Good but not as good as the first novel

The first book explored identity and culture in a fresh way. The second retreads old ground. Fans of forever war or Enders game will recognise these themes and this novel brings nothing new to them. But the return of all our favourite characters was very enjoyable.

Performance was excellent.

2 people found this helpful

Breathtaking and worth waiting for

Part two of a duo-logy, the first being A Memory Called Empire which won the Hugo last year! While the first book was from Mahit Dzmare’s POV, the sequel expands beyond Mahit to multiple characters which at times the chapter or scene would end on a bit of a cliff hanger and go to the next POV making it very difficult to stop listening to. The prose is light, beautiful, and even humorous at times. I would rewind just to listen to the actual poetry which is one of the main features of Teixcalaan culture and often act as double entendres. The main plot about fighting a monstrous enemy is a metaphor for “us vs them.” If “they” aren’t an “us” than they must be barbarians, monsters or worse even if the “us” commits atrocities to maintain power and control. So ask yourself, who’s really the barbarian or monster here? Many themes are explored such as identity, assimilation, friendship, love, loyalty, politics and others. Probably will need listen to again as this novel is richly layered and more will be revealed. Although the author says it’s a duology, the ending seems like there could be more adventures for Mahit Dzmare and hopefully Three Seagrass as they are a dynamic duo!

2 people found this helpful

Best sci-fi I have read in years

My only real complaint is that the story ended. I really don’t know how she does it but Arkady Martine manages to create an intriguing and dynamic futuristic universe that doesn’t require Breaking one’s brain in order to imagine - technologies, the culture, all of it is written in a way that flows easily through the imagination. I also really appreciate the wry humor; though highly intellectual the characters remain thoroughly and enjoyably human ( and at many times, hilarious). This second volume gives us glimpses into the thoughts and feelings of a broad cast of characters. At first I chafed at this, having thoroughly enjoyed the previous installment solely through the eyes of Mahit. But further along in the story I felt this was a great narrative choice - how else to show the broader complexities at stake this time? - and I felt it added a greater sense of urgency and emotional risk for the characters. I also loved how much the first book set up in way of plot and meaning for this volume without being obvious. The questions of what makes a person, personality, individual, culture, citizen, civilization - and how all of those things interlink gives me a lot to chew on. I simply cannot wait to see what the next volume has in store.

Lastly, Amy Landon is one of the best narrators I’ve yet heard. Her performance is dynamic without being over the top - just enough subtle shifts to let the listener know when a certain character is speaking and without resorting to cartoonish extremes. A narrator can make or break an audio book for me; I’m very particular and it’s rare for me to say but I’d probably listen to anything she narrates. Highly recommend this book.

1 person found this helpful

a love poem for a threat

this series is both beautiful and demanding. if you like Ann leckie you'll like this

1 person found this helpful

Enjoyed to book mostly

I found this book to be well written with an engaging story, with two issue:

1 - The representation of romantic relationship of the main characters was just cringy. They were supposed to be women in their mid-20s, not insecure 12 year olds - mature adults don't act that way. If it was a paper book, I would have skimmed those pages for relevant content but the audio books make that harder, so I had to listen to the silly, juvenile angst hoping for something that would advance the plot (spoiler: there wasn't anything).

2 - As with a lot of science fiction books I've read recently, some technology seems to be stuck in the 21st century. What I mean is that there are giant star ships that use FTL (either warp or gates or something) but somehow a space station is still just a tin can, instead of an O'Neill cylinder or similar. It just shows lack of imagination or maybe lack of research?.

1 person found this helpful

Arkady Martine gets language

By far my favorite prose writer in recent memory, and top 2 of all time, Arkady Martine is a true master of language. She writes with an intention and skill I’ve never before seen. I will be preordering any book she publishes in the future.

Tedious YA romance novel

Significant departure from the first book. Instead of a smart and interesting near mystery with exceptional narrative most of this book is the internal monologue of a young girl learning to deal with relationships and other adult problems. Roughly an hour of actual plot fluffed with interminable days of immature reflections on feelings and slight embarrassments. Tiresome.

spectacular in it's depth

a beautiful end to what hopefully will be a three-part series but if not a two-part series. the story is deep and the focus is on the characters, their relationships and their thoughts which is such a nice change from focusing everything on action and external stimuli. the only drawback is that at times the narrator has a strange tendency to emphasize the wrong words and go a little bit off the rails when it comes to the pacing.

Communication V. 2

if you have kept up with what we now know about the role of mycelia in forests, you will anticipate a lot here. But the character development, the dialogue, and the plot do not disappoint. This book built on and wonderfully extended a concept in Book 1. The title comes from the Roman Tacitus, as I learned in a review, and really says a lot about humanity.

Great sequel to A Memory Called Empire

There is much to enjoy in this space opera. Just like, 50 years ago, I felt transported to Trantor and the rest of the Asimov empire, there is texture and detail and universe building that transports one to the Jewel of the World. Teixcalaan feels real, and it's almost as if we listen to Mahit remembering... or was it Eight Antidote? Looking forward to the next one!