Why did Ness love this book?
This book is just as gorgeously and intelligently written as the first installment in the Teixcalaanli space empire.
It picks up the series’ examination of colonialism, otherness, and language’s complicity in conquest while bringing in new, alien elements that force the protagonists to grapple with the concept of personhood.
We follow disillusioned Mahit Dzmare as she struggles to adjust to life after the events of the first book, her will-they-won’t-they relationship with her former imperial liaison, and an all-new threat to Teixcalaan that challenges loyalties and the social and personal mechanisms on which empire grinds.
Readers who know the sting of being othered, who enjoy smart drama and political machinations, or who like messy first-contact stories that demand the most from their characters will love this sequel too.
1 author picked A Desolation Called Peace as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
A Desolation Called Peace is the spectacular space opera sequel to A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, winner of the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
An alien terror could spell our end.
An alien threat lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is supposed to win a war against it.
In a desperate attempt to find a diplomatic solution, the fleet captain has sent for an envoy to contact the mysterious invaders. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass - both still reeling…