jjjreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Police brutality, Confinement, Injury/injury detail, Death, Grief, Medical content, War, Xenophobia, Murder, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Cursing
jnl00700's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Xenophobia and Suicide
Moderate: Genocide, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and War
eleanora's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Death, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Racism
Minor: Alcohol and Cannibalism
hanarama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
- Creative, intriguing world-building.
- Insightful, in-depth study of main character.
- Political intrigue.
- Solid themes of otherness.
- Mystery feels less important at the end.
- Not enough information on the political factions.
You Might Like this Book if You Like:
- Creative sci-fi settings.
- Political stories told by an outsider.
- Fish out of water stories.
- Growing tension.
Mahit Dzmar is the newly appointed ambassador of Lsel, an independent mining station. She is sent to the heart of the Teixcalaanli Empire, equipped with an imago machine, a memory recording implant, of her predecessor. She has no idea why a new ambassador was requested so urgently, but soon comes to learn that it was due to the untimely death of her predecessor. The sudden revelation causes her imago machine to short circuit, leaving Mahit feeling anchorless and alone in a city hostile to outsiders.
With little other choice, Mahit places her trust in her Teixcalaani assistant Three Seagrass, and together they seek to uncover why the previous ambassador died. Mahit has to rely on her intuition and ingenuity to maneuver the Teixcalaani court, make allies, and protect the interests of her home.
Martine uses her immensely creative setting to explore the effects of colonialism. Mahit's status as an outsider draws repeated comparisons to her and the native Teixcalaani citizens, illustrating her otherness and the strangeness of the empire. Martine really captures the feeling of being an outsider and uses it to great effect in building tension and mystery in her world.
Despite this, I feel that some areas could have been explored in greater detail. There are several political factions introduced and most of the information concerning them feels very surface level. I can understand if this was done to further highlight Mahit as an outsider, but I would have liked to know a bit more as the reader.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Racism, and Self harm
pyrochoresis's review
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Confinement, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Racism, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Murder and Cursing
bookish_sabrina's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Medical trauma, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Death