Beckoned by the Emperor Valerius, Crispin, a renowned mosaicist, has arrived in the fabled city of Sarantium. Here he seeks to fulfill his artistic ambitions and his destiny high upon a dome that will become the emerror's magnificent sanctuary and legacy.

But the beauty and solitude of his work cannot protect his from Sarantium's intrigue. 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 to reunite an Empire -- a plan that may have dire consequences for the loved ones Crispin left behind.

In Sarantium, however, loyalty is always complex, for Crispin's fate has become entwined with that of Valerius and his Empress, as well as Queen Gisel, his own monarch exiled in Sarantium herself. And now another voyager -- this time from the east -- has arrived, a pysician determined to make his mark amid the shifting, treachearous currents of passion and violence that will determine the empire's fate.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #401584 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-01
• Released on: 2001-02-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 576 pages

Amazon.com Review
For whatever reason, Guy Gavriel Kay just insists on getting better and better. Sailing to Sarantium outshone the already excellent Lions of Al-Rassan, and now Lord of Emperors--the stunning second half of the Sarantine Mosaic--somehow surpasses even its predecessors.

Emperors picks up the story of the overwhelmed but still tenacious Crispin, now Imperial Mosaicist to Valerius II and thoroughly steeped in the machinations of Sarantium--not to mention being personally entangled in the lives of the emperor, the empress, and now his own queen, the exiled Gisel. Lord of Emperors also sends a new protagonist sailing into Sarantium, an unassuming country doctor who--like Caius--has found himself thrust into a position of great potential and peril, a victim of both circumstance and his own competence and moxie. The two struggle to stay afloat in Sarantium's swirling intrigues, as Valerius prepares for war in Crispin's homeland and unexplained, ghostly fires flicker around the city.

A touching, literate, and doggedly intelligent book, Lord of Emperors continues to prove Kay's mastery of historical fantasy (Sarantium being a well-researched analog to sixth-century Byzantium under Justinian and Theodora), as he gracefully spins a rich, convincing weave of legend and history. While other fantasy titles might have us imagine our lives as great heroes, Kay leaves a far more lasting impression by celebrating the heroics and passions of ordinary people who possess extraordinary character and spirit. --Paul Hughes

From Booklist
The second volume of the Sarantine Mosaic continues the adventure of the provincial mosaic-maker Crispin in the imperial capital Sarantium, a fantasy-fiction version of Byzantine Constantinople. At center stage is Crispin's involvement with Rustem of Bassania and his family, who, after saving the Bassanian emperor's life, have been sent to Sarantium as spies. (This is a reward?) When Rustem enters the city, his bodyguard is killed, and he becomes part of the circle that includes Crispin, Crispin's rescued slave-girl mistress, the exiled queen of Antae, and a fine and authentically limned lot of soldiers, chariot racers, ordinary people, and members of the imperial household. Half the fun of the book is seeing how Kay turns the Byzantine reign of Justinian and Theodora to the uses of his own story, and a good part of the rest is exploring the early history of the same fantasy universe he used in The Lions of Al-Rassan (1995). Kay is fulfilling the promise of Sailing to Sarantium (1999) magnificently. Roland Green

From Kirkus Reviews
This second installment of Toronto-resident Kay's latest fantasy epic, following Sailing to Sarantium (1999, not reviewed), brings to a conclusion the story of Crispin, the mosaicist. Desiring only to practice his art in the city that has captured his imagination, he finds he cannot remain aloof from the swirling mysteries and intrigues that sustain Sarantium. Essential reading for all Kay fans. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Why doesn't Kay seem to rate Jordan and Martin?
Kay has gone in to my top three authors. Kay, Jordan, and Martin. He really has done a nice job on this series. One of my favorite reads in a LONG time. I've read multiple titles by Kay now, loved every one of them.

Do Your Self a Favor and Read The Sarantine Mosaic
I had suspected it before I picked up The Sarantine Mosaic but it was only after reading Sailing to Sarantium and the Lord of Emperors that my thoughts were confirmed. Guy Gavriel Kay is my absolute favourite author alive today. I've read every novel he's published to date and I think the two novels of this duology are his best ever. I admit I was hesitant at first. I asked myself how a novel about a mosaicist could possibly be intriguing. If it was any other author I may have even passed. But this was Guy Gavriel Kay so I had to purchase the two books. To say that I was not disappointed would be an understatement. Caius Crispus and his journeys (both physical and mental) were so absorbing that I was all actually sad when the ride was over. Other than the protagonist, for me the most satisfying characters were the women of Sarantium. Alixiana, Styliane, Shirin, Kasia, Linon, Gisel, etc. were not only central to the plot but were each fascinating in their own ways. I've read all of Goodkind, all of Jordan, and have tried many new fantasy authors over the years but all pale in comparison to Kay. Are there major battles scenes, powerful wizards/sorceresses, an evil spirit trying to destroy the world? No. If this is you cup of tea do not waste your time. That's not to say that there is no action, murder, court intrigues or fantasy elements. It's just in these novels, they are not the core of the story. If you're interested in being transported to ancient history and becoming involved in a journey of self discovery, I cannot recommend these novels enough. Trust me, you will not be disappointed..

Bought hard copies for my personal library
I've read all the novels Kay has written that are out in the market. I LOVED his Mosaic series and his Lions although I found all his other books rather shallow and vague to hold my attention--but I do need to reread them because sometimes it is a matter of timing. I've also done mosaics myself, albeit not on the grand scale that the character does, Crispin's art and the way her perceives things is familiar to me. I found the characters in Sailing and Lord very well developed and realistic, Kay's use of history quite thorough and the story intriguing. There's enough high action but more importantly, there's all that political subterfuge that made Roman politics so--deadly. What I like best about the Mosaic series is it focuses on how the everyday, "middle class" people lived and thought, what their daily lives might have been like, how the changing tides of politics affected everyone's lives. Ovid, Homer and Hollywood gave us insights on what life among the ruling classes was like, we have studies on what a gladiator's life might have been like, what a Roman slave or prostitute was often like. But Kay's series offers us a glimpse into what life for the regular folks like you and I might have been like. All with a touch of the supernatural/fantasy to spice up the story. It's a perfectly seasoned, subtle, beautifully blended meal--and it doesn't make me fat no matter how many times I devour it.