An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.
In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.
Whether they succeed or fail could change the fate of Teixcalaan forever.
Tapa blanda, 496 páginas
Publicado el 8 de febrero de 2022 por Tor Books.
I enjoyed this a lot, even if I found the viewpoint of the young emperor sometimes a bit tired, because it seemed to slow down the narrative. Will have to think about all the different perspectives on personhood and assimilation that are offered here.
Lsel station, and the Teixcalaanli empire both face a devastating alien threat, the likes of which have never before been seen, and react to it in very different ways. Meanwhile, Mahit Dzmare, unsure of her ambassadorial status, gets roped into dealing with it by multiple factions.
Another enjoyable space opera, but it didn’t capture my attention the way A Memory Called Empire did. Splitting the POV between so many characters, while necessary, wasn’t something I particularly liked. Also, not enough Three Seagrass (there’s a lot of Three Seagrass).
An absolutely wonderful follow up with a very detailed expansion of the worlds previously introduced. The focus on language is still there, but with a bit broader approach to communication as a whole and how that affects culture.
