Publishers Weekly
★ 11/23/2020
Martine spins a dizzying, exhilarating story of diplomacy, conspiracy, and first contact in the powerhouse sequel to her Hugo Award–winning debut, A Memory Called Empire. Mahit Dzmare has returned home to Lsel station after a brief, eventful stint as ambassador to the empire of Teixcalaan, but now Teixcalaanli warships are moving into formation against the terrifying aliens that live beyond a nearby jumpgate. When Nine Hibiscus, the leader of the warships, requests a trained diplomat to aid in alien relations and avoid conflict, Mahit’s former liaison and love interest, Three Seagrass, assigns herself the job—and drags Mahit along with her. But there are factions on Lsel and in Teixcalaan who would benefit from an endless war and who work to undermine their negotiations. Martine effortlessly balances several points of view—including the idealistic 11-year-old imperial heir, Eight Antidote—to provide a vivid window into a struggle over the question of who gets to be counted as a person. Martine’s aliens are viscerally unsettling and utterly believable, and she deploys them masterfully to underscore themes of colonization, assimilation, and cultural violence. This complex, stunning space opera promises to reshape the genre. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
A dizzying, exhilarating story of diplomacy, conspiracy, and first contact in the powerhouse sequel to [Martine's] Hugo Award–winning debut . . . This complex, stunning space opera promises to reshape the genre”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Martine weaves a dramatic and suspenseful story of political intrigue and alien first contact . . . each character is rendered in exquisite detail.”—Booklist, starred review
Praise for A Memory Called Empire
“A mesmerizing debut . . . it left me utterly dazzled.”—The New York Times Book Review
"[A] gorgeously crafted diplomatic space opera . . . Readers will eagerly away the planned sequels to this impressive debut."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Politics and personalities blend with an immersive setting and beautiful prose in a debut that weaves threads of identity, assimilation, technology, and culture to offer an exceedingly well-done sf political thriller."—Library Journal, starred review
"This is both an epic and a human story, successful in the mode of Ann Leckie and Yoon Ha Lee. A confident beginning with the promise of future installments that can't come quickly enough."—Kirkus, starred review
“Exquisite . . . a compelling journey with a rich world and fascinating characters”—The Los Angeles Times
"Interesting, detailed, lavish."—The Wall Street Journal
"A Memory Called Empire perfectly balances action and intrigue with matters of empire and identity. All around brilliant space opera, I absolutely love it."—Ann Leckie, author of Ancillary Justice
"In A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine smuggles you into her interstellar diplomatic pouch, and takes you on the most thrilling ride ever. This book has everything I love: identity crises, unlikely romance, complicated politics, and cunning adventurers. Super-fun, and ultra-fascinating."—Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky
“Stunning sci-fi debut. An ambassador from a small space station has to survive in the capital of a galactic empire where everyone seems to want her dead. Add in a great will-they-won’t-they wlw romantic interest. Awesome.”—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series
“An elegant and accomplished example of the subgenre of subtle scheming with a background of stars. A delightful read. I couldn’t put it down.”—Jo Walton, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of Among Others
“A taut murder mystery entwined with questions of technological ethics, A Memory Called Empire is also an evocative depiction of foreignness. Martine creates an elaborate and appealing culture against which to play out this story of political intrigue, assimilation, and resistance. Daring, beautiful, immersive, and often profound.”—Malka Older, author of Infomocracy
“A Memory Called Empire is a murder mystery wrapped up in a political space opera, and deeply immerses the reader in a unique culture and society. I very much enjoyed it and look forward to what Martine does next.”—Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot Diaries
"A cunningly plotted, richly imagined tale of interstellar intrigue that does something new with space opera."—Ken MacLeod
“A Memory Called Empire elevates space opera to poetry—clever, deep, sometimes tragic, sometimes violent, always transcendent poetry that shines like the edge of a knife.”—Delilah Dawson
“An intricate, layered tale of empire, personal ambition, political obligations and interstellar intrigue. Vivid and delightfully inventive.”—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author of the Xuya Universe stories and The House of Binding Thorns
“A cutting, beautiful, human adventure about cultural exchange, identity, and intrigue. The best SF novel I’ve read in the last five years.”—Yoon Ha Lee, author of the Machineries of Empire trilogy
“An exceptional first novel recommended for fans of Cherryh, Leckie, Banks, and Asimov.”—Elizabeth Bear, author of Hammered
"A Memory Called Empire . . . is so frigging good. It's like a space opera murder mystery combined with all the political parts of Dune."—Dan Wells, author of I Am Not a Serial Killer
Library Journal
01/01/2021
Mahit Dzmare has returned to Lsel Station after her time on Teixcalaan, stepping up as ambassador after the untimely death of the previous one, Yskandr Aghavn. Now trying to protect the two Imagos of Aghavn hosted in her brain, she is once again reunited with Three Seagrass, the Teixcalaanli liaison she grew fond of. Both have been brought to the edge of a jumpgate to try to negotiate with the terrifying aliens on the other side. However, factions on both Lsel Station and Teixcalaan believe that fighting is better, and Mahit and Three Seagrass must navigate the tumultuous negotiation and stave off war. Multiple points of view give a full view of the issues including fear of what is different, and the ease of cultural violence and assimilation when one believes they are better. Three Seagrass and Mahit continue to delight in their interactions with each other. VERDICT This follow-up to Martine's debut, A Memory Called Empire, contains beautiful prose and complex worldbuilding that will immerse readers in a dazzling story of alien contact and colonization.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
