Scan barcode
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
minervacerridwen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I would definitely recommend this duology if you like political intrigue, compelling characters, and in particular a hilarious queer poet-diplomat entangled with your space opera. I felt the plot in "A Desolation Called Peace" was stronger than in the first book, and I absolutely love that we got to see Eight Antidote's point of view. With the characters who were already in the spotlight in "A Memory Called Empire" it felt great to reconnect. I'm very happy to have liked "A Memory Called Empire" so much that I decided to pick this one up immediately.
The only downside, if I have to name any, still is that this world's view on gender is barely addressed, but it didn't feel as relevant as it did in the first book, where the worldbuilding was still happening more actively. There seemed to be one character with they/them pronouns at the very end of the story (unless Cure simply couldn't make out their gender), which only served to make me more curious about that little aspect - but as it didn't reflect on the actual story, it didn't really affect my reading experience. I'll be happy to dive back in if Arkady Martine ever decides to return to Teixcalaan.
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation and Grief
wordsareworlds's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Martine's writing is beautiful, and I found the way she balanced the personal aspects of the characters with the larger, epic plot points incredibly well done. I was more satisfied by the end of the novel before I realized it was a duology, but still felt like it fit the book very well, as heartbreaking as it was in several respects. My favorite parts I definitely didn't get enough of - especially the way Martine was exploring colonization and xenophobia both as part of and in response to colonization, or the evolution of Mahit's sense of self and her relationship with Three Seagrass.
CN
Graphic: Racism, Chronic illness, Grief, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content
tahsintries's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Genocide, Medical content, and Xenophobia
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
TL;DR REVIEW:
A Desolation Called Peace was a great sequel to A Memory Called Empire. Bigger scope, better pacing, same great characters being pushed even further toward growth — what’s not to love?
For you if: You like hard sci-fi novels (and already ready Memory!)
FULL REVIEW:
A Desolation Called Peace is the sequel to A Memory Called Empire, which together make up the Teixcalaan duology. Memory won the Hugo Award and was nominated for a bunch of others, and Desolation already won the Locus Award and is nominated for this year’s Hugo.
The duology itself is about a woman named Mahit from the space station Lsel, who travels to the capital Teixcalaan as ambassador. Those from stations and planets outside the empire are called “barbarians” by the Teixcalaanli, whose society revolves around things like advanced poetry. But those from Lsel have a secret technology called Imago machines, which basically implants the recorded consciousness and knowledge of another person into their minds. Mahit is given a very old Imago machine from the previous ambassador, who recently disappears, and is thrust into a mystery and revolution in Teixcalaan with just her liaison, named Three Seagrass, for help. This book picks up a few months after that one left off, sending Mahit and Three Seagrass to the reaches of the empire, where the war with mysterious aliens rages — or does it?
There is so much to love in this duology. It’s sapphic, which we always love to see. It’s got lots to say about home and loyalty and even more about colonization and the stickiness of prejudice, even in the face of love. It’s got really really good characters (who grow even more, in better ways, this time), and the scope of the world are exquisitely, intricately built. Nobody can make political relations as exciting as Arkady Martine! I do also think the second book was a bit better paced in the middle than the first one was (mostly because less worldbuilding).
TL;DR, if you like hard sci-fi, don’t sleep on these books!
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death
kathleencoughlin's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, and Genocide
Minor: Grief and Suicide
criticalgayze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I think the choice to move all of the characters into unknown territory in the sequel works in this novel's favor and boosts it slightly over A Memory Called Empire for me. My major gripe with Memory was that I felt the reader was not given quite enough world building on the Teixcalaan empire to understand and appreciate all the machinations of the palace intrigue plot. I also thought it focused too much on describing, rather than showing, poems as a cornerstone of the Teixcalaan society's culture. In A Desolation Called Peace, the poetry element plays a much more minor role, and the story moves away from the under built empire to a first-contact narrative. This allows all three societies involved in the engagement to be on unsure footing, and it forces Martine to have to explain for the benefit of all involved. (The issue is not fully resolved, however, as we do still get some of the under-explained dissidence in the empire via the storyline of the empire's heir.)
I also really appreciated the use of a choral narration. The reemergence of choral narration is proving a big stylistic device in recent literary fiction, and I am appreciative of the grandeur of it all.
I would also like to again shout out Amy Landon, who returns to the sequel to provide fantastic narration.
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Genocide, and Xenophobia
readandfindout's review against another edition
4.0
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 3.5 stars
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Blood, Gore, and War
Moderate: Violence, Medical trauma, Body horror, Xenophobia, Vomit, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Sexual content
totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Blood, Medical content, and War
Moderate: Colonisation and Xenophobia
Minor: Grief and Genocide