A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1), by Arkady Martine
29 Dec 2025The Book
Synopsis:
Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.
Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.
My Review
A Memory Called Empire is the first book in the Teixcalaan duology, a science fantasy proposal written by Arkady Martine, published by Tor Books. A brilliant and densely packed novel of political intrigue, that slowly builds around its themes while delighting the reader with a worldbuilding that could be defined as Aztec Empire in the space, tied together with a rather poetic prose.
Ambassador Mahit is sent to the center of the Teixcalaanli Empire to discover that her predecessor has died; a death that accompanies a time of political instability among the upper pieces on the imperial table. She will be forced to discover who is behind her predecessor's murder while still trying to advocate for her small mining station, avoid being swallowed by the empire, and deal with the problems attached to the secret technology inside her.
I find quite complicated to put my thoughts on paper, because I feel most of what I can say has been said already; however, I think it's quite interesting to take a look of how Martine portrays the conflict between two civilizations of vastly different size: how Mahit has to navigate a society that sees the stationers as inferior in terms of culture, and how she has to adopt Teixcalaanli manners in order to move inside the court. The Empire considers itself superior and more advanced, something that it's blinding its eyes; but there's much value they could get from that culture they deem as inferior.
The own concept of the imagos and how it affects Mahit also opens space to have a discussion about the theme of identity, which is masterfully connected to how the Teixcalaanli language works and the inferred meaning of certain words; the analysis over language is another of the highlights of the novel.
At the end, if you are looking for a brilliant science fantasy proposal, a thought-provoking novel filled with political intrigue, philosophical discussions and well fleshed characters, I can totally recommend picking A Memory Called Empire. Can't wait to dive into the second book of the duology.
The Author/s
Arkady Martine
Arkady Martine is a speculative fiction writer and, as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller, a historian of the Byzantine Empire, a climate and energy policy analyst, and a city planner. Under both names she writes about border politics, narrative and rhetoric, risk communication, and the edges of the world.
She currently works as the New Mexico Senior Policy Advisor for Clean Energy at Western Resource Advocates, an environmental and clean energy nonprofit, where she specializes in utility regulation and legislative advocacy for energy grid modernization, climate change mitigation, and resiliency planning. Her debut novel, A Memory Called Empire, won the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and its sequel, A Desolation Called Peace, won the 2022 Hugo Award in the same category. Her latest novella, Rose/House, was nominated for the 2024 Hugo for Best Novella and won China’s 2024 Fishing Fortress Science Fiction Award for Best International Novella. Rose/House appeared in international wide release from Tor Publishing Group in March 2025.