A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

It’s great.įortunately, A Desolation Called Peace is also great, even though it is a different sort of story than its predecessor. If that makes no sense, I recommended do as I did and picking A Memory Called Empire up right this very second. Back on Palace-Earth, political schemes are poisoning the decision-making process, and the very young heir to the throne is in the middle of them. A war with an unknown species is breaking out and the pair need to get involved. Of course, her path forward becomes even more muddy when Three Seagrass shows up on Lsel Station (and the scenes of Three Seagrass attempting to parse Stationer culture are some of the most amusing in the book). Mahit is trying to process all of the events of the previous book when she is quickly thrown into a new situation that forces her to make a hard choice and figure out who her allies are. Mahit is back on Lsel station, Three Seagrass is in Palace-Earth, and the new emperor is on the throne. I regret nothing, mind, but do want to note that the first book was still fresh in my mind when I read the second book.Ī Desolation Called Peace picks up a couple of months after the events of Empire.

There is never enough time, you know? But when the follow-up – A Desolation Called Peace – hit my in-box, I read the first few pages and was so hooked that I went back to hoover up A Memory Called Empire before diving into A Desolation Called Peace. Hailed as a new voice reinventing space opera, this thrilling conclusion to the duology cements Martine’s place as one of today’s best, most important writers.A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine ( Tor 978-1250186461, $26.99, 496pp, hc) March 2021.ĭespite how many readers raved about it, I didn’t manage to read Arkady Martine’s multi-award winning A Memory Called Empire when it first came out. Enter Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass, still dealing with the fallout of recent battles, who must figure out how to make contact and negotiate a peace with an entity that seemingly has no interest in either.Ī Desolation Called Peace continues the epic adventure Arkady Martine began in her Hugo-winning debut novel A Memory Called Empire. With no open communication lines and an inability to destroy it, Captain Nine Hibiscus is left with only a last-ditch attempt at diplomacy.

But what happens when a challenge comes that could end that forever?Ī menacing armada waits outside the Empire’s borders. The Teixcalaanli Empire has long dominated space, its culture spread across planetary systems, influencing every facet of most people’s lives. If you have already ordered a copy, please do not order another. Note: There is a limit of one copy per edition/per household. Dust jacket and interior illustrations by Victo Ngai

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine