A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1)[February 3, 2024]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Back alley surgery is very sci-fi chic...

[Tonari no Emily]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Back alley surgery is very sci-fi chic..."

🤣

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Finally finished this! It took me a while to read the first half and then I plowed through the second half yesterday and today because a) I was very much enjoying it, and b) I want to start the nex..."

Glad you finished and enjoyed, Emily! Saw you over in #2 before seeing this... (view spoiler)[totally agree on Twelve Azalea... Petal's death still hurts in book 2...

I also love that repeated question "how broad is your definition of 'you' " or something like that. Such a nuanced question! (hide spoiler)]

Dittoing everyone on back-alley brain surgery...

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

The whole questioning of the concept of "you" and how many times it was brought up was one of my favourite parts about this book/series. I keep wondering how this question translates into different languages of this book that still have multiple pronouns to differentiate between the scope of "you."

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

Also, ditto to the ditto of back-alley brain surgery.

[Nirkatze]

LOL that--and the way that the word "city" "empire" "civilization" and "Texicalaan" were all the same word... so every time one of those words popped up, or the negative, barbarian, balancing all those meanings together...

[Ryan]

For those saying no back-alley brain surgery, what would you have done in Mahit's position? It's obvious her imago was tampered with and could even be potentially dangerous. Mahit wasn't comfortable with the surgery either but it was the best way to deal with a bad situation. I think I would have chosen to do the same.

[Choko]

No, I think she had to do it and thank goodness it worked the way it did, but I personally don't know if I would have the courage to do it... It is so shady, I wouldn't trust that the person performing it wouldn't put me under and I would never wake up again, they taking the tech and dumping my body somewhere... Just she had a ton of cajones!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "No, I think she had to do it and thank goodness it worked the way it did, but I personally don't know if I would have the courage to do it... It is so shady, I wouldn't trust that the person perfor..."

You might have missed my post to you, in our rapidfire chat on the previous page with Jenna... you reminded me of our Black Hat Bureau BR in the Mystery Book club... I double posted the basics for you, over in the Mystery thread, a bit ago, for when you're ready to continue on Hoopla...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Choko wrote: "No, I think she had to do it and thank goodness it worked the way it did, but I personally don't know if I would have the courage to do it... It is so shady, I wouldn't trust that the person perfor..."

Re:surgery: I basically agree... you need someone you trust with you to monitor while asleep, and she barely had time to meet anyone... she seemed overly trusting of her spy/advisors, in general, honestly...

[Choko]

Iain, I did miss it... Will get back there to check:)

[Alexis]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Choko wrote: "No, I think she had to do it and thank goodness it worked the way it did, but I personally don't know if I would have the courage to do it... It is so shady, I wouldn't trust that the..."

This bugged me a little bit too.

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

Choko wrote: "No, I think she had to do it and thank goodness it worked the way it did, but I personally don't know if I would have the courage to do it... It is so shady, I wouldn't trust that the person perfor..."

This is exactly what I thought. She had to do it, but if I had to make that choice, even if it was the only option, I don't know if I could have done the same.

[Choko]

Alexis and Jenna, exactly! I just don't trust people this easily...

[Nirkatze]

The talk of back-alley brain surgery makes me think of back-alley abortions... especially in today's political climate... what else is a person to do? Desperate, with no open path of recourse... it is the option when there are no options.

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

Nirkatze wrote: "The talk of back-alley brain surgery makes me think of back-alley abortions... especially in today's political climate... what else is a person to do? Desperate, with no open path of recourse... it..."

Whether it is brain surgery or abortion, I don't know if I would be able to go through with a back-alley surgery (even if death is the only other option) since I am terrified of medical procedures even from certified and trusted doctors, but this is a really great connection to the real world that actually adds a lot of credence to Mahit's actions.

[Choko]

Yeah... I didn't even think about it, but it had been a way of women dealing with it for generations... So sad, really... But I hear Jenna - I have a hard time trusting my body with professionals, let alone someone random... However, if I am desperate enough, I probably would do it...

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

It is very sad... when I think about Mahit and the book, it's easier to make light of it because with fiction, the author could've always come up with another solution, and ultimately, the characters aren't real. But in real life, alternatives are not always an option, and it's actual lives that hang in the balance.

[Choko]

Exactly... This is why I don't read anything close to our reality - real life is so difficult, the choices are very limited. In more fantastic fiction, you can always find solutions! I want that type of read in my life...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Agreed... been Buddy Reading Aftermarket Afterlife in this group and another, the past few weeks, and the emotional character deaths have been causing people to quit the series left and right for too much dark realism (supernatural war is happening)...

Seanan's Wayward Children series can be a bit dark, too, in the first couple chapters, before the abused/neglected kids find their Narnia world...

[RachelG.]

Jenna wrote: "It is very sad... when I think about Mahit and the book, it's easier to make light of it ."

I really agree with what you said.

[Nirkatze]

Hear hear...

[Tonari no Emily]

Choko wrote: "No, I think she had to do it and thank goodness it worked the way it did, but I personally don't know if I would have the courage to do it... It is so shady, I wouldn't trust that the person perfor..."

aye pretty much agree with you here

[Tonari no Emily]

I didn't make the connection to real world no-choice situations, but that's so true... It's very sad how distrustful a lot of us are of actual qualified people, but I mean we've definitely been given reason to be...