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hannahws's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely incredible book. It genuinely brought tears to my eyes. The ending made me gasp out loud multiple times. Such incredible emotional depth and complexity. I adore this book.
downtowndaly's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In Lord of Emperors, Guy Gavriel Kay masterfully completes the Saratine Mosaic duology. He interweaves new characters into the story while expanding on the stories of the characters from the first novel and building on the themes of legacy and the impermanence of things.
Easy 5/5
Easy 5/5
vreyone's review against another edition
4.0
Lord of Emperors continued the “unfinished” story of [b:Sailing to Sarantium|9746671|Sailing to Sarantium (The Sarantine Mosaic, #1)|Guy Gavriel Kay|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459869341s/9746671.jpg|1336666]. The plot become more complex. Machinations and intrigues have taken a deadly turn. Naturally, I like it.
The only reason I wouldn’t rate this 5 stars was pacing. The first part was really slow. New characters were introduced, while there’re good scenes, it’s kind of bore me out. But, the last third, I couldn’t stop reading. It’s emotional, beautiful, and heartbreaking; the Epilog was painfully bittersweet. And the characters. This is one of few books where I actually care for ALL characters—and there’re lots of them. Even the ‘villain’. They’re just so damn good.
Overall, a wonderful book.
The only reason I wouldn’t rate this 5 stars was pacing. The first part was really slow. New characters were introduced, while there’re good scenes, it’s kind of bore me out. But, the last third, I couldn’t stop reading. It’s emotional, beautiful, and heartbreaking; the Epilog was painfully bittersweet. And the characters. This is one of few books where I actually care for ALL characters—and there’re lots of them. Even the ‘villain’. They’re just so damn good.
Overall, a wonderful book.
73pctgeek's review against another edition
5.0
The sequel to Sailing to Sarantium, and final book in the Sarantine Mosaic, and I loved it!
Kay’s books seem to simultaneously have not much happen, while so much does happen. And so far all have a melancholy, realism to the ending. Just lovely.
Kay’s books seem to simultaneously have not much happen, while so much does happen. And so far all have a melancholy, realism to the ending. Just lovely.
artmajorese's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Again with the weird levels of misogyny.
isabel_tong's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
I just can’t get over how mad I was about everyone’s poor sexual decisions.
mrbear's review against another edition
5.0
As the "payoff" book in the series, this was excellent, and certainly justified the first book (which was not fantastic by itself). Kay's only real mistake with this series is that he goes a bit overboard on the Deep And Meaningful Writing. However, it feels as though trying hard to make a statement (or many) in a novel is certainly worth the risk that some of it doesn't come off. A solid 4.5-5 stars, and a series I'd be happy to recommend to other fans of Guy Gavriel Kay (still read the Lions of Al-Rassan first if you've never read any of his works).
subparcupcake's review against another edition
5.0
Guy Gavriel Kay is amazing. Seriously, amazing. He never fails to move me.
After finishing [b:Sailing to Sarantium|104097|Sailing to Sarantium (The Sarantine Mosaic, #1)|Guy Gavriel Kay|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328000207s/104097.jpg|1336666], I said in my review that I wouldn't know how I felt about The Sarantine Mosaic until I finished [b:Lord of Emperors|104091|Lord of Emperors (The Sarantine Mosaic, #2)|Guy Gavriel Kay|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171506615s/104091.jpg|2903660]. Having now finished it (obviously, hence this review), I have to say... Wow. This book was just.. Amazing. From beginning to end, I loved it. There were so many heart wrenching moments, beautifully written, that just drilled into the core of me and left me speechless. I know, that sounds extreme. It's just a book after all.. But it was just that good for me. Without a doubt.
The story was bittersweet.. Love and loss, war and change.. But hope too. Always a little hope for a better tomorrow. The last section of the epilogue literally gave me chills. If I had a squishier heart, I probably would have cried. But alas, I do not, so alas, I did not. But still.. Loved it.
This duology might just have moved to the top of my Kay rankings. I don't know though.. Seems like every time I read a new Kay it becomes my new favorite by him. He just plain rocks.. Enough said.
After finishing [b:Sailing to Sarantium|104097|Sailing to Sarantium (The Sarantine Mosaic, #1)|Guy Gavriel Kay|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328000207s/104097.jpg|1336666], I said in my review that I wouldn't know how I felt about The Sarantine Mosaic until I finished [b:Lord of Emperors|104091|Lord of Emperors (The Sarantine Mosaic, #2)|Guy Gavriel Kay|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171506615s/104091.jpg|2903660]. Having now finished it (obviously, hence this review), I have to say... Wow. This book was just.. Amazing. From beginning to end, I loved it. There were so many heart wrenching moments, beautifully written, that just drilled into the core of me and left me speechless. I know, that sounds extreme. It's just a book after all.. But it was just that good for me. Without a doubt.
The story was bittersweet.. Love and loss, war and change.. But hope too. Always a little hope for a better tomorrow. The last section of the epilogue literally gave me chills. If I had a squishier heart, I probably would have cried. But alas, I do not, so alas, I did not. But still.. Loved it.
This duology might just have moved to the top of my Kay rankings. I don't know though.. Seems like every time I read a new Kay it becomes my new favorite by him. He just plain rocks.. Enough said.
wipqozn's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this, but it definitely drags on a lot near the end. I've definitely decided GGK just isn't for me, although I still find myself wanting to try another of his books.