Arkady Martine: A Memory Called Empire (Paperback, 2019, TOR)
Softcover, 462 pages
English language
Published Dec. 30, 2019 by TOR.
Ambassador Mahit Dzmare is posted far from her mining station home, to the Empire's glorious capital. Yet when she arrives, she discovers her predecessor was murdered. But no-one will admit his death wasn't accidental - and she might be next. Mahit must navigate the capital's deadly halls of power, while hunting the killer. She must also somehow stop the Empire from annexing her fiercely independent colony. As she sinks deeper into this seductive yet unfamiliar culture, Mahit engages in intrigues of her own. For she's hiding an extraordinary technological secret, one which might destroy her station and its way of life.Or it might save them all from annihilation.
It was going to be 4 stars, but it was gay so I gave it a bump.
The political intrigue is more interesting than the philosophical questions about identity brought about through memory transplants. I'm not a huge fan of the main character's position on Empire towards the end, but I took away a lot of thoughts from how they portrayed the Imperial Core vs the periphery that I am happy with.
