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A review by warlocksarecool21
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
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
A Memory Called Empire was absolutely brilliant and everything I want in a sci-fi. This book was political intrigue and anti-imperialism in space (which may not be for everyone) but it definitely worked for me. We follow Mahit, a young ambassador from a small space station, as she arrives in Teixcalaan, the empire looming on her system's borders, to figure out what happened to her predecessor, Yksander. While Mahit unravels the mystery surrounding Yksander's death, she finds herself in the midst of a broader imperial plot that could have grave consequences for her space station.
I loved how Martine used elements from the genres of political thriller and space-opera to tell such a complex and nuanced story about an empire and its multifaceted layers. Martine does such a good job at showing how culture and language is such a influential component in how empires spread and conquer. Reminiscent of various empires throughout our history, Teixcalaan relies on more than just military conquest to bring planetary systems under their rule. Martine shows how seductive and alluring an imperial culture can be to those both in and out of an empire. From the beginning, we have Mahit who is so enamored with Teixcalaanli culture and is constantly at odds with that. She has such a respect for the language and literature, but is fiercely aware of how she will always be an outsider in the heart of the empire. Even as Mahit makes close friendships with Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea, she is always aware of how different they are. I really loved watching her relationship with Three Seagrass develop, because even though they grew close and liked one another, Three Seagrass was still a Teixcalaanli woman and there would always be some sort of of barrier between them. I also thought it was really interesting how Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea were unwavering allies to Mahit, even if her motivations directly countered what they had been taught their entire lives. The nuance of their characters was handled really well in my opinion, because they really are just people with complex beliefs and motivations. Even though they still carried these implicit biases and privileges by being raised in Teixcalaan and that definitely impacted how they treated Mahit sometimes, they had good intentions and wanted to support Mahit, even if it contradicted their worldview. I really like seeing those kinds of characters in fiction and I loved the role they played in this book.
I also really loved how Martine played with the idea of cultural differences and how evident it was throughout the book. We get so many examples of this and I loved how Martine wove them in throughout the story. From little things facial expressions, tonal registers, and word choice, to more culturally ingrained ideas like death, bodily autonomy and concepts of self. As a language major in university, I was so fascinated by these discussions throughout the book because these things might seem innocuous on their own, but when you look at them all together, you can really see how culture really impacts a person's worldview and how easily it can be weaponized into an 'us v. them' mentality that an empire feeds on.
Finally, I really enjoyed the political thriller aspect of this book, because it felt like I was right there with Mahit uncovering all of these secrets. Martine does a really good job at utilizing atmosphere and suspense to move the plot along while she explored the themes I mentioned before. There were so many layers to the corruption and power that is evident in the Teixcanlaanli empire, and you really get to see that as Mahit gets further involved with the conspiracies and plotting going on around her. The tools that the empire utilized were evident in all levels of government and the hierarchy and functioning of society. There were the typical things that you think of as imperial tools, like the military, police force and general branches of government. But even seemingly good things, like the media, literature and the City's AI system (which they think protects them) can be used as tools of propaganda and control to keep citizens compliant. As the story progresses, we can see these things used against the civilian population, who never imagined they would be the target of their government's power.
This quote really stood out to me: "It wouldn't be different here in the heart of the Empire, once they started shooting. It wouldn't be different at all. That was the problem. Empire was empire--the part that seduced and the part that clamped down, jaws like a vise, and shook a planet until its neck was broken and it died." All of this is so relevant to what's going on in the world right now, how colonization and imperialism and actively being carried out all over the globe. This book gave me so much to think about and if you're looking for a sci-fi that is political and philosophical, then A Memory Called Empire is for you!
I loved how Martine used elements from the genres of political thriller and space-opera to tell such a complex and nuanced story about an empire and its multifaceted layers. Martine does such a good job at showing how culture and language is such a influential component in how empires spread and conquer. Reminiscent of various empires throughout our history, Teixcalaan relies on more than just military conquest to bring planetary systems under their rule. Martine shows how seductive and alluring an imperial culture can be to those both in and out of an empire. From the beginning, we have Mahit who is so enamored with Teixcalaanli culture and is constantly at odds with that. She has such a respect for the language and literature, but is fiercely aware of how she will always be an outsider in the heart of the empire. Even as Mahit makes close friendships with Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea, she is always aware of how different they are. I really loved watching her relationship with Three Seagrass develop, because even though they grew close and liked one another, Three Seagrass was still a Teixcalaanli woman and there would always be some sort of of barrier between them. I also thought it was really interesting how Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea were unwavering allies to Mahit, even if her motivations directly countered what they had been taught their entire lives. The nuance of their characters was handled really well in my opinion, because they really are just people with complex beliefs and motivations. Even though they still carried these implicit biases and privileges by being raised in Teixcalaan and that definitely impacted how they treated Mahit sometimes, they had good intentions and wanted to support Mahit, even if it contradicted their worldview. I really like seeing those kinds of characters in fiction and I loved the role they played in this book.
I also really loved how Martine played with the idea of cultural differences and how evident it was throughout the book. We get so many examples of this and I loved how Martine wove them in throughout the story. From little things facial expressions, tonal registers, and word choice, to more culturally ingrained ideas like death, bodily autonomy and concepts of self. As a language major in university, I was so fascinated by these discussions throughout the book because these things might seem innocuous on their own, but when you look at them all together, you can really see how culture really impacts a person's worldview and how easily it can be weaponized into an 'us v. them' mentality that an empire feeds on.
Finally, I really enjoyed the political thriller aspect of this book, because it felt like I was right there with Mahit uncovering all of these secrets. Martine does a really good job at utilizing atmosphere and suspense to move the plot along while she explored the themes I mentioned before. There were so many layers to the corruption and power that is evident in the Teixcanlaanli empire, and you really get to see that as Mahit gets further involved with the conspiracies and plotting going on around her. The tools that the empire utilized were evident in all levels of government and the hierarchy and functioning of society. There were the typical things that you think of as imperial tools, like the military, police force and general branches of government. But even seemingly good things, like the media, literature and the City's AI system (which they think protects them) can be used as tools of propaganda and control to keep citizens compliant. As the story progresses, we can see these things used against the civilian population, who never imagined they would be the target of their government's power.
This quote really stood out to me: "It wouldn't be different here in the heart of the Empire, once they started shooting. It wouldn't be different at all. That was the problem. Empire was empire--the part that seduced and the part that clamped down, jaws like a vise, and shook a planet until its neck was broken and it died." All of this is so relevant to what's going on in the world right now, how colonization and imperialism and actively being carried out all over the globe. This book gave me so much to think about and if you're looking for a sci-fi that is political and philosophical, then A Memory Called Empire is for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation