Not Kay’s best but better than I remembered

I’m working my way through Guy Gavriel Kay’s collected works so I can put them each in perspective. I wasn’t excited at reaching the Sarantium duopoly, because I recalled them as weak. After the masterwork of The Lions of Al-Radanovic, they ARE weak - but they hold up better than I recall. There is just a bit too much of Kay’s usual contrived coincidence, and the main characters are just a bit too good at everything. But the plot - fantastically intricate - flows well and the characters are very well-drawn and vibrant.