01/13/2025
A vibrant travelogue conjuring the rich complexities of the medieval world at the dawn of the 13th century, the first book in Cycon’s The Emissaries series finds a naïve young merchant navigating a tangle of church, courts, and commerce across Europe and the Byzantine Empire, as a robust mix of powers jockey for dominance. The Church is calling for a new crusade, kings from Rome to the Holy Land strive to protect their domains, and merchants, of course, forever seek new ways to buoy their bottom line. Convinced by a 35-year-old letter that a king named Presbyter John, whereabouts unknown, is the “key to recapturing Jerusalem and regaining the only relic of the True Cross,” Pope Innocent III tasks a devout monk, Brother Mauro, and eager young merchant Nicolo to seek out Presbyter John’s kingdom.
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
