In the first volume of the brilliant Sarantine Mosaic, master storyteller Guy Gavriel Kay crafts a mesmerizing story of an awe-inspiring city and the people drawn into its spell.

After losing his wife and daughters to the plague, a grieving artisan, Crispin, receives a summons from the emperor and reluctantly embarks on the long journey toward the imperial city of Sarantium--the golden heart of an empire. Despite its perils, the allure of Sarantium's glory draws travellers and pilgrims from across the continent. But before Crispin can reach the capital, he must pass through a land of pagan ritual and mysterious danger. Marked by a brush with the supernatural and bound by a promise made to another monarch, Crispin's arrival at the imperial court will not be a quiet one. Sailing to Sarantium is a gripping tale of one man's journey to rebuild his life amid the power and grandeur of a remarkable civilization.

GUY GAVRIEL KAY is an international bestselling author. He has been awarded the International Goliardos Prize for his work in the literature of the fantastic, is a two-time winner of the Aurora Award, and won the 2008 World Fantasy Award for Ysabel, a #1 bestseller in Canada. His works have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Visit his Canadian website at www.guygavrielkay.ca and his authorized international website at www.brightweavings.com.

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"Beautifully written.... Indescribably elegant."--The Evening Telegram (St. John's)

"Historical fantasy at its best.... A masterful example ... which perhaps redefines it possibilities."--Edmonton Journal

"An intricately plotted, fascinating [and] moving story."--Winnipeg Free Press

"One of our most accomplished and engaging storytellers."--Toronto Star