A review by nhollie
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I was hopeful that at some point in this series that Martine would address the colonization of the Teixcalaan in a meaningful way beyond poetic metaphor. They are absolutely colonized people who really do want to assimilate in whatever way is possible, but it's disappointing that Dzmare, as the main character, never really grows in this regard. At no point does she move past "I want to be accepted/understood/made human/etc. the colonizer" to anything more complicated, complex, or self-reflexive...which like, okay, I guess, but it is really the analytical and narrative reckoning this series needs to actually be the sharp novel it could be.
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