What if an Aztec-like culture became a vast conquering space empire? How would that culture, ritual, and language evolve?

This is my first read of Arkady Martine, prompted by award nominations, book club recommendations, and the apparent streak of Aztec/Nahuatl influence and language present in Martine's vast space empire. I was intrigued that some reviewers recommended this book to fans of C.J. Cherryh. Combine all that with a "whodunit" murder mystery, and I began.

I was pleasantly surprised by the skill of this writer. I was delighted by her use of language, linguistics, and poetry in world-building. This book combines psychology and anthropology skillfully. This story is not an action-movie (although it contains everything from warships to daggers). However, it is a layered kaleidoscope of ideas about culture, linguistics, literature, politics, and above all: identity. While there are several points where an astute reader can see where events are going, it is still a delight to watch how the path will unfold from here to there. Part of the pleasure is watching the protagonist learn and discover, even if we can already see a bit ahead of where she can see. I enjoyed the main characters and the process of discovering them with the protagonist.

There are moments when this author taps perfectly into the torn feeling a person can have who comes from a less "mainstream" culture into a larger one. That feeling of being the outsider, even if one is well-versed. This could have been so easy to mess up, but she handled it well.

This author is not C.J. Cherryh, but try this book if you love Cherryh's exploration of personal identity. Neither is this author Guy Gavriel Kay, but try this book if you love the way she uses the "big" human themes of pivotal moments in history, immersion in layers of culture, and lovely descriptions of place. Most of all, give this book a try if you like the idea of identity discovery in the midst of a whodunit, in the midst of a culture that breathes poetry.