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A memory called empire arkady martine5/22/2023 These two books are both very well-written and plotted and lead to a page-turning experience. The book ends with a satisfying-enough conclusion but if I had got to the end and found ‘The story will conclude in the third part’ I would not have been surprised. In this second book, the action becomes principally external and is based on the ability of the protagonists to communicate with the aliens and prevent the spread of a devastating war. The first book had an inward focus, specifically on the interior of Mahit who, in common with leading members of her native space station, contains the consciousness of her predecessors in her own mind. As is often the case with the sequel to a high-concept opening novel, the action has broadened the premises of the world and the original vision is somewhat darkened. Our focus is placed on the supposed barbarian Mahit Dzmare and her empire friend and sponsor Three Seagrass, together with the new emperor and presumed heir, as well as several prominent people in the emerging war with the aliens. In the second and concluding part of this duology (which itself seems a strange thing – how many authors are able to restrict themselves to just two books for a series?), we return to the heart of the action. We let A Memory Called Empire with the Teixcalaanli polis in crisis : an attempted coup had been narrowly avoided but the threat of interstellar war had become apparent.
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