A Desolation Called Peace (Teixcalaan Book 2) by Arkady Martine - 496 Pages - Sequel to A Memory Called Empire.

 

A Desolation Called Peace (Teixcalaan Book 2) by Arkady Martine - 496 Pages - Seauel to A Memory Called Empire.

WINNER OF THE 2022 HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
Now a USA Today bestseller! 
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2021
Amazon's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2021
Bookpage's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2021 
Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee for Best Science Fiction Book of 2021

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine completely fascinated me.  Martine has created an amazing world, a gripping space opera, full of lush images.  Martine even includes a glossery.

The central figure is an ambassador, from an independent Space station of maybe 30,000 people, to  the huge sprawling Teixcalaanli Empire. 

The Teixcalaanli empire governs most of human space, and is about to absorb Lsel, an independent mining Lsel. Ambassador  Mahit Dzmare was sent to the imperial capital to prevent this, and quickly finds herself embroiled in the empire's complex intrigues.

Mahit has been implanted with an imago of the previous ambassador,a man who died under mysterious circumstances. (From the glossery- “imago—An ancestral live memory.”  Mahit finds it challenging blending her identity with a man.  She was selected for her position after extensive schooling in Teixcalaanli history, language, and literary culture going backs 1000s of years. 

A Desolation Called Peace is the space opera sequel to Arkady Martine's, Hugo Award-winning debut, A Memory Called Empire.  In these two Hugo Award Winning works, Martine creates a fascinating world empire set in the vast Teixcalaan Empire.

As A Desolation Called Peace opens an armada of alien warships is approaching the borders of the empire.  There seems no way to destroy them or communicate with the aliens.  The commander of the Teixcalaan fleet charged by the Emperor with defeating the advancing aliens is fast running out of options.

The fleet captain sends for Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass.  Mahit, a central character in A Memory Called Empire, is an ambassador from a small space station.  She is a very skilled linguist and it is hoped she can facilitate negotiations with the aliens.  Three Seagrass is her liaison and lover.  Excitement builds as we see the struggles to communicate with the aliens, there is even an autopsy.

One of my favorite aspects of both works is that  almost every chapter begjns with a quote from a famous Teixcalaanli poem, work of history or official Manual. I loved these marvelously creative items which helped make the vast Teixcalaanli Empire come to  reality for me. (“Expansion History, The—A history of Teixcalaanli expansion, attributed to Thirteen River, attribution debunked; current literary scholars of Teixcalaan refer to The Expansion History as being composed by “Pseudo-Thirteen River,” an unknown person”.)

Women are in positions of power throughout the Empire.  There is a very erotic encounter scene involving Mahit and Three Grass.

Martine acknowledged that she was inspired by Aztec culture (amalitzli—A Teixcalaanli sport, played on a clay court with a rubber ball which opposing teams attempt to throw, bounce, or ricochet into a small goal. Versions of amalitzli specialized for low- or zero-gravity environments are also popular”)as well as Byzantium and Roman history.

Arkady Martine is the author of the teixcalaan series, a multitude of short stories, and various other science fiction, fantasy, & horror. she is also dr. annalinden weller, who is a byzantinist, a climate & energy policy analyst, and a city planner. she is not bored, but she is often tired.” From The author’s website.

Mel Ulm