A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine is one of those
gigantic worlds in a book. An epic start to what will surely be an epic series
(the Teixcalaan series). But if epic series scare you, don’t worry. This book
has a nice resolution and is a complete story unto itself.
The main character, Mahit is an ambassador from a small
system with no habitable planets (everyone lives on space stations, and they call themselves Stationers). She has
been assigned as an ambassador to the gigantic Teixcalaan Empire. Her job is to
keep her system from being gobbled up by the empire. She is replacing the
previous ambassador who is dead. How he died is one of the first things she
must figure out.
The Stationers like Mahit may not have the rich culture of
the empire, but they have a secret. They have a machine (an Imago) infused in
their brain that gives the host access to the memories of a previous host. It’s
not really immortality, but it is a way to keep memories and experiences alive.
In her case, her imago carries the memories of the dead previous ambassador, which would be
helpful except for the fact that the recording of his memories was made 15 years
prior, so she has no idea what has been happening in the imperial capitol when
the prior ambassador was killed. Mahit is a stranger in a strange land. She has
studied Teixcalaan, but she is as obvious an outsider as a gorilla attending
the opera. She does have an ambassadorial liaison named Three Seagrass who is
there to help smooth the way for the barbarian. But Mahit is never sure of who
she can trust. (All Teixcalaani names begin with a number and end in a noun.
This can be amusing like when we meet an
annoying bureaucrat named Six Helicopter).
These are treacherous waters as Mahit survives two assassination attempts, though we are not certain if she was the target for the first one. Also, her imago is malfunctioning (possibly sabotage), denying her access to the previous ambassador’s memories and knowledge. If this was not enough, the empire is in conflict. A potential war of succession looms as the old emperor grows closer to death. Three co-emperors have been named to succeed him, and also a general is maneuvering to take the throne. The empire has split itself into factions (not unlike what is happening to my country right now. Coincidence?) The political intrigue calls on every bit of Mahit’s wits to stay alive and protect her home.
It is no surprise that this book won the 2020 Hugo award. Martine has crafted the world building with care and attention to detail. The pace begins slow, but escalates to an edge-of-your-seat thriller. I had a hard time putting it down. Even though this novel is satisfying in itself, I am looking forward to the sequel.
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