A Memory Called Empire

Winner of the prestigious 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel, "A Memory Called Empire" by Arkady Martine stands out as one of the most thrilling science fiction debuts in recent times. Fans of Ann Leckie's "Ancillary Justice," Tamsyn Muir's "Gideon the Ninth," and Iain M. Banks’s Culture series will find this novel equally captivating. This book was also a finalist for the 2020 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards.

The story follows Ambassador Mahit Dzmare on her journey to the heart of the Teixcalaanli Empire—with its grand interstellar capital—where she is to begin her new diplomatic position. Upon arrival, she is confronted with the unsettling discovery that her predecessor has been murdered. The truth of his demise is shrouded in secrecy, as officials refuse to acknowledge the possibility of foul play, placing Mahit in imminent danger herself.

In this intricate web of political power, Mahit must uncover perilous truths and find her predecessor’s killer, all while trying to prevent the enormous empire from absorbing her homeland, a solitary yet defiant mining outpost. Immersed in an alluring but unfamiliar culture, Mahit must engage in her own schemes. She possesses a remarkable technological secret that holds the potential to either doom her station's existence or secure its survival.

"A Memory Called Empire" skillfully weaves action and political intrigue with themes of empire and identity. Ann Leckie herself praises it as a ‘brilliant space opera’ that captures the essence of these complexities. As Mahit navigates these challenges, readers will be drawn into a story that continues with the next installment, "A Desolation Called Peace," completing the Teixcalaan series. Recognized by SFX Magazine as a ‘contender for debut of the year,’ this novel is not to be missed.