This book deserves the praise it's been getting prior to its release. It's an astonishing debut novel.

Mahit Dzmare is the new Lsel ambassador to the Teixcalaan empire. Her predecessor died unexpectedly and Teixcalaan requested a replacement as soon as possible. She's educated and competent, but not as prepared as she ought to be for this role. She has the benefit of an imago of her predecessor, or a neural chip connected to her brain stem which carries the living memory of everyone who wore the imago before her. Thus, she has the experience of the previous ambassador to guide her through this new role--but only to a point. You see, the imago she's wearing is 15 years out of date, and the previous ambassador was a bit cagey about what he'd been up to in his role. While she knows protocol and other basic information about the empire, she has no idea what the man was up to before he died. And, of course, she's walking into a place with far more unrest than she thought there would be.

I love the careful world building that went into this novel. Communication is deeply rooted in poetic forms and literary allusions, which listeners must analyze to grasp the different nuances of meaning. Thus, a person may be technically fluent, with the vocabulary to translate the exact speech of what is being said, without having the cultural knowledge to understand it's meaning. Gestures are also subtle (and often different from our own). There's a great emphasis on symbolism, in everything from Teixcalaanli names, epithets, architecture and city planning, etc.

The novel takes on themes of assimilation and imperialism. Teixcalaan is a powerful empire with an alluringly beautiful culture, while Lsel Station is small and (by necessity) provides a more spartan lifestyle for its citizens. Lsel is threatened with not-quite-voluntary annexation, a conquest effected more through trade and the influx of Teixcalaanli culture, which is popular with Lsel youth, than outright war.

I can already say that this is one of my favorite reads of 2019. It's an intricate science fantasy full of political drama in a culture where everything is expressed through poetry and other subtle literary allusions. What's not to like? I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Although it is New Years Eve 2018 as I write this review, I think I can confidently claim that A Memory Called Empire will be my favorite debut novel published in 2019. This book not only checked every box for me: unique and interesting worldbuilding, likable and complex characters, a plot that kept me on my toes, and a sapphic main couple, it also added a new box: dissing your political opponents through passive aggressive layered poetry.

My favorite part of this book was the worldbuilding. The Teixcalaanli Empire is this massive space hegemony with a culture inspired by a mix of Byzantine and South American cultures. The central focus of this book is in the language of the Teixcalaanli Empire, and, through language, poetry. The main character, Mahit, is the newly appointed ambassador to Teixcalaan from her small space station, and through her eyes, we get to explore the amazing depths of this culture that Martine has put together. By her side is her cultural liaison, Three Seagrass, who helps Mahit traverse the capital of Teixcalaan as they attempt to discover the fate of her predecessor.

One thing I love about Mahit is that though she starts as the equivalent of a Teixcalaan weaboo, completely obsessed with its culture, her mindset changes as she slowly learns how ridiculously ostentatious Teixcalaanli culture is. Teixcalaan, in a way, reminds me of how stereotypical elves or fae are portrayed: arrogant intellectuals, constantly talking purple prose, looking down on outsiders, and willingly behaving in tropes. The mark of an ideal Teixcalaanli citizen, apparently, is their ability to bust out impromptu poetry about literally anything, as demonstrated by Three Seagrass at one point about sewers. While Mahit still clearly loves the culture, she's also completely willing to call out Three Seagrass and others on their ridiculousness later on.

A large portion of this book is the political intrigue, both within Teixcalaan and internal matters from Mahit's home station. As such, there's very little in the way of the space battles and inter-galactic travel that usually make up the space-opera genre. Nevertheless, I found the pacing very quick and exciting. There was never really a dull moment in this book. There was always some mystery that led to a new clue, or a new character with hidden motives introduced.

Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. I think I can easily say it'll be one of my favorite reads of 2018 and my favorite debut novel published in 2019. Between the political intrigue, worldbuilding, characters, and poetry slams, A Memory Called Empire has much to love.

/r/Fantasy Bingo 2018 Squares:

Novel featuring a Non-Western Setting
Subgenre: Space Opera
Novel from the /r/Fantasy LGBTQ+ Database

Reivew posted to my blog on 22 Feb 2019

There were a lot of things I really liked about this book but, I have to be honest, the pacing at times let A Memory Called Empire down a little. Still, that might be a little unfair for what is both a first novel and also the first in a trilogy with all the world-building requirements that entails.

The basic premise of the book is that we follow the newly-appointed ambassador for Lsel Station who has been unexpectedly called to the heart of the nearby all-consuming Teixcalaan empire. On Lsel, it's traditional for the memories of past individuals to be paired with a new person on their death, so their experiences and expertise are passed on without subsuming the new 'host' and their own life. When Mahit is summoned, she is only able to be given an outdated version of the previous ambassador's memories and hastily packed off in a ship, only to discover on her arrival that the summons was due to her predecessor's murder.

At this point, Yskander's previous memories stop working and Mahit is left to try and navigate the empire she admires and figure out just what Yskander did to get himself killed. This turns out to be offering the memory technology to a dying emperor who is desperate to continue to live through his clone, which is both unacceptable to Lsel and also considered immoral by the empire. In the background, there's also the threat of alien invasion which Mahit is eventually able to use to try and keep Lsel from being swallowed up.

Overall, I really liked the clash of cultures taking place here, with Mahit as a big fan of Teixcalaan culture but eventually realising she can never quite fit in with them. I found it a little annoying that the potential clash between Yskander-as-was and the machinations of his older self were underplayed by the memory device malfunctioning at the least opportune time. As mentioned earlier, at times the pacing was a little uneven but in general I enjoyed A Memory Called Empire a lot and look forward to seeing where the rest of the story goes.

Este era sin duda uno de los libros más esperados del año, no solo por una portada arrebatadora, si no por todos los rumores que había alrededor de la publicación de esta primera novela.

Y es que las referencias a autores consagradísimos en la space opera como mi admirado Iain M. Banks no hacían si no aumentar el hype, algo quizás contraproducente para la lectura.

Afortunadamente, A Memory Called Empire es un libro que se mantiene perfectamente por sí mismo, sin necesidad de tantas comparaciones.

El universo en que se sitúa la acción está dominado por un Imperio que ha conquistado un territorio tras otro y que mantiene una tensa paz con otras colonias mineras, en un equilibrio inestable con as colonias mineras que depende mucho de los intereses comerciales y de las ganas de conquista que tenga el emperador de turno. Y sin embargo, hay algo que planea en el horizonte que puede llegar a cambiar la difícil situación de status quo actual.

Esta idea, obviamente, no es original. Y sin embargo, el punto de vista con el que trabaja la autora, dándole voz a la embajadora de una de estas colonias mineras, da la posibilidad de ver el imperio desde la perversa admiración que puede provocar el depredador que te amenaza. Y es que la seguridad que provee el imperio a sus habitantes permite que florezcan las artes, mientras que en los otros territorios bastante tienen con luchar por la supervivencia. Esta fascinación por el lenguaje, por la prosa y los versos más elaborados, se hacen patentes en los aspectos de la vida cotidiana. Por ejemplo, me asombra que la clave de cifrado de los mensajes de gobierno sea el último poema de moda, a pesar de la fragilidad inherente de una cifra basada en la sustitución.

La novedad más importante que nos trae la autora son los imagos, algo semejante a los implantes de antepasados que ya utiliza Aliette de Bodard en su ciclo de Xuya, pero dando un paso más en la integración entre las memorias pasadas y las presentes. La persona a la que se le implanta un imago, se “transforma” en otra, en una mezcla homogénea entre el pasado y el presente que permite avanzar hacia el futuro sin perder el conocimiento ya acumulado. Es una idea fascinante, sobre la que gira toda la novela, desde el punto de vista ajeno a esta costumbre, incomprensible para muchos de los que la conocen por primera vez.

Otros detalles también son entrañables, como los nombres de los miembros del imperio, consistentes en un número y otro nombre común. El hecho de que aún con esta nomenclatura tan extraña haya hueco para el cariño con motes personalizados aumenta la empatía que el lector siente por unos personajes, que ya de por sí se hacen de querer.

Existe un esfuerzo considerable por parte de la autora para que el lector se acostumbre a la terminología del universo de una forma natural, administrando la información pausadamente y engarzando cada fragmento para dar lugar a un mosaico complejo y hermoso a la vez.

El ritmo de la novela está bastante bien llevado, menos algunos momentos que rebajan la tensión creciente y un final para mí algo precipitado. Pero A Memory Called Empire es una estupenda primera novela, con ideas conocidas pero con nuevas perspectivas y una atención al detalle muy agradable. De las mejores lecturas del año, sin duda. No me extrañaría nada ver el premio Locus a primera novela en las estanterías de Arkady.

{Note: This review is scheduled to be published on the 1st of March 2019 on my blog. The link to my blog (shared through Twitter and Goodreads) will not work before this date. I will also be publishing it on my Goodreads profile and a shorter version (written at the bottom of this review) via my Litsy account on the aforementioned date.}
https://thedigressiveapproach.wordpress.com/2019/01/03/review-a-memory-called-empire-by-arkady-martine

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Ambassador Mahit is sent to the center of the Teixcalaanli Empire to save her Station from the Empire's unending expansion. She arrives and discovers that her predecessor was murdered and that the political environment of the Empire is far from favouring her mission.

The blurb is very well-written with just the right amount of information given to the reader to entice them. It was the theme of cultural identity that attracted me the most. There were a lot of positive aspects in this story and some negative ones as well.

Firstly, the world building is executed very well. The language, mannerisms, habits and other cultural aspects of the Empire and of the Station are explained in such a way that the differences between the two are emphasised and yet the few similarities are also present as a bitter reminder of there being some common ground even between such stark opposites. Although there wasn't a lot of info-dumping, there were instances where the dialogue and the situation felt very 'manufactured' just for the sake of explaining a concept that the reader would need to understand.

The characters and their relationships were well-rounded and believable, despite the rather short amount of actual time in which the events of this book take place. When that short span is taken into account, it may not be believable to have such deep character relationships, however, this is balanced out by Mahit's desire for allies in an unknown world and other characters' political scheming.

As for the actual story, I would say that the political scheming could have been done better. It could have been more complex than involving a handful of characters and their motivations. The concept of Mahit's technological secret and that of her Station's is not a new one, but it has been used in a new way. I also felt that the identity crisis she suffers as a result of her technology malfunctioning was explained and developed better than this concept has been in other works.

Overall, this was an excellent book and a good way to start off the series. I am eager to know more about this world that Martine has created and will definitely be open to reading the next work in the series.

Overall rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Short review on Litsy

eARC provided by NetGalley and Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.
An excellent first book in a promising new series. I enjoyed the world building and fast-paced storyline. Although the political scheming could have been more convoluted, overall this was a great story and I'll be eagerly waiting for the next installment.

Overall rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Political SFF pulled off well is a delight to read, and I'm happy to report that this (mostly) succeeds. Excellent worldbuilding, deft prose, and a zippy plot that never dragged. I especially enjoyed the whole "empire of poets" idea, which the author plays with in really interesting ways.

If I had a criticism, it would be that I expected (wanted?) MORE political drama than we got here. Our narrator barely lands before shenanigans commence, but those shenanigans weren't quite what I was expecting; I thought there'd be more backbiting and maneuvering at parties, spying, and all that fun stuff; which we do get some of, but our narrator spends an awful lot of time quite literally on the run, which some might prefer, but just wasn't what I was expecting. And from a plot perspective . . . the ambassador from a small mining station to a mighty intergalactic empire brings with her no diplomatic staff whatsoever, which kept pulling me out of the narrative---Lsel Station is small, I get it, but she had ZERO STAFF! It was just her and a member of her host government's staff, which struck me as so bizarre it kept ripping me out of the narrative.

But those are minor criticisms. All things considered, I'll definitely pick up the sequel.

[NOTE: I have scheduled my review to go live on my blog on the 13th of March 2019. The link given below won't work until that time.]


A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine is a story of galactic empire and the author’s debut. I was drawn to it by two blurbs: the summary from the publisher and the recommendation from Ann Leckie. Combined they gave the impression that the book would appeal to fans of the latter, and I don’t think that impression was wrong.

Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident--or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.

Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion--all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret--one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life--or rescue it from annihilation.

The story in A Memory Called Empire follows the Ambassador from a small space station colony and she begins her placement in the grand galactic empire. Her people, the Lsel, use brain recorders to preserve knowledge and before Mahit leaves she receives the memories of the previous ambassador. Except they’re fifteen years out of date and no one knows what actually happened to the previous ambassador. Finding out is her main motivation.

On the one hand, this is the story of someone alone in a foreign planet. On the other hand, she’s not entirely alone, since she has Yskander, the previous ambassador, in her head, and it’s not entirely a foreign world since she’s been studying their language and in love with their culture for a long time. Of course, things are not so clear cut, which is also the source of much of the tension in the book. That and a series of events entirely out of Mahit’s purview.

I found this to be an interesting and entertaining read. At times it would drag for a minute, but then there’d be a funny quip or a dramatic event and the story would pick up again. That aspect did emphasise how long this book was, which I hadn’t entirely expected, but since it was enjoyable, I also didn’t mind.

A Memory Called Empire explores empire and dominant culture. How to resist it and the extent to which that isn’t entirely possible. The more we learn about Mahit’s predecessor’s approach to his job, and the more more we see of the citizenry’s reactions to Mahit, the more dominant the empire seems. The political intrigue aspect of the plot was well done also (and I always like political intrigue in my stories), and included some unexpected turns.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of space opera, interstellar empires and politics seen from a person and outsider perspective. While the general style of the book has some similarities to Ann Leckie’s works, I feel most comfortable comparing it with Provenance rather than Ancillary Justice for the tone evoked. A Memory Called Empire is the first of a series but it tells a self-contained story. I want to know more of this world and how certain events develop, but we, the readers are not left in the lurch to wait for a sequel.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: March 2019, Tor
Series: Teixcalaan book 1 of 2 announced
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

TW/CW : I can't think of any except maybe death and kinda disturbing funeral rituals

2.5/5
I would not have finished this book if it wasn't an ARC and I felt like I had to power through it and review the whole thing.
It's not a bad book by any means though, it just wasn't for me personally.

We follow Mahit who just because the ambassador of her station in this huge empire. As she comes into the capital she realizes her predecessor is dead, and she suspects he was killed. Court intrigue and political maneuvers will ensue.
It's a politics and diplomacy-heavy book. It's very smart and even intellectual, Martine created an empire that is all about poetry and language. You'll read long paragraphs just about the language of the empire and the linguistic of it.
I like politics and diplomacy but I also need some.. entertainment when I read a book. I didn't feel like this one really had any. There's kind of a murder mystery but there's no reveals, no surprising moments. We understand very early who probably killed and we don't...really care ? Mahit doesn't either because she has bigger problems by then. But those problems are not really much more exciting for us as readers, or at least for me.

The whole part of the book (and it's an important part) about language construct, linguistics and poetic structures really wasn't for me. I do not care. I think if you are a writer or a poet yourself, if you studied english lit in university or anything like that it could totally be your jam, but it just wasn't mine. My native tongue isn't english and I never studied english above high school. I had some (french) linguistic classes in uni and it bored me to tears... So yeah, I don't think I was the target audience here, if I had known how much it relied on language I might not have picked it up but I didn't realize that before it was "too late".

Also of course there's that whole storyline about the Imago Machine, a technology that only Mahit's station uses, bringing the memories of now dead people in the head th next generation so that they never forget anything about their past, about their competences and experiences.
Mahit's imago malfunctions very early on in the story and she is left without one. So the fun part that could have brought that technology into the story.. Wasn't there. The imago was mostly used as a political pawn... How frustrating.

Characters and world-building
Some of the problem might also come from the fact that I didn't feel like the characters were really fleshed out. They all had their use and we get a general idea of who they are but..Also, not really. Even Mahit feels hollow to me when I think about her now.
I don't think there was much world-building either. Those parts were actually used to talk about language and poetry mostly. Other than that we know that the Teixcalaani do not smile widely, make personal space very important and... love poetry. I cannot tell you one other thing about the world.

This book spends so much time telling us about Mahit's state of mind right then and there, and talk to us about language that it forgot to really develop the characters and the world. It's pretty, it's super smart and intellectual but it's missing something. Something that make it real and human. There was some of it, some scenes here and there really brought me what I wanted... But most of the time it didn't, and I felt bored.

To finish on a positive note, I did enjoy the relationship between the 2 main characters, Mahit and Three Seagrass, it was one of the part that helped make the story a bit more human (though it wasn't enough, there wasn't that many scenes like that between the two. I mean, they are always together so there's many scenes between the two but if you remove the scenes where they strictly talk about politics and what to do next there's not that many left).

In my mind, it's like if you took the Imperial Radch from Ancillary Justice but didn't have any AI or the vengeance plotline, with the technology of Ninefox Gambit, but no battles or active war; also language instead of maths. So it really depends on your tastes with this one.

Even though I didn't enjoy myself at all, I don't want to give it less than 2.5 (and 3 on GR), because there was nothing wrong with it, I couldn't see any problematic parts, nothing infuriated me. I was just bored.

It's a difficult book to put into words. It's not so much plot or character driven as it is world and language driven. If you've read Ninefox Gambit, it's like that...but instead of math and time centered, AMCE is linguistics and poetry centered. Much of the world-building is done through depictions of the language.

The author includes a brief description of the language, including a pronunciation chart (with IPA symbols!) and also talks a little bit about its writing system. I greatly appreciated this, along with the detailed glossary. It's a book that throws you into the world, but doesn't abandon you.

Objectively, it's a really good book. Subjectively, I found parts of it to be a bit too slow. The pacing felt off at times. Like when a lot of action was happening, the prose didn't really match. At a couple of points, I had these moments of, "Wait. This is a really intense action scene. We're not just sitting and talking anymore."
And one last thing I feel like I should mention: There are 0 mentions of any type of sexual assault or rape. Off screen or on screen. No hints either.

If I'm being really specific, I'd say 3.75 stars out of 5. But more generally, I'd say 4 stars. I really liked it for its originality while maintaining some classic tropes done well. But I felt that sometimes the writing style was unnecessarily confusing -- to the point where I'd have to re-read certain parts to really understand what was happening. There will be a more detailed review posted later on The Fantasy Inn blog (thefantasyinn.wordpress.com). Thank you to Tor & NetGalley for the digital galley.

Mahit Dzmare was sent for by the Texicalaan empire, to become the new ambassador for the her of Lsel station. She just happened to be a fit for the Imago-machine that was previously the ambassador. Unfortunately she has not idea who sent for her or why. When she arrives on the City-Planet of Teixcalaan she finds that her predecessor has been murdered. Now she must do everything she can to prevent his technology from falling into the wrong hands while saving her station from being taken over by a huge empire. All the while she must also try not to lose herself when she is all alone, even inside her head since her Imago-machine has gone dark.

This was a fun read, and definately a great debut book. You can really tell that she has taken the time to create a new universe and world. To me this read like early Aaron Sorken, writing a space opera book, lots of political intrigue, and no shortage of action as well.

Things I didnt like about this book:

While reading this book there were definately times when I felt like the philosophy was getting in the way of the book progressing. It almost felt like she was bogging herself down with things and plots that didnt really fit. Since this is at least going to be a duology this could have been set up for further books but I think it was just trying to establish the philosophies of the two main characters in Mahit and Three-Seagrass, and moving the plot towards where things are at the end of the book.

Things that I liked about this book:

I really enjoyed the world building, I really felt like Teixcalaan was a new world and someplace that had substance and felt real. I could see the way things were set up and I really think there are other stories to be told that dont even have to do with Lsel station in this city. As an example the story of the imperial protesters. Theres a story there, especially with the illegal tech and implants they are doing. I think you also have a possible short story in the meeting of Three-Seagrass and Twelve-Azalea. Needless to say theres a lot more story to tell in this universe.

I really liked the relationship between Mahit and Three-Seagrass, especially watching it develop over the course of the book, to finally climax at the point where the emperor is making his final speech. I also loved the relationship between Three-Seagrass and Twelve-Azalea and wanted more of that for sure.

I loved that they included a glossary in the back because its hard to keep track of a new universe and also all the characters especially since all of the Teixcalaanlitzlim all have numbers in their name and several of them share the same number.

Overall a great book, would recommend to someone who really loves a good space opera book, or even someone that really likes political thrillers but isnt sure about sci-fi or space opera at all.

One thing I will say in closing is that this book is complex in the words that are used and sometimes in the ideas that it throws out especially when you are first starting the book, it does take a bit to get used to this new universe but it is so worth the time and effort to get through it.

ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.

Easily one of the cleverest sci-fi debut I’ve read so far.

A Memory Called Empire is Arkady Martine’s debut novel and the first installment in the Teixcalaan series. Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in Teixcalaan only to find out that the previous ambassador from the same mining station as hers has died. Contrary to her belief, nobody wants to admit that his death wasn’t an accident, and now it’s up to Mahit to uncover who’s behind the murder. At the same time, she also has to save the place where she came from—Lsel—from the Teixcalaan expansion. A Memory Called Empire at its core is a murder mystery story. If you start this book expecting tons of action, there’s a chance that you’ll be sorely disappointed. The main charm of the book lies in Mahit’s challenges in navigating the unfamiliar culture of Teixcalaan; it’s a book heavily centered on politics. In my opinion, this novel was a bit reminiscent of The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. The main difference between the two is that while I disliked The Traitor Baru Cormorant, I highly enjoyed reading this one due to a superb prose that clicked with me.

“The problem with sending messages was that people responded to them, which meant one had to write more messages in reply.”

It did, however, take me a long time to be wholly invested in the main character; almost 50% into the book truthfully speaking. I wasn’t really impressed by Mahit’s character at first, and the fact that the story was almost entirely told through her perspective actually made me think that the book wasn’t working for me. However, I was gladly proven wrong. The second half of the book did more than redeem what I initially thought was lacking in the book—fascinating characters. By then, I’ve come to realize that the reason I had some issues with Mahit in the earlier half of the book wasn’t that she was poorly written, but it was because she needed some time for her personality to shine and she hasn’t really interacted much with the main side characters; Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea. These two characters truly made Mahit’s personality bloom. The unlikely relationships that Mahit formed with these two characters were utterly delightful to read and I loved reading every moment of it. Eventually, the novel ended up becoming an exhilarating ride due to the gradual increase in tension and most of all, my growing investment in the characters and their fates. Plus, Martine was brilliantly able to make weird character names work. I’m not kidding, I’ve read a lot of books and this was literally the first time I’ve read characters’ names as original as those in A Memory Called Empire. Here’s an example:

“‘I am Six Helicopter,’ said the man—Mahit stared at him, and wondered when he’d learned to say his name with not only a straight face but with that degree of smugness”

Once you’ve started reading this novel, I think you will easily agree with me that Arkady Martine is a very intellectual author. The reason why I say this is mainly because of the incredibly intricate world-building, and Martine’s implementation of it into the storyline. I won’t lie, I haven’t read sci-fi/space opera as much as I’ve read epic fantasy. However, from my experience so far, the world-building in sci-fi/space opera rarely reach the intricacy that can easily be found in epic fantasy. However, A Memory Called Empire amazed my vision and imagination with its super detailed world-building, and its seamless integration into every aspect of the book. Technology, culture, memory, legacy, language, citizen’s behavior, identity crisis, and history, they were all written impeccably. Most of the novel was told in the past tense, but there were a few times where the narrative shifts to present tense and Martine nailed this transition wonderfully. Not only did the changes in tenses feel natural, it was also necessary to enhance the frantic scenes portrayed. I’d like to also add it’s better to take your time reading this book. Digest each word slowly, because there are a lot of nuances to appreciate in the multi-layered world-building. Plus, Martine didn’t spend a lot of time explaining the terminology; it’s up to the reader to define what the terms mean through the context of the story and narrative. Luckily, there’s a glossary near the end of the book that will help readers a lot in understanding what each in-world term means, or who the characters are.

“Histories are always worse by the time they get written down.”

Written with finesse, A Memory Called Empire didn’t feel like a debut effort at all. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have guessed this is a debut if no one has told me about it. The prose was so vivid, engaging, and easy to follow despite a myriad of terminologies and unique names to remember. The intro of my review said crystal clear - it’s very easy for me to claim that A Memory Called Empire is one of the cleverest sci-fi debuts I’ve ever read. There are a lot of promising books being published in 2019, and I’m pretty damn sure that Arkady Martine’s skilfully crafted debut will be one of the books that many readers rave about in the future.

“Better to take action than to be paralyzed by the thousands of shifting possibilities.”

Official release date: March 26th, 2019

You can buy the book with free shipping by clicking this link!

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

"A Memory Called Empire" is a densely-packed, detailed story of interstellar palace intrigue. Those expecting shoot-em-up action need to slow it down a little here. It's a very thick story that takes a while to be fully revealed. One of the central themes is past lives memory in the form of imago machines much like the past lives of Frank Herbert's Bene Gesserits and often a struggle for mind domination with a ghost from the past. Other themes involve how a minority culture on a distant frontier maintains its political and cultural independence in the face of a world-devouring empire that swallows up planets and absorbs the planet's technology and culture, spitting it back out as part of the empire's culture much as the world Hellenized under Alexander the Great or Romanized under the Roman Empire. Most of all, it's a story of a barbarian ambassador entering the empire's capital and learning slowly but surely how to negotiate the treacherous politics of an empire whose heart is being ripped asunder by internal strife and struggles for succession of an aging leader. Amazingly, it's a very interesting journey without a whole lot of bombs bursting in the air - well, maybe one or two.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

There's a new ambassador for the Lsel System to the Teixcalaanli Empire, Mahit Dzmare discovers her predecessor was murdered. Then is seems others want to wish the same upon her. It's a great scifi thriller.

A Memory called Empire is one of my top reads for 2018, but sadly it's not out until next year! I can't wait for this to come out and have people pick it up, I have a feeling/hope that it will be racking up award nominations.

It is exquisitely paced and the narrative tension and world building slot together to craft one of the best political mysteries I've ever read. The characters are fully realized and complex, even the major players who have little page time. You'll find yourself aching and feeling with them. If you're a fan of books like the Goblin Emperor or Ann Leckie's work, this is something I highly suggest you pick up..

As a fan of Ann Leckie's Ancillary series I have been looking for new books with a similar feel. This was an excellent read. Enough of a mystery to keep me reading into the evening. I read this in one day. I could not put it down.