A review by wearyreader
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

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 And why does the outdated imago suddenly not work?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)