compostbin's review against another edition
First of all, finish date is an estimate, truly no idea when I actually finished lol.
Second of all, what an INCREDIBLE duology. I’m truly so sad to learn that Martine is done with these characters’ POVs. The perspectives were just so rich, realistic, and moving- I’m not ready to let go, likely at least a month out from reading.
Third of all, I think perhaps the strongest element of this was the beautiful way colonialism and its devastating consequences are written about. Which sounds fucked up, but Martine totally nails writing a beautiful book about a horrible thing. And colonialism is unmistakably horrible- not just in its far reaching consequences on a systemic level but also in the way it infiltrates individual lives, making the worlds of individual characters unmistakably narrower and less vibrant.
**SPOILERS** nothing demonstrates this better than the romance at the center of this book- the sex was so hot and the connection so believable and I was rooting for them so hard… and yet, it was TOTALLY correct that the end of book wasnt just “and now we’re a happy lil colonizer and exiled colonized pair!!” Because obviously not! **END SPOILERS**
And also I really do think (as I do with many books, this is a pattern lmao) that this book is vegan propaganda in a potentially unself aware but also best way lol. Because YES ofc species are going to fundamentally misunderstand what sentience is for another species. Ofc intelligent beings are going to assume that their concept of “self” is correct and universal and therefore most sacred and worthy of protection. And Of COURSE that is wrong! And of course speciesism is perhaps the most fundamental type of oppression in which the justification for colonization and domination is essentially “we are fundamentally different and the way I am different is fundamentally better.”
All this is to say that while I’m very sad to be letting go of these wonderful characters, I’m VERY happy to know that there’s more to come from this universe. There’s still so much to learn, especially in the context of the incredibly fast paced plot which, all things considered, gave remarkably little time for straight up world building.
I was breathless the whole time, completely invested in the different characters, so fascinated by the varying perspectives of age, class, citizenship, ability, gender, and sexuality.
One last thought… Grief is written about so beautifully, again individually but also systematically- while this book was pretty explicitly about colonialism, I also felt a strong connection from the perspective of a Jewish person living in the diaspora. The sense of lacking a home, the sense of feeling disconnected from the mainstream desires/political agendas of my people. (@ Zionism). While I always feel the need to caveat these types of connections by acknowledging that a book doesn’t need to be about me for me to connect with it, I also want to give myself space to acknowledge how seen I felt reading this. I learned so much about others AND my own experiences reading this, which is such a gift. I can’t wait for more from Martine!
Second of all, what an INCREDIBLE duology. I’m truly so sad to learn that Martine is done with these characters’ POVs. The perspectives were just so rich, realistic, and moving- I’m not ready to let go, likely at least a month out from reading.
Third of all, I think perhaps the strongest element of this was the beautiful way colonialism and its devastating consequences are written about. Which sounds fucked up, but Martine totally nails writing a beautiful book about a horrible thing. And colonialism is unmistakably horrible- not just in its far reaching consequences on a systemic level but also in the way it infiltrates individual lives, making the worlds of individual characters unmistakably narrower and less vibrant.
**SPOILERS** nothing demonstrates this better than the romance at the center of this book- the sex was so hot and the connection so believable and I was rooting for them so hard… and yet, it was TOTALLY correct that the end of book wasnt just “and now we’re a happy lil colonizer and exiled colonized pair!!” Because obviously not! **END SPOILERS**
And also I really do think (as I do with many books, this is a pattern lmao) that this book is vegan propaganda in a potentially unself aware but also best way lol. Because YES ofc species are going to fundamentally misunderstand what sentience is for another species. Ofc intelligent beings are going to assume that their concept of “self” is correct and universal and therefore most sacred and worthy of protection. And Of COURSE that is wrong! And of course speciesism is perhaps the most fundamental type of oppression in which the justification for colonization and domination is essentially “we are fundamentally different and the way I am different is fundamentally better.”
All this is to say that while I’m very sad to be letting go of these wonderful characters, I’m VERY happy to know that there’s more to come from this universe. There’s still so much to learn, especially in the context of the incredibly fast paced plot which, all things considered, gave remarkably little time for straight up world building.
I was breathless the whole time, completely invested in the different characters, so fascinated by the varying perspectives of age, class, citizenship, ability, gender, and sexuality.
One last thought… Grief is written about so beautifully, again individually but also systematically- while this book was pretty explicitly about colonialism, I also felt a strong connection from the perspective of a Jewish person living in the diaspora. The sense of lacking a home, the sense of feeling disconnected from the mainstream desires/political agendas of my people. (@ Zionism). While I always feel the need to caveat these types of connections by acknowledging that a book doesn’t need to be about me for me to connect with it, I also want to give myself space to acknowledge how seen I felt reading this. I learned so much about others AND my own experiences reading this, which is such a gift. I can’t wait for more from Martine!
tanneseverns's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
ja_mant1n9's review against another edition
5.0
absolutely incredible. I am in awe this book is so gosh darn clever. For the last few days, half my brain has been spacing and downright marinating in this world and its characters.
just a beautiful beautiful story with such tasty language bits. I have no other words to do Mahit’s story justice - new book for the favorites shelf!
just a beautiful beautiful story with such tasty language bits. I have no other words to do Mahit’s story justice - new book for the favorites shelf!
lucashael's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
matt4hire's review against another edition
5.0
Solid 4.5/5. This one’s a little slow getting going. It’s not quite as oozing with theme as its predecessor, A Memory Called Empire, but it’s kind of about making the characters live with those themes. It’s still solidly interesting, introducing new aspects of the empire, and the ending is almost as thrilling as the first book. Absolutely recommend, well worth your time.
ungildedlily's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
malinleona's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
samuelxiang's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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
4.75
emrad0's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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
nevtelen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5