A review by pewter
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

5.0

This is one of those rare books that hits every single note for me: political intrigue, relatable characters, queer chemistry, suspension of disbelief without too much jargon, enough mystery to keep me invested and enough foreshadowing to make me feel smart. There are these subtle little snippets at the start of each chapter highlighting found media from the two main cultures, and the juxtaposition of the snippets are perfect; ie. a note about best restaurants to visit as a tourist (food revolving around life) paired with regulations about food resources and population sustainability (life revolving around food). Just really great.