Read these books long ago, and was fascinated by the craft of mosaic-making (there's much more about that in Book 2), as well as the alternate history in which not!Arianism had gained ascendancy in the realms of temporal power as well as in the church.
I guess I just wrote off any misogyny in the characters as "well, ancient history, didn't expect people from this time period to be that evolved."
Normally I'd rec these stories to anyone who loves fantasy, but if you were that annoyed and bored by Book 1, I suspect you probably would be by Book 2 as well.
The one particularly powerful part which I think might still appeal to you (though it may not be worth going through the entire second novel) is near the end, when SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER there has been a change of dynasty. Crispin, who had been commissioned by the former Emperor to create a mosaic on the ceiling of his not!HagiaSophia, is told by the new Emperor who adheres to a no-graven-images theology that all the work to date will be destroyed. The dome can display images of fruits, leaves and flowers, but no animals or people. The new Emperor offers Crispin that job, but Crispin declines. He then picks up his bucket of supplies and starts hefting it up the scaffold. The Emperor (who feels he is being greatly indulgent at Crispin's disrespect) asks why Crispin is going to finish that day's work (a cameo of Crispin's dead wife and daughters), since it's a waste of time. Crispin answers, "it's not a waste" and continues up the ladder.
no subject
I came away with something totally different.
Read these books long ago, and was fascinated by the craft of mosaic-making (there's much more about that in Book 2), as well as the alternate history in which not!Arianism had gained ascendancy in the realms of temporal power as well as in the church.
I guess I just wrote off any misogyny in the characters as "well, ancient history, didn't expect people from this time period to be that evolved."
Normally I'd rec these stories to anyone who loves fantasy, but if you were that annoyed and bored by Book 1, I suspect you probably would be by Book 2 as well.
The one particularly powerful part which I think might still appeal to you (though it may not be worth going through the entire second novel) is near the end, when SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER there has been a change of dynasty. Crispin, who had been commissioned by the former Emperor to create a mosaic on the ceiling of his not!HagiaSophia, is told by the new Emperor who adheres to a no-graven-images theology that all the work to date will be destroyed. The dome can display images of fruits, leaves and flowers, but no animals or people. The new Emperor offers Crispin that job, but Crispin declines. He then picks up his bucket of supplies and starts hefting it up the scaffold. The Emperor (who feels he is being greatly indulgent at Crispin's disrespect) asks why Crispin is going to finish that day's work (a cameo of Crispin's dead wife and daughters), since it's a waste of time. Crispin answers, "it's not a waste" and continues up the ladder.