Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

Review:

The first book in this series, A Memory Called Empire, was one of my favorite books of last year.  This space opera explored colonialism, and how cultures see other societies, often as less than.  It also looked at what it means to be a person, as the main character, Ambassador Mahit, has the memories of her predecessor, Yskandr. embedded into her brain.  Is she Mahit, or is she Yskandr, or somehow both?  If memories can live on, is a person really dead?

Author Arkady Martine explores this further in A Desolation Called Peace.  With poetic language as a key component to the plot, there are new species of life, more wonderful characters, and a plot that kept me guessing.  This was a wonderful book.

What I Liked:

Language/Communication:

One of the themes of the book is communication.  How do species communicate with each other?  Is it only through spoken language?  Can it be done in other ways?  Is one way superior to another?  As the Teixacalaanli Empire encounters a new threat, it has to confront the ideas of how communication works. If a species communicates, in whatever form it does, can they be recognized as people?  Since the Empire always sees themselves as superior (and any other species as "barbarians"), this is a challenge.  

But the book also uses poetry, a form of language that Teixicalaanlis revere, to create haunting imagery.  Just the names of the Teixicalaanlis, from Three Seagreass, to Nine Hibiscus, evoke such beautiful depictions.  Pay special attention to the title of the book, A Desolation Called Peace.  The beginning of the novel begins with what this means.  When both sides destroy everything, then there is nothing left but peace.  It is both terrifying, and sadly how some wars resolve.

Characters:

Besides Mahit, and Three Seagrass, we learn much more about Eight Antidote, the eleven year-old clone of the deceased emperor, Six Direction.  Many of the chapters are from his point of view.  This is really a smart device, that lets us see how a new perspective, albeit from within the Teixicalaanli society, can be catalyst for fresh solutions.  

There are also several new military characters, like Nine Hibiscus, her second in command Twenty Cicada, and the ambitious Sixteen Moonrise.  There are strong bonds forged from years of shared experiences, to petty rivalries that all feed the story.  Their characters bring out the human costs of war, and the choices soldiers have to live with once a war is over.

Relationships:

I loved that many of the relationships from the first book continue on in A Desolation Called Peace.  We get to see how the feelings between Mahit and Three Seagrass are more complex than we can imagine.  Is Mahit Three Seagrass's "pet", as many refer to her as?  Is Three Seagrass drawn to Mahit mainly because she is an exotic foreigner?  We also see the very complex relationship that Mahit has with Yskandr (both old and young versions).  Will they be constantly an echo in her head, or can they all integrate?  Does Mahit even want that?  And I loved the relationship between Eight Antidote and the current emperor, Nineteen Adze.  Eight Antidote is the heir of Nineteen Adze, so they are much like a parent and a child.  But Nineteen Adze alway is aware of the burdens Eight Antidote will bear when he ascends to the throne.  With this in mind, she never treats him as a child.  She is a patient teacher and mentor for Eight Antidote, showing him how politics work.  Even when she was being ruthless, I liked that she never was impatient with her young heir.

Plot:

The story follows the start of a war (one that Mahit kind of started in the first book), that Mahit's people hope will keep the Teixicalaanlis busy so they won't be conquered themselves.  Clever.  But the new enemy is powerful enough that the Stationers (Mahit's people) may be caught in the crossfire, anyway.  

When Three Seagrass is sent to try and negotiate with this new life-form, she brings in Mahit to help.  But why would a Teixicalaanli bring in a "barbarian"?  The actual motivation for Three Seagrass is that she really misses Mahit.  But who will believe that a Teixicalaanli would want to spend time with a "barbarian"?  There's got to be a secret reason!  Could it have something to do with Yskandr's closeness to the Emperor?  It's what makes all sides suspicious of Mahit.

With all the various factions so jaded, Eight Antidote lives up to his name, as he is a fresh set of eyes on the situation.  

The story moves from the battlefield to the Palace through time and space, in such an urgent manner, that I couldn't put the book down.  It was thoroughly entertaining, and thought-provoking.   

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  March 2nd, 2021

Author:  Arkady Martine

Publisher:  Tor Books

Genre:  Science Fiction

Page Length:  496 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  With beautiful language and thought-provoking themes, this is a worthy sequel to A Memory Called Empire.