It's close call between this and his Lions of Al-Rassen for my favorite Kay. Both are inhabited by characters who welcome me each time I arrive, and a story that sings. But this cycle, venturing deeper then ever into the spiritual and psychological life of Kay’s people, catches my heart.

Most of Kay's writings (everything but the Fionavar cycle) are classed in the sub-genre he created, historical fantasy. The Sarantine Empire is a reflection of the real-world Byzantine Empire; the city of Sarantium is Constantinople, now Istanbul. And the great dome described in the book can be glimpsed in the still-standing Hagia Sophia, the dome that twins with the Blue Mosque to create the Istanbul skyline.

Through the eyes of a temperamental mosacist named Crispin, we watch as the Empire weathers yet another religious war, this one over the hands of artists. And with this simple, unwilling man, we are bewildered by the fog-stained forests and burning city streets, and suffer the conflict between violent tradition and heartfelt faith.

This is Kay at his best, which means stunning diction, stakes that raise subtly, suddenly, and with inevitable force, and characters who you want to marry. This is also possibly the best introductory Kay, starting you off with a person who wants nothing whatsoever to do with the politics and fates of his world, and taking you through the map with him. (“Possibly”, because the Fionavar Tapestry is also a good first, since the main characters begin in the University of Toronto and are completely freaked out by the mystical world they tumble into.)