A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (Book review)

Cover of a memory called Empire by Arkady Martine

A novel of wide-ranging political and palace intrigue, set in a multi-world empire of the Teixcalaanli. The protagonist is ambassador Mahit Dzmare from a small but independent mine world, sent to the Teixcalaanli capital and palace upon the death of her predecessor. The world created by Martine is complex and believable, but the most intriguing thing about this story is the technology belonging to ambassador’s people: brain implants that provide access to predecessors’ memories and experiences—even going back generations. Those memories must be uploaded periodically throughout a person’s life, so that the full experience is available upon their death.

In this case, the deceased ambassador had not been back to his home planet for 15 years, so Dzmare’s information is outdated. The story revolves around this issue because the death of the prior ambassador was under curious circumstances.

From Amazon:

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.

It’s curious that the technology is not mentioned in the description because it plays a central role in the entire plot, on multiple levels. This is what makes the novel unique because the rest of it is standard space opera political and cultural maneuvering, with murders, questionable alliances, cultural confusion, and shadowy puppet masters. (One reviewer called it “bureaucracy porn,” which is both amusing and correct.)

The writing is well-done, if a bit distant. There is a lot of time spent on the Teixcalaanli cultural peculiarities, and the focus on elite poetry as a way of communication gets a bit tiresome. Still, all of this leads to a picture of a universe that hangs together well in its complexity, and Martine is to be commended for her world-building skill.

It was an enjoyable read, and I did not mind the longer passages, which only served to elucidate the culture and politics without moving the plot forward. I especially appreciated the technology as a core theme, as well as the incredible world the author has built. It is a bit technical, and there are long sections of exposition that might tire some readers.

I’m not sure that the book deserved the 2020 Hugo Award, but it is still a good read.