July 2021 READER A Memory Called Empire by Martine

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

The July 2021 Reader Pick is A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
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. 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.

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.

[Betsy]

I'm having a little trouble with this book. It's the Teixcalaanli words and names. I like language and usually I appreciate the author making up parts of a language (provided they make sense). But these are so difficult and every time she introduces one I find myself trying to pronounce it and see if it makes any sense linguistically, to the extent that I'm distracted from the narrative.

[Suman]

Betsy wrote: "I'm having a little trouble with this book. It's the Teixcalaanli words and names. I like language and usually I appreciate the author making up parts of a language (provided they make sense). But ..."

I'll start it next week and probably be trying the audiobook. Will see how it goes.

[Trike]

Betsy wrote: "I'm having a little trouble with this book. It's the Teixcalaanli words and names. I like language and usually I appreciate the author making up parts of a language (provided they make sense). But ..."

That’s the eternal struggle:

Reader of the book: knows how names are spelled.

Listener of the audiobook: knows how names are pronounced.

😂

[Trike]

I read this in April of 2020 (and the sequel in April 2021) and enjoyed it. It’s akin to Ancillary Justice where you need all the set-up in order to appreciate the ending.

I will point out that the sequel A Desolation Called Peace is much more Space Opera than A Memory Called Empire. It has First Contact and such, but you need to have read this one to get the points she makes in the second.

[Ryan]

Yeah, this book doesn't really qualify as a traditional space opera as most of it takes place on one planet. But it's a solid book regardless, and IMO a decent bit better than the sequel.

I read it some time ago, and I don't recall struggling with the language, but consider referring to the glossary at the end of the book.

[Betsy]

I finished this and enjoyed it. However, I didn't think it was quite Hugo quality. Good but not outstanding. And yes, not quite space opera. Here is my review.

[Ally]

The complexity of the names was a real problem for me too. But the cultural differences were so interesting. I wonder how much came from the real cultures of the lost south and central american civilisations. I enjoyed the 2 books. I felt I had travelled somewhere else.

[MadProfessah]

The lack of gender markers due to the naming convention is cleverer than Ann Leckie’s I think. I really enjoyed that aspect.

There’s a lot of thinking and observing in the book instead of SHOWING but I still think it’s quite a good read.

I think it had lots of interesting things to say about colonialism and empire, as well as cultural hegemony.

The plot is overly complex (and not in a good way).

But overall a worthy Hugo winner. I actually enjoyed the sequel more.

[Suman]

This book was really interesting and I totally understand why it got the Hugo. It was quite philosophical and the broad picture was of the story was epic. The end was especially satisfying.

The weird Teixcalaanli words were actually interesting to hear in audiobook. Like "ezuazuacat" was literally pronounced as "wazwakat", etc. And all of them were good on ear and sounded like some European language.

[Indeneri]

I really enjoyed reading this. There are so many things it touches on, leaving home, being an outsider in a new place and having to make new friends and start from zero.
As others have said, the story line was complicated, but i quite liked it. I wouldn't expect something simple from all those political characters that are in the book.

[Trike]

Indeneri wrote: "I really enjoyed reading this. There are so many things it touches on, leaving home, being an outsider in a new place and having to make new friends and start from zero.
As others have said, the s..."

I concur. This is one of those books where you have to work a bit to keep up. Sometimes I like something light and frothy and sometimes I enjoy a world with more meat on its bones. This is more of the latter. It definitely makes the sequel easier to follow because the core concepts are well-established here.

[Richard]

It’s all subjective I guess but this book really hit the spot. Sci-fi but murder mystery and political thriller. Thanks to Betsy for the nomination. I found the inner process of Mahit as she faced the challenge of her role as ambassador to Teixcalan (too lazy to double check spelling)satisfying to read and the romantic tension developing between her and Three Seagrass was subtle and touching (vs heavy handed and hackneyed in another popular book I just finished but found lacking). I liked this so much I actually bought the sequel, an indulgence for someone that likes to hit the library whenever possible.