An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.
In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.
Whether they succeed or fail could change the fate of Teixcalaan forever.
When a novel feels like it strongly stands alone and ends with such closure, it's hard to imagine what a sequel would be like. This sequel to A Memory Called Empire is different, stranger. I like it a lot, but it is also not what I expected.
It grows a few more points of view, over the original's singular voice from Mahit. It's also a first contact military sf story in space as opposed to the first book's city-centered succession politics and poetry. It's a story about not being able to truly go home again after travelling, about disobeying orders that don't sit well in your heart, about the psychology of different kinds of consciousnesses (in some ways similar to the Ancillary series), and about what peace means to individuals and empires.
One thing I enjoy is that the book gets into the friction between Mahit and Three …
When a novel feels like it strongly stands alone and ends with such closure, it's hard to imagine what a sequel would be like. This sequel to A Memory Called Empire is different, stranger. I like it a lot, but it is also not what I expected.
It grows a few more points of view, over the original's singular voice from Mahit. It's also a first contact military sf story in space as opposed to the first book's city-centered succession politics and poetry. It's a story about not being able to truly go home again after travelling, about disobeying orders that don't sit well in your heart, about the psychology of different kinds of consciousnesses (in some ways similar to the Ancillary series), and about what peace means to individuals and empires.
One thing I enjoy is that the book gets into the friction between Mahit and Three Seagrass. The first book is a whirlwind week of adventure, and ends with a smooch between them during a momentary pause before the climax of the book. There's no time for conversation or for feelings or for anything other than an emotional moment of connection. This book gives them more space and time, where feelings that were smothered in the first book about the complications of perception rear their head and have to be processed. This also makes it feel much different than the first book, where everybody, and especially Three Seagrass, feel more "on side", even when relationships and goals are complicated.
I don't think either of these books are creating larger worldbuilding that would extend out to a longer series. However, I do think they each are remarkably thematically tight books and both worth reading.
I enjoyed this a lot, even if I found the viewpoint of the young emperor sometimes a bit tired, because it seemed to slow down the narrative. Will have to think about all the different perspectives on personhood and assimilation that are offered here.
Not quite as engaging as the first, but a solid sequel
4 stars
Content warning
Not really spoilers, but some discussion of important themes
I am a big fan of "A Memory Called Empire", which I think is one of the best examples of modern space opera - up there with Ann Leckie and Iain M. Banks.
This is a good sequel, and one that pretty directly leads on from the previous one (the time between them is just a couple of months). The book has many of the strengths of the original - a very personal story that is wound into and transformed by galaxy-spanning implications, because of the way it is bound up in the politics and philosophies of different cultures and inter-stellar civilisations.
The characters are mostly admirable or likeable, and the antagonists have integrity and are themselves respectable for the main. Crucially, this is a discussion of how differences of various kinds are negotiated between individuals and groups of different kinds, and with different forms of power differential. There are no clean lines or easy solutions available to anyone, and this is encountered in ways that are confusing and frustrating in diverse ways for all concerned. It might have been better (though much less interestingly entitled "The Space Between Us").
As an individual book I didn't find this as compelling as the previous one. There are a few reasons for this, mostly to do with the nature of sequels. Whereas the previous book was a single point of view character, and a building of a world from scratch, here we have several new PoV characters, some of whom are new and some known. This of course means less time for development of each. While there is opportuntiy to explore them all more than a single perspective would allow, there's just something about them I found to be a little bit too similar (this is an odd complaint, because there are ways in which they are very different, but it does feel that each speaks in the author's rather than their own voices).
The world building is not as rich as the first too. There is some building out of the great Fleet of the Teixcalaan Empire, but not quite enough for it to really feel like more than a backdrop, as most of the PoV characters are not Fleet. The alien threat similarly are mostly an impetus rather than a main player (much as the rebel One Lightning was in the first).
A romance plays a major role in the plot, and I am rarely invested in romantic plots. Since finishing the book earlier today though, I've come to appreciate just how important and layered that relationship is, and so there is no way that it could be removed or even cut down - the nuances in that relationship are vital to perceiving other aspects of intimacy, power, and difference in other aspects of the story. Nevertheless, my frustrations with one of the characters in particular mean that this just wasn't as compelling as it might be as a main plot of the book.
All in all, still a great space opera, and good story. I will absolutely be looking forward to more from Martine, and will be picking it up when it appears.
I read A Memory Called Empire earlier this year and really enjoyed it. In this sequel, I was curious to see how the author would handle the mysterious aliens, who we previously hadn’t seen on page.
We see this story from multiple points of view. While I liked getting different perspectives, they felt rather contrived in terms of answering questions raised by the previous PoV character. I also felt there was a lot of characters standing around being told (or overhearing) information by other characters. Sometimes I was put in mind of “messenger speeches” in Greek drama, where important events are recounted to the actors (and audience) by a messenger, rather than being played out on stage.
There was a sex scene which… felt unnecessary and didn’t (in my opinion) contribute in any way to the story, and I could have done without as much angst-y interactions. (Or …
I read A Memory Called Empire earlier this year and really enjoyed it. In this sequel, I was curious to see how the author would handle the mysterious aliens, who we previously hadn’t seen on page.
We see this story from multiple points of view. While I liked getting different perspectives, they felt rather contrived in terms of answering questions raised by the previous PoV character. I also felt there was a lot of characters standing around being told (or overhearing) information by other characters. Sometimes I was put in mind of “messenger speeches” in Greek drama, where important events are recounted to the actors (and audience) by a messenger, rather than being played out on stage.
There was a sex scene which… felt unnecessary and didn’t (in my opinion) contribute in any way to the story, and I could have done without as much angst-y interactions. (Or perhaps, since we all have angsty moments, not having them spelled out so explicitly).
That said, I enjoyed the read overall and the interweaving of the narrative viewpoints.
Ich mochte Band 2 richtig gerne, weil ich die politischen Erwägungen und das zusätzliche Worldbuilding noch spannender fand als in Band 1. Jetzt, wo ich Band 2 auf Englisch gelesen habe (Band 1 auf Deutsch), kam mir die Sprache auch weniger „kindlich“ und generell runder vor. Nichtsdestotrotz fand ich manche Namen im Deutschen einfach gelungener als im Original (Neunzehn Breitaxt klingt so viel pompöser als Nineteen Adze). Was Gender jenseits Männer/Frauen angeht sieht es leider fast genau so mau aus wie in Band 1. Wobei möglicherweise in einem Satz ein Nebencharakter mit „they“ bezeichnet wurde, aber das ist ein bisschen wenig ;). Zum Ausgleich hatte ich in Band 2 — vielleicht wegen des fehlenden generischen Maskulinums — weniger das Gefühl, dass die Gesellschaft hinter den Kulissen doch patriarchal ist. Auch scheint es, als würde Homo-/Bisexualität nicht „akzeptiert“ werden, sondern einfach gar keine Abweichung von irgendwas sein. Das finde ich erfrischend. …
Ich mochte Band 2 richtig gerne, weil ich die politischen Erwägungen und das zusätzliche Worldbuilding noch spannender fand als in Band 1. Jetzt, wo ich Band 2 auf Englisch gelesen habe (Band 1 auf Deutsch), kam mir die Sprache auch weniger „kindlich“ und generell runder vor. Nichtsdestotrotz fand ich manche Namen im Deutschen einfach gelungener als im Original (Neunzehn Breitaxt klingt so viel pompöser als Nineteen Adze).
Was Gender jenseits Männer/Frauen angeht sieht es leider fast genau so mau aus wie in Band 1. Wobei möglicherweise in einem Satz ein Nebencharakter mit „they“ bezeichnet wurde, aber das ist ein bisschen wenig ;). Zum Ausgleich hatte ich in Band 2 — vielleicht wegen des fehlenden generischen Maskulinums — weniger das Gefühl, dass die Gesellschaft hinter den Kulissen doch patriarchal ist. Auch scheint es, als würde Homo-/Bisexualität nicht „akzeptiert“ werden, sondern einfach gar keine Abweichung von irgendwas sein. Das finde ich erfrischend. Leider habe ich auch in Band 2 nichts zusätzlich über die Reproduktion im Imperium oder auf Lsel gelernt, die Themen hängen ja häufig zusammen.
Inhaltlich hat mich die neue Alienspezies mitgerissen. Um nicht zu spoilern gehe ich hier nicht ins Detail… aber ich hätte sehr sehr gerne ein Spin-Off mit der Spezies im Zentrum.
Was mich auch sehr gefreut hat: Das Buch stellte alle „Gruppen“ kritisch da: Die „Aliens“, die Stationsbewohnenden, die Texa.. Texaner_innen. Es wurde schön veranschaulicht, wie sehr, was man für richtig und falsch hält, für absurd und normal, davon geprägt ist, was die eigene Gruppe als richtig/normal/… vorgibt. Was sogar undenkbar wird dadurch.
Wirklich gut gemacht.
Meine einzigen Minuspunkte sind, a) dass ich gerne noch mehr aus Aliensicht gelesen hätte
b) dass ich 11 Jährige als Hauptcharas einfach nicht sonderlich mag und doppelt nicht, wenn es wieder das monarchistische Auserwähltentrope ist.
Aber das verzeihe ich, denn die von Arkady Martine erschaffene Welt ist super spannend und ich würde gerne mehr von ihr lesen.
I wasn't sure whether to start this, because the first one was a bit hard to follow, but it was very good! It took up some of the themes of "A Memory Called Empire" and explored them in another, deeper way. Also, it was a lot more thrilling, and the characters became more fleshed out and interesting. Had a great time, recommended!
I wasn't sure whether to start this, because the first one was a bit hard to follow, but it was very good! It took up some of the themes of "A Memory Called Empire" and explored them in another, deeper way. Also, it was a lot more thrilling, and the characters became more fleshed out and interesting. Had a great time, recommended!
I liked the first Teixcalaan book but did not love it. I went into the sequel expecting another book I'd really like, and ended up with a book that is rather stunning. A Memory Called Empire was all about politics, intrigue, machinations without much sci-fi in it. A Desolation Called Peace is still all that, and yet it is much broader as we venture out into the war between the Teixcalaan Empire and an unknown, almost invisible, entirely alien enemy. Mahit Dzmare has returned home to her space station, but is dragged into the middle of the war by Three Seagrass, her Teixcalaan liaison, who is now an envoy to be a diplomat between Teixcalaan and the aliens.
It's fascinating how so many things from the first book are still ever present in this book. The role of individuals, collective mind and memory, ever-present. The view of Empire. The …
I liked the first Teixcalaan book but did not love it. I went into the sequel expecting another book I'd really like, and ended up with a book that is rather stunning. A Memory Called Empire was all about politics, intrigue, machinations without much sci-fi in it. A Desolation Called Peace is still all that, and yet it is much broader as we venture out into the war between the Teixcalaan Empire and an unknown, almost invisible, entirely alien enemy. Mahit Dzmare has returned home to her space station, but is dragged into the middle of the war by Three Seagrass, her Teixcalaan liaison, who is now an envoy to be a diplomat between Teixcalaan and the aliens.
It's fascinating how so many things from the first book are still ever present in this book. The role of individuals, collective mind and memory, ever-present. The view of Empire. The unsung hero of the book is Twenty Cicada. Also, there's this crazy chemistry between Mahit and Three Seagrass, so the book has that added benefit for queer me.
It's ridiculously well-written and thoughtful, and I praise it for giving us aliens who are entirely alien, in this first contact scenario. Together, those two books will likely be considered classics.
Content warning
Desolation Called Peace (sequel to Memory Called Empire) minor setting spoilers
Much better than the first part, or to be more precise two parts fit together very well. A lot of open threads and parts of the setting seemed unnecessary, in the second book suddenly came together.
While the first book was for me mainly about immersion in alien culture, second is about things much closer to my heart: finding home, communicating across barriers. There is even some romance.
Also the aliens are very good.
Only minus is this book is still set in facist empire (that is somehow ruled wisely) and the characters are not starting a revolution ;)
I loved this as much as the first--the stakes of what it means to be a person and how we express that, along with what are memory and empire and language, are compelling and the characters radiate.
There were many directions in which Arkady Martine could have taken the sequel to her popular 2019 novel A Memory Called Empire, and she has chosen an interesting and entertaining one.
The worldbuilding for which A Memory Called Empire was praised is back in A Desolation Called Peace, and while the first book focused on the Teixcalaanli capital, the second one explores more of the life onboard of the Lsel Station, as well as life in campaigning military fleets of the empire. For the most part, the worldbuilding in the sequel does not disappoint.
The bits where it does disappoint is in Martine leaning perhaps too heavily on space opera tropes in the parts of the book that take place aboard starships. While the descriptions of the capital or the palace grounds therein continue to be evocative, the descriptions of what it is like onboard of …
There were many directions in which Arkady Martine could have taken the sequel to her popular 2019 novel A Memory Called Empire, and she has chosen an interesting and entertaining one.
The worldbuilding for which A Memory Called Empire was praised is back in A Desolation Called Peace, and while the first book focused on the Teixcalaanli capital, the second one explores more of the life onboard of the Lsel Station, as well as life in campaigning military fleets of the empire. For the most part, the worldbuilding in the sequel does not disappoint.
The bits where it does disappoint is in Martine leaning perhaps too heavily on space opera tropes in the parts of the book that take place aboard starships. While the descriptions of the capital or the palace grounds therein continue to be evocative, the descriptions of what it is like onboard of an imperial warship feel dull in comparison.
The plot continues to explore the politics of empire, and their relationship to individuals. Like with the first book, Martine manages to portray empire as a system built up of individuals—same as those it looms over, poised for conquest. The grand plots of the novel are not driven by villains motivated by their own evil nature, but by people who, entwined as they are with the culture of the empire, are doing what they think is the right thing to do. This is perhaps the most compelling aspect of Martine's Teixcalaan novels—the view of empire from within, but also from the liminal space on its edges.
The one complaint to level here, though, is that the book's pacing leave some to be desired in the first parts of it. The action moves rather slowly as everyone gets from where they were at the end of the first novel to where interesting things will happen in the second one. It is in the second part that things become more interesting and compelling.
Overall, the book is likely to be enjoyable for anyone who enjoyed A Memory Called Empire. The lack of novelty inherent in a sequel means that A Desolation Called Peace does not outshine the first novel, it is nevertheless a worthy successor.
Review of 'A Desolation Called Peace' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This second book in the Teixcalaan series moves in larger circles than the first one which mostly confined itself to the politics of the world city. Most notably, this story has multiple viewpoints running at the same time, including that of the non-human alien adversaries. It is out and out space opera with those baffling aliens, enormously powerful military spaceships, technologies which are being kept secret from the Emperor herself, and a romance acknowledged in the midst of everything. In the end there are three ways of direct mental communication which were all unknown to the ordinary citizen of the Empire. The author does a decent job of raising the stakes again and again leading up to the big climax, and when early on the characters make decisions which advance the plot while at the same time seeming somewhat unmotivated, I was okay with it, because I just wanted to …
This second book in the Teixcalaan series moves in larger circles than the first one which mostly confined itself to the politics of the world city. Most notably, this story has multiple viewpoints running at the same time, including that of the non-human alien adversaries. It is out and out space opera with those baffling aliens, enormously powerful military spaceships, technologies which are being kept secret from the Emperor herself, and a romance acknowledged in the midst of everything. In the end there are three ways of direct mental communication which were all unknown to the ordinary citizen of the Empire. The author does a decent job of raising the stakes again and again leading up to the big climax, and when early on the characters make decisions which advance the plot while at the same time seeming somewhat unmotivated, I was okay with it, because I just wanted to see how it would play out.
I wouldn't recommend reading these books out of order. While the plots are not closely intertwined, the characters who recur certainly are.
I read this as an audiobook unlike the first in the series which I consumed as an ebook, and I think this heightened the differences I felt between them. It had more examples of shared minds on the grand scale as opposed to the small scale sharing of the Stationer imago technology we learned about in the first book, by the aliens, by the Teixcalaanli shard pilots, and by their Sunlit police force. It is a mixed subject, with its obvious frightening aspects but also glimpses of how it can enrich lives too and provide a communal meaning to a group. The first part of this book portrays the villainy of the Lsel station directorate up close as the precipitating event for the characters' flight out to the battle zone, and it crops up again at the end. Charges of spying by Mahit are not new, but supporting evidence of those loyalties is. The settings are in space more often than on planets as they were in book one, although they do not feature the microgravity experience at all.
I was fine with the planet side subplots, though I didn't really understand the palace intrigue fully. It was clear that hiding information is an important motif both on the personal level and institutionally. I also don't completely understand where the aliens' motivations lay, such as why exactly they had slaughtered everyone on a colony planet even though it didn't benefit them. Maybe it was a mistake on their part? I'm not sure. The tension leading up to the climax was undercut for me because I never really believed that the atrocity being advocated would actually get carried out.
I can understand that the author's style, which emphasis the interior lives of the characters so much, might not be what everyone prefers. It is a book where no one in the halls of power say anything without calculation, in their own mind or that of an image riding along, and what a person says to you and does not say is subjected to deep analysis, even when a person is in the throes of death. Rarely does anyone say a line of dialogue without a heavy dose of premeditation, which plays well for readers that are that way by temperament too, maybe not for everybody. I will be looking forward to the next thing coming from her along with the fans, however, whether it is set in this universe or something completely new.
Review of 'Desolation Called Peace' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I loved A Memory Called Empire but I think A Desolation Called Peace is even better. Empire did have some slow spots, particularly in the middle where I felt it dragged a little. But Peace is all killer no filler. Get it now!
