Reviews

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

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cbwheelz's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

galliexyc's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging inspiring reflective 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

hannahmcjean's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

3.5

A good, well-written & often interesting book that ponders issues of empire, language & personhood. However, I found the pace rather slow & struggled to be fully immersed in the plot, even though there was lots happening. I did enjoy the world-building, but wish I got more insight into the wider historical & cultural context. Overall, I’m happy I read it but will probably wait until I’m in the right mood to read the sequel.

sammeshchaninov's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

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

3.75

I liked the book. The concepts about shared memories are really interesting and believable, it’s an interesting area to explore in a sci-fi series. There’s a lot of interesting elements that relate to language that I wish I knew more about English to better absorb some of those concepts as well. So much happens in a short space of time and the characters are fun to get to know.

stephenmeansme's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

2.75

asriram's review against another edition

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3.0

Despite my rating, I quite liked this book. The book had some interesting world-building, well developed characters, and a plot that by the end, I was able to understand.
That being said, the pacing in this book is not spectacular. The first two segments of the book, which is separated by interludes into 4 distinct parts, was dull and uninteresting. Each effort of mine to read the book was tiring, and it took me a week or so to finish off the first two parts. From there, the plot became interesting enough and the tension was high enough that I felt compelled to read through the rest of the book, and I finished the remaining 2 parts of the book over the course of around 24-48 hours. I suspect a reread will lead me to see some more of the foreshadowing and early development of the story in those early segments, which will make them more tolerable, but as it stands, the first two parts’ subpar pacing drags down the score.
Additionally, the interaction between the characters of the story often seem too intimate and trusting, given the short amount of time that these characters have known each other. I often found myself, especially at the beginning, when the main character interacts with two of the main cast of characters, astounded by how quickly she trusted them, and how much she ended up missing them and viewing them as allies after under 2 days of interaction with them. As the tension builds up, the relationships formed make more sense, due to the stressful situations these characters are placed in drawing them closer. However, the immediate (or near-immediate) intimacy and trust of these characters from the start was slightly immersion-breaking.
That being said, despite my critiques of the book, I still enjoyed it. I do not anticipate I will reread it again soon, but I will pick up the next book in a few weeks at the start of the new year, so I can continue reading about these characters and a world which I grew to enjoy.