"[An] all around brilliant space opera, I absolutely love it."—Ann Leckie, on A Memory Called Empire A Desolation Called Peace is the spectacular space opera sequel to Arkady Martine's genre-reinventing, Hugo Award-winning debut, A Memory Called Empire. 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. Their failure will guarantee millions of deaths in an endless war. Their success might prevent Teixcalaan’s destruction—and allow the empire to continue its rapacious expansion. Or it might create something far stranger . . . A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books
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"A taut murder mystery entwined with questions of technological ethics, A Memory Called Empire is also an evocative depiction of foreignness. Martine creates an elaborate and appealing culture against which to play out this story of political intrigue, assimilation, and resistance. Daring, beautiful, immersive, and often profound."
— Malka Older, author of Infomocracy
“Martine weaves a dramatic and suspenseful story of political intrigue and alien first contact…Each character is rendered in exquisite detail.”
— Booklist (starred review)“A dizzying, exhilarating story of diplomacy, conspiracy, and first contact in the powerhouse sequel to [Martine’s] Hugo Award–winning debut…This complex, stunning space opera promises to reshape the genre.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)A mesmerizing debut . . . it left me utterly dazzled.
— The New York Times Book Review[A] gorgeously crafted diplomatic space opera . . . Readers will eagerly away the planned sequels to this impressive debut.
— Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPolitics and personalities blend with an immersive setting and beautiful prose in a debut that weaves threads of identity, assimilation, technology, and culture to offer an exceedingly well-done sf political thriller.
— Library Journal, starred reviewThis is both an epic and a human story, successful in the mode of Ann Leckie and Yoon Ha Lee. A confident beginning with the promise of future installments that can't come quickly enough.
— Kirkus, starred reviewExquisite . . . a compelling journey with a rich world and fascinating characters
— The Los Angeles TimesInteresting, detailed, lavish.
— The Wall Street JournalA Memory Called Empire perfectly balances action and intrigue with matters of empire and identity. All around brilliant space opera, I absolutely love it.
— Ann Leckie, author of Ancillary JusticeIn A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine smuggles you into her interstellar diplomatic pouch, and takes you on the most thrilling ride ever. This book has everything I love: identity crises, unlikely romance, complicated politics, and cunning adventurers. Super-fun, and ultra-fascinating.
— Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the SkyAn elegant and accomplished example of the subgenre of subtle scheming with a background of stars. A delightful read. I couldn’t put it down.
— Jo Walton, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of Among OthersA Memory Called Empire is a murder mystery wrapped up in a political space opera, and deeply immerses the reader in a unique culture and society. I very much enjoyed it and look forward to what Martine does next.
— Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot DiariesA cunningly plotted, richly imagined tale of interstellar intrigue that does something new with space opera.
— Ken MacLeodA Memory Called Empire elevates space opera to poetry—clever, deep, sometimes tragic, sometimes violent, always transcendent poetry that shines like the edge of a knife.
— Delilah DawsonAn intricate, layered tale of empire, personal ambition, political obligations and interstellar intrigue. Vivid and delightfully inventive.
— Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author of the Xuya Universe stories and The House of Binding ThornsA cutting, beautiful, human adventure about cultural exchange, identity, and intrigue. The best SF novel I’ve read in the last five years.
— Yoon Ha Lee, author of the Machineries of Empire trilogyAn exceptional first novel recommended for fans of Cherryh, Leckie, Banks, and Asimov.
— Elizabeth Bear, author of HammeredA Memory Called Empire . . . is so frigging good. It's like a space opera murder mystery combined with all the political parts of Dune.
— Dan Wells, author of I Am Not a Serial KillerBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Arkady Martine (she/her) is the Hugo Award-winning author of A Memory Called Empire. She is a speculative fiction writer and, as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller, a historian of the Byzantine Empire and a city planner. She is a policy advisor for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, where she works on climate change mitigation, energy grid modernization, and resiliency planning. Under both names, she writes about border politics, rhetoric, propaganda, and the edges of the world.
Amy Landon, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a voice artist and classically trained actress with numerous film, television, and off-Broadway stage credits. Her voice can also be heard on many television and radio commercials. She has an easy facility with dialects, which she also coaches and teaches, and she is happy to find her lifelong obsession with books pairing up with her acting and vocal work. Her narration of Texts from Jane Eyre placed as a finalist for the Audie Award for Best Humor Narration in 2016.