It would be fair to say that Guy Gavriel Kay is one of the most prolific authors of fantasy. Sailing to Sarantium, Kay's seventh novel, was published in 1998. It is set against the backdrop of a looming conflict between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy, which had taken the place of the Western Roman Empire. It tells the story of Crispin, a mosaicist summoned to Sarantium by request of the emperor. On his journey to Sarantium, Crispin carries with him a secret mission from a queen and an artifact from his alchemist. But when he arrives in Sarantium, Crispin encounters things that he never expected and must work hard to survive, and thrive, in the new country.
Sailing to Sarantium is the first novel in Kay's duology entitled The Sarantine Mosiac. Both novels in the series received incredibly positive reviews, with most critics pointing out the quality of the book's prose and Kay's imagination. In his review for the two novels, famed Candian critic Charles de Lint wrote that "Kay's books ring with authenticity. They are literate and imaginative, and work on many levels. History aficionados will delight in all the small and telling insights Kay brings to the era and its cultures, while other readers will simply delight in the grand sweep of the story, the rich characterization, and Kay's sheer gift with language." Other reviewers felt similarly, and many cite Kay's novels as some of the best fantasy.
