“And I learned a lot about false starts in writing. I mean that in a really serious way. His [Tolkien’s] false starts."

"...So I was looking at drafts of The Lord of the Rings and rough starts for The Silmarillion and came to realise they don’t spring full-blown, utterly, completely formed in brilliance. They get there with writing and rewriting and drudgery and mistakes, and eventually if you put in the hours and the patience, something good might happen. That was a very, very early lesson for me, looking at the Tolkien materials. That it’s not instantly magnificent. That it’s laboriously so, but it gets there."

Sequel to Sailing to Sarantium. I loved the way Kay structured the book, and the world, and the characters. I was a little dubious about the very very end, which needed a bit more set-up to work for me. But overall, LOVE these two.

Tori recommended this one, and I’m really glad I picked it up! Great historical fantasy, set in a world based on the Byzantine Empire, with a fascinating cast of characters. I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel!