Reviews with content warning for War - A Desolation Called Peace

I absolutely loved the world building and new characters that were introduced in this novel, especially Eight Antidote. His insights were fresh and wise beyond his years. I found everyone’s individual story compelling and what their role is in this political war in alien space.

This novel expanded on the themes explored in A Memory Called Empire, but with ‘aliens,’ a first contact situation, and spies. I really enjoyed the first contact scenes and the subsequent events and fallout from various alliances and decisions made by characters both back in the City and on the spaceships.

This series also explores hive minds, AI, and algorithms and how they run the City, which is something I find extremely interesting, especially since we live in an age where algorithms (and soon AI) control almost everything we come into contact with in digital spaces.

Content Warnings

pocket's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I loved a memory called empire. This is a strong second to that book. We follow our main characters plus a couple more points of view, Maheet and Three Seagrass, that are introduced to this book. I don't want to spoil the end of the first book so I'm going to keep this pretty high level.

After the events of the first book, maheet desmar returns to the station and with the corrupted imago in her head. She has no friends on the station and is immediately embroiled in a battle of wits to keep herself and her imago line alive.

Three seagrass receives an emergency communicate, and she decides to answer it as a translator. Maheet is the linguist so she sidetracks through the station to pick her up and head to the front line of a war.

I loved this book. I loved revisiting the old characters. I liked the new points of view that were introduced. I also enjoyed the complexity of the culture of stationers and the empire.

This book continues to examine how The empire perceives everyone outside of it as not human. The aliens speak in a way that is totally different than how humans speak and the empire struggles with seeing them as thinking beings.

It's another ride of courtly politics and political intrigue. It adds a couple of new theaters. Overall, it was enjoyable, it was satisfying, and I'm really glad I read it.

Content Warnings

fraxisle's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious 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? No

4.0

Content Warnings

gaki's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

As the follow-up to Memory of Empire, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Overall fine to read. It shifted from the wonderful world building of the first book to an almost-botched first encounter scenario, so the focus was odd.

Content Warnings

indeedithappens's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

Content Warnings

More...