An alien threat lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is supposed to win a war against it.
In a desperate attempt to find a diplomatic solution, the fleet captain has sent for an envoy to contact the mysterious invaders. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass – both still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire – face an impossible task: they must attempt to negotiate with a hostile entity, without inadvertently triggering the destruction of themselves and the Empire.
Whether they succeed or fail could change the face of Teixcalaan forever.
Assume spoilers for A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE!
A DESOLATION CALLED PEACE by Arkady Martine continues what made the first book so wonderful. It’s a jewel of a book that shines in many lights. I went into this completely blind, having only my memory of the first book. (um, possible pun unintended.) While this book doesn’t directly explain the former events, there were enough reminders that getting back into the rhythm of things was relatively easy.
This definitely isn’t a book to kick back and relax to. Well, it wasn’t for me anyway. I had to really pay attention to what I was reading. Similar to the first book, there’s a slight learning curve. This isn’t a knock on the book. It made me actually notice the little details. The interesting tattoo on Twelve Cicada, for instance. Or noticing the idiosyncrasies of the different POVS.
I appreciated how well fleshed out the characters were. The writing was done in such a way that there was never any confusion on who the focus was on. My personal favorite sections to read were Mahit’s because I liked seeing how she grappled with just being. She is Mahit, but she is also someone else. She is also an older version of that someone else. She is the personification of memory.
The worldbuilding and other intricacies are astounding. There’s almost a petty nature to all the secrets people are keeping in this book, even from the Emperor Herself. We don’t see it directly, but there are hints at another world. There are hints at another civilization in the interludes. I think the fact that we don’t get more information makes these hints and sections that much more intriguing.
I will say that I found Eight Antidote’s sections…not hit or miss exactly, because I genuinely enjoyed them. But it felt like we were constantly reminded that he was eleven years old. By the way, he’s eleven years old. It was like we were constantly being reminded that he wasn’t an adult but a child. And it makes me wonder if, had these reminders not been there (I swear in nearly every single one of his sections, even if briefly), would I think of him as a child character? I wonder if part of the intent is to show that he is a child devoid of a childhood, connected to his ancestor-the-emperor and constantly studying, thinking of becoming the Emperor.
In my eyes, A DESOLATION CALLED PEACE is about being connected while at the same time being separated. That’s probably the biggest theme coursing through this book I think. It’s one that it both enjoyable and thought-provoking. It’s one that I think will stick with me. And it’s one I hope is only the second in a longer series…at least a trilogy.
(Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley.
Buy the book, released March 2nd: Bookshop.org | Pan Macmillan)
I definitely agree that this book ia a thinker and not a fast read, but it’s really rewarding and an extraordinary exploration of so many ideas about culture, language and the idea of self.