Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

47 reviews

benji_dw's review

adventurous challenging hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Epic conclusion to the doulogy Arkady Martine began with A Memory called Empire. 

Really cool how threads from the first book come to matter as the futuristic Mayan Empire in space confronts an enemy it can't communicate with. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Xenophobia

nixwithapen's review

medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual content, Genocide, Gore, and Death

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

compassrosa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

madscientistcat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Genocide

alisonvh's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The first book in this series was so good I couldn’t wait to read the sequel, and it did not disappoint! It’s as full of humor and great dialogue and political intrigue with just as much pondering the nature of empire and colonialism. Cannot recommend highly enough⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, and Murder

Minor: Alcohol

illtakethenightshiftx's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Xenophobia

yruss972's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Classism, Gore, and Xenophobia

fraxisle's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Gun violence, Stalking, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Genocide

gaki's review

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.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War and Xenophobia

indeedithappens's review

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, Self harm, Stalking, Violence, Vomit, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, War, and Xenophobia