Reviews

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

ciccinne's review against another edition

2.0

I think I'm to dumb for this book. I would've never finished it if I didn't read it for my bookclub.

oisinm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

bluejaybooks's review against another edition

I found this one a little slow at first but had a hard time putting it down after the first 50 percent. A strong emphasis on it's murder mystery plot and political intrigue over adventure. That said, there were also a number of interesting world building elements like the imago-machines that enable someone taking up a role to have all the knowledge of their predecessor by implanting their memories in the mind of the next person taking up their role. The names were a little ridiculous at times. (Six Helicopter, really?) But I could tell that this was on purpose, and it made me laugh.

wearyreader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

 Mahit is an ambassador from Lsel Station where generational knowledge is passed down not through familial lines but to successors with similar personalities callled an imago and there's an obsession with media from Teixcalaan (the interstellar empire). This knowledge when 'installed' can bring forth the skills, knowledge, and even baseline feelings your predecessor had as well as an inner voice. You'll never be truly alone. And that scares the shit out of the Teixcalaanli which is why they don't really know about the practice. Don't worry, they don't deserve to know as they don't understand and talk down about foreign cultural practices and even refer to the Stationers as Barbarians and uncivilized. Mahit is obsessed with Teixcalaanli culture but when she gets the job she's always dreamed of, things aren't what she hoped they would be. There's unrest in the city as the Emperor is undeniably toward the end of life and has yet to come out and officially declare a successor. So, why does this all revolve around her predecessor's untimely death? And why does the outdated imago suddenly not work?

This was my last read of April and it was such a nice break to read while drafting my cozy romantasy. While drafting, I need to get out of my head and usually the genre I'm writing in just so my brain can rest. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE when sci-fi books really take the advantage to explore culture and customs and then make that NORMAL! BECAUSE SHARING AND EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES IS BEAUTIFUL! (Which this book flirts with the discomfort the reigning empire has with that..which sounds oh so familiar). I also love when sci-fi books explore how language is different from pronouns, speech patterns, euphemisms, and ext. So, this itched that particular scratch.

I also appreciate our main character's ultimate journey of self-acceptance which arguably is still ongoing even when this book ends. And speaking of ending...dang, it hit right in the feels. I could go on and on but I don't want to get too much into spoilers as the reader needs to explore each of the characters as intended. (RIP you know who) 

justjonny's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

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

4.25

teokajlibroj's review against another edition

3.0

Well that was underwhelming. I was expecting clever political intrigue and imaginative world building with a discussion of how you can admire and fear an empire at the same time. Unfortunately, I didn't get much of that. The intrigue and world building was bland and without much depth, Teixcalaan never really came alive for me.

This book was like a murder mystery where you only get a new suspect or clue every 50 pages and the rest of the time the plot just drags. There's less mystery and more confusion, the culprit turns out to be the only person it could be, the only suspect given any time in the book. The main character spends most of the book lost and confused with no idea what is going on, which made for a dull and frustrating reading experience. The plot did pick up at the end but even that was ruined by an anti-climatic ending.

rebeccasmith115's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

nanitiq's review

reflective slow-paced

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

1.75

There were some things that I found redeeming in this book, but they were few and far between. 

The tech was cool, but

it was mostly unused for the first 80% of the book

.

None of the characters stuck out to me, and I did not feel attached to anyone at the end of the story. It was hard to identify anyone outside of the main 4 characters. And eve then, those characters didn't have a whole lot of substance to them. 

I might read the second at some point, but I doubt it.

allisongravez's review against another edition

WHAT IS HAPPENING!!! WHY IS SOMEONE NAMED 12 SEAGRASS!!! I really wanted to get into it but I felt very out of my depth the whole time and only got like halfway through 

lexybexy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75