ielerol's review against another edition
5.0
What a follow-up. It's so rare for the second book in a series to hold up when the first felt as exciting and different and new as A Memory Called Empire did. This one does though. It's an entirely logical follow-up and yet I was just as on the edge of my seat to learn what was going on, from the new view of Teixcalaanli politics (and Lsel station politics), to the perfectly weird and alien and effective aliens, to all the new characters and POVs, to seeing how Mahit and Three Seagrass's relationship develop in a very complicated and adult and realistic way, to the space kittens.
There are so many layers of theme here: personhood and who gets it and how you can convince another that you deserve it, freedom and empire and identity, the ethics of how much harm you're willing to inflict for the sake of securing your own survival, all operating on multiple fronts and interacting with each other throughout the story.
Also Three Seagrass is a very funny tiny disaster lesbian, and did I mention space kittens?
There are so many layers of theme here: personhood and who gets it and how you can convince another that you deserve it, freedom and empire and identity, the ethics of how much harm you're willing to inflict for the sake of securing your own survival, all operating on multiple fronts and interacting with each other throughout the story.
Also Three Seagrass is a very funny tiny disaster lesbian, and did I mention space kittens?
treint's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mayacecile's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
isabel_tong's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
csweetman88's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kaivalry's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
rbreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I did enjoy reading this book and the ideas that it brought up in expansion of the first! I had a bit more trouble getting through it, but that may just be me and book burn out lol
timbo001's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ginabbina's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so excellent. [a:Arkady Martine|13803582|Arkady Martine|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1517495486p2/13803582.jpg] can do anything. Everything that I liked in the first book [b:A Memory Called Empire|37794149|A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1)|Arkady Martine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526486698l/37794149._SY75_.jpg|59457173] continues in the second and there's even more.
The first book escalates from a mysterious death to planet scale war (or threat of war). This book escalates from maybe-war to maybe-genocide.
The first book raises questions about citizenship, humanity, barbarism versus civilization. This book escalates to questions of personhood, sentience, civilization versus species.
The book starts a few weeks after the end of the first one. We have mostly the same main characters, but in a new setting. There are also some new characters, and we get first person sections with new people. It's interesting to see culture clashes from both sides. Including somewhat incomprehensible interludes.
There are some factions and some political intrigue that's opaque at first, and hard to clearly place. At the beginning, everyone is simultaneously unlikable and likable, and I didn't know who I was rooting for, for awhile.
The last 25% is A Lot, and I'm very glad I was able to read it without setting it down at the end. I can't imagine where a sequel would go, but I'm all in.
The first book escalates from a mysterious death to planet scale war (or threat of war). This book escalates from maybe-war to maybe-genocide.
The first book raises questions about citizenship, humanity, barbarism versus civilization. This book escalates to questions of personhood, sentience, civilization versus species.
The book starts a few weeks after the end of the first one. We have mostly the same main characters, but in a new setting. There are also some new characters, and we get first person sections with new people. It's interesting to see culture clashes from both sides. Including somewhat incomprehensible interludes.
There are some factions and some political intrigue that's opaque at first, and hard to clearly place. At the beginning, everyone is simultaneously unlikable and likable, and I didn't know who I was rooting for, for awhile.
Spoiler
(Swarm snuck up on me. I wasn't sure how I felt about him at first, but when we got to his "I'm going to eat it" I was more emotional than I expected.)The last 25% is A Lot, and I'm very glad I was able to read it without setting it down at the end. I can't imagine where a sequel would go, but I'm all in.
odeocowboys's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0