Rating: 
Summary: Just setting the stage. Nothing dramatic happens.
Review: The easiest way to comment on this book is to compare it to other Guy Gavriel Kay works. Sailing to Sarantium is not as sweeping, grand, or dramatic. In addition, the story does not revolve around heroic characters. Instead it is a tale of a mosaicist, Crispin, that travels to a big city and deals with the court intrigue there. Although this is an unlikely hero and did not inspire the kind of love and repect I hold for other Kay characters, I cannot help but LIKE the guy--as most of the other characters end up doing in the book. The most interesting and complex characters are those with power--Valerius II, Alixana, Gisel, and Zorticus. As of yet, Gisel, the child-queen of the Antae, is the only character that I really feel for. Unfortunately, this is a let-down given Kay's artistry in giving depth to the characters in his previous works.Speaking of art, this book does for mosaics what The Lions of Al-Rassan does for poets and Tigana does for music. Crispin is moved by visual effects the way words move Ammar and music move Alessan. I realize that this is only the first book in a series of books, but I still feel that not too much happened in terms of plot except towards the end when Kay starts setting up for the next book. I feel that this novel is only a huge introduction sets the stage and the players. I remain optimistic for the later books because one of the underlying themes of the story is that events are interrelated and un-noteworthy actions affect lives in ways that cannot be predicted.
Rating:
Summary: Read the sequel-- it will enhance your appreciation
Review: I was lucky enough to receive both Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors at once, so I could immediately continue reading, and I think it definitely helped my opinion of the book. So much of what we see and feel on Crispin's journey to Sarantium comes back to haunt us in Lord of Emperors. These are two books that should really have been one volume, except it would of course be far too thick. However, I recently reread Sailing to Sarantium without its sequel, so I was forced to look at is as just one book, and I think that it works, albeit imperfectly. To be sure, this is VERY far from the usual fantasy fare, but that's an excellent thing. Kay has a way of making his readers think, and not just about whether or not the hero will defeat the bad guy. There is no bad guy in the Sarantine Mosaic-- these are real people, with real motives and complications behind their actions. How often can an author make you cry at the death of a character who has killed someone you have come to admire and even love? Kay's characterisation is, as ever, absolutely brilliant, and although on first reading you might find Sailing to Sarantium a bit slow, if you take the time to appreciate the underlying themes and messages within, you will be richly rewarded. And then, when you read Lord of Emperors, all of what you have experienced while Crispin makes his journey will come together and greatly enhance the more action-filled second volume. On a final note, one of the most powerful scenes I have ever read occurs in this book, when Crispin enters a small chapel with a mosaic of Jad, the god, overhead. It is utterly impossible not to feel the intensity of Crispin's emotion as he sees that image on the dome. Every time I read it I just shiver.
Rating: 
Summary: Saratine Mosaic, real or imagined?
Review: If your type of fantasy is filled with swords and sorcery, non-stop action, and vivacious babes in see-through nighties, Sarantine mosaic is NOT for you. (Although there are a number of beautiful women in varying stages of undress.) Both Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors are more "literary" than your typical fantasy novel. Kay gives his characters well-formed personalities and doesn't shy away from moral or philosophical dilemmas they find themselves in. The Sarantine Mosaic reads more like Historical Fiction than fantasy. Kay's world is an imaginative alternative to the Eastern Roman Empire. It works well by replacing actual history with similar fantasy constructs. However, these constructs are usually different enough to avoid confusion. I disagree with the editorial review that claims this is a small story. It is a huge story. It is the story of Emperors and Kings and how history hinges on minor events and characters. Don't let the seemingly minor importance of the characters fool you, this is a big story. I would recommend Kay's books to any intelligent fantasy reader. They may not be non-stop action, but the pacing is quick and the suspense draws ever further into the mosaic Kay has created.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Kay...poignant and entertaining
Review: Sailing to Sarantium is another masterful book from Guy Gavriel Kay. Set in the same world as The Lions of Al-Rassan (my personal favorite of all his works), it has more overt magic than Lions, which should satisfy many readers. The primary emphasis is still on the elaborate character deveopment at which Kay excels, and on interweaving political intrigues with thought-provoking questions on religious beliefs. While Sailing to Sarantium is not for those who are interested in non-stop action or huge battles, Kay creates a vibrant world populated with highly believable characters. The arts have always played a large role in Kay's books (poetry in Song for Arbonne and Lions of Al-Rassan; song in Tigana and the Fionavar Tapestry), and this is no exception. The minor details of creating a mosaic are brought to life with loving care and provide a revealing insight into an artist's soul. I am anxiously awaiting the next two installments!
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of a disappointment
Review: I read "The Fionivar Tapestry" by this author, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so was looking forward to reading this set of books. Although the books are very well written, they are not fantasy! I do not think you can call a set of books fantasy if all the author does is stick two moons in the sky (or whatever). He obviously wanted to write about the Roman Empire without having to stick to any history or facts. Fine, but these books are not fantasy. Also, "Sailing to Sarantium" is quite dull. I have not been able to summon up enough interest to finish the second book, and I am usually a fanatic about finishing a book series. The author obviously has things to say about life and art, but darned if I can figure out what they are.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, compelling, with war and quest themes muted.
Review: With that last note, you might think, "How can this be a fantasy?" Well, there are themes of both the war and the quest, but they're kept in the background of "Sailing to Sarantium," instead of loosed into the foreground to take over the world as they usually are in high fantasy. "Sailing to Sarantium" does have politicians threatening each other with war, and a main character on a journey of self-discovery. But politics, relationships, divinity, and, above all, art play a much bigger role in the story. The main character is the mosaicist, Caius Crispus (Crispin), who has lost his wife and daughters to a plague and now lives only for mosaic. He doesn't want to live enough to take the journey east to Sarantium, though, until he gets involved in one of the political whirlpools in the book and agrees to do so for the sake of others. And off he goes, grumbling, cynical, and convinced he's going to remain the same- only to slam straight into people, magic, and gods that change him whether he wants to be changed or not. The book doesn't always stay in Crispin's viewpoint, however. Also included are the young slave girl, Kasia; the man who travels with Crispin as guard, Vargos; the talkative Tribune of the Fourth Sauradian, Carullus; the Emperor Valerius II and his Empress Alixana; and a stream of other characters who disappear and reappear again and again, like repeating patterns in a mosaic. One of Kay's best characteristics is that, though Crispin is wonderfully detailed, he is not the only character with personality, as tends to happen too often in fantasy. We learn the details of the other characters' lives and personalities as well. Admittedly, this is one of those things that is not everyone's cup of tea, and in some cases, where Kay interrupts the action of a chariot race or a daring dawn escape to tell us what kind of childhood someone had, it can get annoying. But he does not wander away from the action altogether. He returns, and often the descriptions become stronger for the slight straying. There is also humor in this book, which for Kay is somewhat unexpected. The scene where Crispin is introduced, along with various profanity that he often spouts, is extremely funny, as are the interactions between Crispin and Carullus and the scene where Crispin enters the court for the first time. In fact, if I can go so far as to single the court scene out for special praise, I will. Many fantasy authors talk about witty, splendid, dangerous courts, but don't often attempt to give examples of the kind of witty talk that goes on in them. Kay does. That scene is one of the most dialogue-influenced in the book, and makes the reader aware, along with Crispin, of the shifting alliances and complexities. Annoyances with Kay, at least for me, are to be found mostly in his language. I've mentioned that it tends to drag in some parts. In others, he uses extensive foreshadowing, making it very clear that he, or the narrator, knows something neither characters nor readers know yet. It's part of his style, a very marked part of his style, and sometimes obtrusive. He also tends to use a host of deliberate sentence fragments and repeating phrases that show up outside the context of the scene they first appeared in, though these also enhance the mosaic-like effect of the book. I've heard that some readers actually have to try to ignore Kay's style in order to read the book. But, if you can accept that "Sailing to Sarantium" isn't a book that just dashes ahead all the time (instead combining meandering and dashing) and has certain extremely beautiful eccentricities, I think it highly probable you'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: A very different fantasy novel
Review: The main character in "Sailing to Sarantium" is an artist, and that alone makes it almost unique, considering how many fantasy authors seem to be obsessed with wizards and warriors. Crispin, a mosaicist, receives an offer to work on a sanctuary in the Imperial capitol of Sarantium. Initially, he doesn't want to go, but a sequence of events outside his control forces him to make the journey. Crispin is a wonderfully complex and believable character. He's haunted by memories of his lost family, and decides to immerse himself in his art in an attempt to escape from the world, although that proves to be difficult. There are no stock characters or stereotypes in this novel; even the minor characters are carefully drawn. Kay often spends five or ten pages explaining the background of a secondary character before returning to the main plotline. While some people might find this annoying, I thought that it helped draw me into the world that the author had created. Plotwise, this is not your typical 'swords and sorcery' epic. Instead, Kay uses the story of Crispin and the events that he gets drawn into to show how his fantasy world was shaped by a variety of forces. The setting of "Sailing to Sarantium" is a fantasy world with parallels to the early Byzantine Empire. Although there are battle scenes and fights, they tend to be short. Instead, Kay focuses a lot on the interactions between characters, and on how the religious and political conflicts within the Empire affect them. Some of the best scenes, such as a dramatic chariot race in Sarantium, are written mainly to show the reader what life was like during this historical period, although they are always blended into the main plotline. There are moments of quiet introspection, where Crispin and others have a chance to relax and reflect on what's happening to them. The ending, in my opinion, was the best part of the book, since it provides a touching and meaningful finish while also paving the way for the sequel. Overall, I highly recommend this novel for its originality and excellent writing.
Rating:
Summary: Screw the sequel! I've had enough!
Review: I read The Lions of Al-Rassan, so I thought I'd see what this was like. Don't make the same mistake! Three-quarters of the thing is Crispin and his servant walking to Sarantium. On the way they pick up a frightened sissy-girl and meet a big bull-god, which they obsess over for the rest of the trip. Once they reach Sarantium, the book is almost finished--there's just enough time to introduce the characters and describe them deeply in preperation for Book Two. There's political intrigue, but frankly... I can't even remember what was at stake. The only good things about this book are Linon the toy bird (who is quickly snatched away from us) and the chariot racing scenes. The conversations run for pages and pages and are dragged down by all the clever observations and nuances that Kay thinks we care about. I think he's gotten conceited, thinking he's a literary genius or something. I'm not going to read the sequel, for obvious reasons. I'll admit Sailing to Sarantium wasn't all bad, but...
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: kay ensared me with his work from fionavar to arbonne and the lost country of tigana--but i found this work sadly lacking. after two false starts, i finally made it all the way through; and while the court scenes in sarantium are excellent and fascinating, i'm forced to wonder _how_ i made it all the way through. crispin is clever and witty and funny--but i feel no empathy for him, despite his tragic loss. he's obsessed with glass, for crying out loud, lacking the depth of characters like blaise of gorhaut or pwyll twiceborn or prince diarmuid. couple that--ooh, bad pun--with an utterly inappropriate and uncharacteristic love scene and women who, while fascinating--particularly aliana, aren't nearly as cool as ariane of carenzu or kim ford. all in all--worth the read, i guess, after you've exhausted fionavar, arbonne, or tigana--but wait until then to give it a go.
Rating:
Summary: Not Kay's best, but definitely worth reading
Review: I love the works of Guy Gavriel Kay and I was ecstatic when this book came out, but I have only given this book four stars because I tried reading this book at least three times before finally getting into it. The beginning of the book, although it provides necessary back story, is so densely packed with characters (some that one never sees again) that it is difficult to follow the story. Nevertheless, if you can make it through the introduction, the rest of the story is marvellous. The main character, Crispin, is drawn like many of Kay's finest characters. He's so alive, one might almost expect him to step right off the page. As usual, the author's greatest strengths are characterization and great dialogue. I would highly recommend reading this book. Remember, if you get lost at the beginning, just keep reading!
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