Winner of the 2020 Hugo Award for Best NovelA Locus, and Nebula Award nominee for 2019A Best Book of 2019: Library Journal, Polygon, Den of GeekAn NPR Favorite Book of 2019A Guardian Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2019 and “Not the Booker Prize” NomineeA Goodreads Biggest SFF Book of 2019 and Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee”A Memory Called Empire perfectly balances action and intrigue … Nominee
”A Memory Called Empire perfectly balances action and intrigue with matters of empire and identity. All around brilliant space opera, I absolutely love it.”—Ann Leckie, author of Ancillary Justice
Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn’t an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.
Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan’s unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.
A fascinating space opera debut novel, Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire is an interstellar mystery adventure.
“The most thrilling ride ever. This book has everything I love.”—Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky
And coming soon, the brilliant sequel, A Desolation Called Peace!
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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This was such a fantastic ride, I’m in love. Stunning world building, great characters, politics that doesn’t feel bogged down, a plot that’s constantly moving forward, and an lgbt cast! The only thing that felt lacking on occasion was the consistency of the prose. (In particular, I found it odd that some descriptions were very detailed while others seemed to have been skipped over entirely?) Still a really fun read, which I totally recommend for anyone who likes science fiction, quirky friend groups, and the analysis of colonization.
An intricate, layered tale of empire, personal ambition, political obligations and interstellar intrigue. Vivid and delightfully inventive.
A cutting, beautiful, human adventure about cultural exchange, identity, and intrigue. The best SF novel I’ve read in the last five years.
A taut murder mystery entwined with questions of technological ethics, A Memory Called Empire is also an evocative depiction of foreignness. Martine creates an elaborate and appealing culture against which to play out this story of political intrigue, assimilation, and resistance. Daring, beautiful, immersive, and often profound.
An elegant and accomplished example of the subgenre of subtle scheming with a background of stars. A delightful read. I couldn’t put it down.
A Memory Called Empire perfectly balances action and intrigue with matters of empire and identity. All around brilliant space opera, I absolutely love it.