A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine is an intriguing entry in the space opera genre. As the Teixcalaanli Empire sprawls, taking ever-more planets and peoples into itself, Lsel Station strives to maintain its autonomy. Lsel’s newest ambassador, Mahit Dzmare, has spent her life studying the Teixcalaanli language and culture hoping to visit someday. Now, the empire’s request for a new ambassador has given her the chance of a lifetime and a mountain of problems to solve. Attempting to discover how her predecessor died is only the beginning of it. No amount of reading the epic historical poetry that forms the backbone of Teixcalaanli high culture could quite prepare her for living out such intrigues in the actual imperial court during a time of civil unrest, especially after she loses what was supposed to be her most valuable advisor. Inuring Lsel’s freedom would be struggle enough, but can she keep herself and her few allies alive at the same time?
Mahit is a wonderfully clever heroine working hard to maintain her agency while surrounded by people who would seek to use her. The suspenseful political plot is both engrossing on its own and a great vehicle for the world building as Mahit takes in the reality of the foreign culture she has previously only studied from afar and compares it to the, to the reader, equally alien culture of her birth. It would be easy for discussions of poetry, linguistics, and indeed the radically different ways the two cultures approach memory and legacy to become dense, but here they work as beautifully intricate pieces of a puzzle. A Memory Called Empire is a satisfying stand-alone read, but there is a promise of more Teixcalaan novels to come, with A Desolation Called Peace due out in September.
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RATING: **** Stars (I really liked it)
- Catherine, Librarian
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GENRE: Science Fiction Mysteries; Space Opera CHARACTER: Large Cast of Characters; LGBTQIA Diverse STORYLINE: Intricately Plotted; Own Voices; World-Building TONE: Dramatic; Suspenseful WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Descriptive; Stylistically Complex
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