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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Some violence in the political court setting
Language
None
Period literary language; clean
Sexual Content
Some
Adult romantic content in the court setting
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
Themes of artistic ambition, imperial power, and the relationship between faith and beauty
What this book is about
Crispin, a mosaicist from Batiara, is commanded to travel to Sarantium — the gleaming city at the center of a fictional Byzantine Empire — to create a mosaic for the emperor's great dome. Kay's historical fantasy transposes the late Roman world with meticulous care and human complexity. The first Sarantine Mosaic novel is slower and more interior than typical fantasy, focused on artistry, politics, and what it costs to do great work.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Adult content
Political court violence
Reader Verification
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