A Quest for God and Spices (The Emissaries – Book One) begins an epic journey across the ancient world. In the year AD 1200, a new pope agitates for a renewed crusade to reconquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem. European monarchs largely ignore his call, too involved with squabbles among themselves.
The pope chooses two men—Brother Mauro, an older monk, and Nicolo, a young, striving merchant—to traverse the treacherous political, religious, and mercantile terrain of medieval Europe and the Byzantine Empire to seek out the powerful Presbyter John, a mysterious king in the Far East who has promised to put his wealth and vast armies to the service of the pope’s crusade.
Nicolo’s task is to guide Mauro, but a corrupt cardinal has secretly charged the young man with finding the source of the precious spices that ensure the Venetian and Arab trade monopoly. Nicolo’s youthful exuberance, carelessness, and desire to be important jeopardize their mission, while Mauro’s knowledge of scripture and pagan works has not prepared him for the schemes of doges and emirs, clergymen and kings.
Complicating matters is Nicolo’s ulterior motive: to find out from Presbyter John the source of the valuable Eastern spices the West clamors for. Mauro and Nicolo’s journey is episodic and filled with rich historical detail, their travels revealing the world to them and readers alike. Wonders abound, like the monastery San Giovanni of the Hermits, where Nicolo’s head is turned by jasmine and orange blossoms, or a masked ball, where the young man’s passions are ignited. Brother Mauro begins the story as a sheltered monk ripped out of his comfort zone, and his genuine piety contrasts with the ambition of religious officials who use their positions to increase their own influence. Concurrently, Nicolo’s dealings with merchants suggest where the real power lies.
The biggest strength of the novel is the great care Cycon takes to show the social, economic, religious, and political circumstances in every city along the way, from Genoa (“controlled by hardheaded men of commerce”) to Constantinople (“a polyglot of races, accents, and clothing”). Some chapters move slowly, with the proportions of historic detail and lively incident not always ideally balanced, but the novel often proves an immersive, illuminating pleasure.
Takeaway: Vivid novel of a journey across cultures and commerce in the high middle ages.
Comparable Titles: Elif Shafak’s The Architect’s Apprentice, Jenny White’s Kamil Pasha Novels.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
