Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Un souvenir nommé Empire by Arkady Martine

33 reviews

peregrinwho's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Xenophobia

Moderate: Colonisation and Violence

Minor: Death, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

ha1yan's review against another edition

mysterious slow-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

4.0

The science fiction worldbuilding was the highlight of A Memory Called Empire. I think some parts of the political tension dragged on for too long. It felt as if Arkady Martine introduces a variety of characters just for the purpose of throwing the reader off an otherwise simple mystery. I wish there were more non-political interactions between Mahit and Three Seagrass to build up their chemistry. Their romance took me by surprise! Characters are really important to me, and Mahit and Three Seagrass just didn't give me enough flavor. I found I wasn’t as invested in their dynamic as Yskandr and Nineteen Adze’s or even Three Seagrass and Twelve Azalea’s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Xenophobia

starlitpage's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Medical content, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Self harm, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Abandonment

rtthalia's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

alisonvh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

If you like your sci-fi with a whole bunch of political intrigue, and sassy dialogue, this book is for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Terminal illness, Suicide, Gore, War, Medical content, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Police brutality, Murder, Violence, and Classism

sauvageloup's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

a fascinating space opera, not usually my genre but really enjoyed it.

pros:
- cool and innovative world building, very original. loved the details of the technology, the poetry culture, the complicated politics, the empire and its colonialism, the naming structure, the way they have clones more than kids it seem , etc. 
- Mahit's love and hate relationship with the empire's culture and people, and how she desperately wants to be part of it, but sees its flaws and loves her own people.

I loved the ending where she decides to go back home while she still wants to. really shows her growth in character and the complicated nature of her relationship with the empire

- the writing was lovely, super evocative and descriptive, very visual.
- the romance

between mahit and three seagrass at the end

was not focused on but a sweet moment too.
- loved the relationships and the details of the side characters. and the gently mentioned queerness that wasnt a big point but quietly there and no bigotry or question was raised about it.
- also loved the turns in plot, always surprising

especially the big reveal at the end about the new emperor, which fixed a lot of problems and worked so well. and Mahit managing to get her mental guy back again.
- it also left more to be explored, with the imminent threat of aliens, Mahit heading back home and facing the woman who sabotaged her mind thing, and I want to hear more about the emperor's 90% clone and if he'll really turn out like his "father". </spoilers>

cons:
- I was losing track of the characters a fair bit. partly bc of their unusual names I think, and bc of the sheer no. tho I did take a break in the middle too. But I didnt realise there was a character and word glossary at the back which I should've checked.
- I did find it slightly sad that we didnt get to see more of Mahits mental guy, since she missed him so much but we barely knew him so I didnt relate much.

and when he did come back, I didnt love him that much, bc he'd sold out this info and wasnt as likeable as Mahit, or we didnt see as much of him

- I did just generally find it a bit of a slow read, but I think that's just the genre and it isnt rly a criticism. it definitely really got going in the 2nd half too, it didnt drag at all.

so overall, a really good read and I plan to read the 2nd book when the library gets it for me :) thanks to @deadlypapercut for getting it for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Medical content, Death, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Colonisation, Suicide, and Blood

pocket's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Violence

bergha1998's review against another edition

slow-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

This is not an easy book to get into, imho. But once you do it is a poignant indictment of western culture’s thefts from other cultures. At least that was my take away. 

“Imagining what they might do and not actually having to do it.”

“Everything she had ever wanted when she was fifteen. Right here. She thought it should probably have made her feel happy, instead of abruptly unreal. Disconnected—depersonalized. Like she was happening to someone else.”

“Poetry is for the desperate, and for people who have grown old enough to have something to say.”

“I will always be measuring the distance between myself and a person who remained in the heart of the world; between the person I would have been had I stayed and the person I have become.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Xenophobia, War, Colonisation, Medical content, Murder, Suicide, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Alcohol

jiji_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

A HIDDEN GEM! I was completely taken with this  unique and fast-paced adventure, part political murder mystery, part sci-fi drama, set against the backdrop of themes such as culture clash, xenophobia, colonialism, and tech ethics. 

Funny, charming, and totally unique with fascinating and effortless world building. It held me captive and delivered twists, joys, and sorrows. 

It's a bit of a challenge, because it won't hold your hand. If you can let go of the need to know everything and have things spelled out for you and just immerse yourself, then you're in for a huge treat. Can't wait for the sequel. What a journey. 

For fans of The Locked Tomb series, Master of Djinn (Dead Djinn Universe), Light From Uncommon Stars, and the Wayfarer series. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking, War, Medical trauma, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Grief, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Death, Colonisation, Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

cskye's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Starts off a bit slow, but the tension ramps up until it's running at break-neck pace by the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Cursing, Blood, Colonisation, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Xenophobia, Alcohol, Confinement, Police brutality, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, and War