“The Velvet Underground of novels,” as Scott Lynch says in the introduction. This book is a masterwork. If I ever mix up my history on the Medicis, the War of the Roses, and the Byzantine Empire, it’s probably because I’ve misremembered this fiction as fact. It’s a fascinating thought experiment, imagining how the trajectory of history would look different (or not) if Julian the Apostate had had a long, successful rule. (Oh yeah, and if magic were real). Alt-history and fantasy at its finest. I’m so glad it’s back in print. 😭
“Magic is a building of many small efforts toward a final, greater end,” Hywel said. “Magic is slow.”