They are precise, intricate, consistent and gorgeously developed. The political and lingual complexities of this novel are freaking amazing. But if it’s what you’re looking for, then OMG this book has it in SPADES. I love being that invested in a story, but it’s a worth a warning if you are looking for something that requires a little less effort to enjoy.
It helps that the story is told through the eyes of an ambassador, educated but alien (“barbarian” to use the novels’ terminology) herself, so extra complicated points and procedures can be spelled out for her in a realistic way and that makes things just accessible enough for the reader to hang on to. However, it’s definitely an effort on the part of the reader to stay above water as info comes in – there’s no option to tune out a little or let attention flag at any point. I loved that “thrown them in the deep end to teach them how to swim” style of sci-fi/fantasy, because I appreciate not having to parse through an info dump sort of situation for the first quarter of the novel. There is definitely no “ease them in” period in regards to the language, culture, relationships or any other part of Mahit’s stationer life or Teixcalaanli lifestyle.
And I mean that in regards to plot, sure, but also to the amount of foreign information that is thrown at the reader. This book was nonstop from the very first page. And from the minute she arrives Mahit is thrust into a game of political intrigue, empire expansion and emperor succession…all while trying to figure out what really happened to her predecessor (she doesn’t for one second think his death was natural as claimed), adjusting to a completely foreign culture (and find allies in her new home), trying to survive what could be internal sabotage from her own people, guard an incredibly valuable technological secret and follow through on the “normal” ambassadorial duties. When she arrives, she discovers that the reason the Empire requested a new ambassador is because the previous is dead. Mahit Dzmare is a newly minted ambassador from a small mining Station send to the center of the Teixcalaan Empire. I had it on the backburner, but when I saw it at a used bookstore, I figured that was a sign to move it up the list. Oh, and of course, Binti is amazing, but I still need to finish that trilogy! Anyways, the point is that I’ve been kinda keeping my eye open for space operas now and this one came across my radar last year. This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.Īfter reading and LOVING The Long Way to a Small, Angry Plant (and the follow-up books set in the same world, A Closed and Common Orbit and Record of a Spaceborn Few), I realized that “space opera” was a new favorite sci-fi sub-genre for me.
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