In Arkady Martine's debut novel, A Memory Called Empire, Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the capital of the Teixcalaanli Empire and discovers that her predecessor died under suspicious circumstances, which explains her emergency appointment to the post. Thrust into court intrigue, she must solve what she believes is a murder, conceal her own people's use of forbidden technology and diplomatically maintain the balance between the demands of the huge Empire and the needs of her home, Lsel Station. Despite a lifetime of preparing for this assignment, finding her balance in the alien culture is difficult. Although she is befriended by her liaison, Three Seagrass, Mahit remains wary of fully trusting anyone. The situation abruptly escalates when a bomb explodes and Three Seagrass is injured. Clearly, whatever her predecessor was involved in now threatens Mahit and those around her. Caught up in sudden violence and threatened by an ever-growing web of interstellar machinations, solving the murder may be the least of Mahit's problems. She must move swiftly in a complicated, dangerous world if she's to save herself, her friends and Lsel Station from destruction.
Packed with knotty personal relationships, career ambitions and assimilation challenges, this expertly plotted novel is perfect for fans of clever heroines and political thrillers. Martine is an author to watch. --Lois Faye Dyer, writer and reviewer