A Memory Called Empire

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, 462 pages

Mahit Dzmare is the new ambassador to the vast Teixcaalanli empire from her tiny (yet vital) home of Lsel Station. She's on the fast track to replace her predecessor Yskandr Aghavn, though it isn't until she arrives that she finds out why: Yskandr has been murdered, and her information about the political situation in Teixcaalan is 15 years out of date, with no easy way to get more current info. Mahit finds herself immediately flung into a precarious situation where she doesn't know who she can trust (including her empire-assigned liaison Three Seagrass) and who might be trying to kill her too.

This is a complex book, made more so by the strange names, titles, and conversational conventions of the two societies that are the focus of the book (the Teixcaalanli people almost exclusively use allusion-filled poetry to communicate). That said, it's also a captivating, action-packed novel of courtly intrigue and political maneuvering, with lots of thought-provoking concepts regarding bodily autonomy, humanity, and being alone among strangers. A wonderful book.