Martine does not fall into that trap, the author giving only what is needed and wanted and nothing more.Īnother positive in the writing is style is the subject matter the author broaches. I believe the reason for this is the fact that the author wants to tell the reader, “look! It’s our world but SO DIFFERENT! Let me count the ways…”, and I do not blame them. It just always felt perfectly balanced, and that, in my opinion, is hardest to do in science fiction – particularly in space operas. No big info dumps, but as a reader I never felt as though the details were left out.

Martine seems to know exactly how much description to give a setting or scene to keep the reader informed and interested at the same time. I am here to tell you this book is a phenomenal read! There are so many aspects of it that are enjoyable that I cannot wait to rant them all. 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.Ī Memory Called Empire is Arkady Martine’s debut novel and first the author’s Teixcalaan series. 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. 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.

A memory called empire book 3