Review of 'A Memory Called Empire'

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Mahit Dzmare from the small but critically located Lsel Station is appointed ambassador to the Teixcalaanli Empire and sent to Teixcalaan. She carries in an “imago-machine” which is implanted in her skull an old copy of the memory of the previous ambassador, Yskander Aghavn, whose fate is unknown. Arriving she is told that Yskander has died under mysterious circumstances and with her imago malfunctioning she cannot rely on his guidance. With her diplomatic liason Three Seagrass and Seagrass's friend Twelve Azalea they investigate what really happened to Yskander. As she navigates the Empireâ??s dazzling yet perilous court culture, she finds herself caught between political factions, rising civil unrest, and Teixcalaanâ??s growing interest in Lsel Station. With assassination attempts, imperial succession tensions, and pressure mounting from all sides, Mahit must decide how to protect her home and survive in a system designed to absorb outsiders.

Featuring political intrigue along with interesting and convincingly “alien” cultures – some human, some not – and a compelling, well written narrative “A Memory Called Empire” is an excellent first novel from Arkady Martine. We come to understand Teixcalaan and its political machinations through the eyes of the somewhat politically naive Mahit. In other books it can be difficult to come to grips with many technical and alien details but here the author is able to convey only the details that are necessary in such a way that the reader takes them easily on board, allowing us to then quickly get drawn into the somewhat complex plot. The alien groups are believably brought to life with very relatable details often political in nature. On that point, though the protagonist operates at the high levels of society the author finds ways to show us the other levels so we have a complete perspective on the implications of the events as they unfold.

The chapters are fairly small and the action moves very quickly despite the rather lengthy size of the book.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy richly imagined cultures, political intrigue, and science-fictional technology woven into a fast-moving plot. For me, some of the political aspects were a slightly tricky to follow but otherwise, no complaints at all.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2026-04-25

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: 2019

ISBN: 97812501864