A Desolation Called Peace

Teixcalaan #2

Hardcover, 496 pages

English language

Published Aug. 6, 2021 by Tor.

ISBN:
978-1-5290-0162-4
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4 stars (120 reviews)

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.

9 editions

Sogar besser als Band 1

5 stars

Ich mochte Band 2 richtig gerne, weil ich die politischen Erwägungen und das zusätzliche Worldbuilding noch spannender fand als in Band 1. Jetzt, wo ich Band 2 auf Englisch gelesen habe (Band 1 auf Deutsch), kam mir die Sprache auch weniger „kindlich“ und generell runder vor. Nichtsdestotrotz fand ich manche Namen im Deutschen einfach gelungener als im Original (Neunzehn Breitaxt klingt so viel pompöser als Nineteen Adze). Was Gender jenseits Männer/Frauen angeht sieht es leider fast genau so mau aus wie in Band 1. Wobei möglicherweise in einem Satz ein Nebencharakter mit „they“ bezeichnet wurde, aber das ist ein bisschen wenig ;). Zum Ausgleich hatte ich in Band 2 — vielleicht wegen des fehlenden generischen Maskulinums — weniger das Gefühl, dass die Gesellschaft hinter den Kulissen doch patriarchal ist. Auch scheint es, als würde Homo-/Bisexualität nicht „akzeptiert“ werden, sondern einfach gar keine Abweichung von irgendwas sein. Das finde ich erfrischend. …

Excellent sequel

5 stars

Rare for me to find a sequel more interesting than the original, but this was one of those occasions. It takes the world-building from Memory Called Empire and then allows the characters to step further forward in the story. After being at the heart of the Empire before, we're now at the fringe, where it faces a threat and a potential war, with politics at play that might lead to a catastrophe. Really enjoyed watching how this all played out and the way the characters grew and developed through it.

Unclear motivations & prose

3 stars

Disappointing sequel despite potential. Some dubious premises (surely a galactic empire would have first contact specialists?). Unclear motivations & prose: I rarely understood why particular choices were being made. Also an annoying inconsistency: internally, characters were flailing haplessly, but in actuality they were exceedingly competent.

Reading time 6 days, 80 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #SciFi

A stunning sequel

5 stars

I liked the first Teixcalaan book but did not love it. I went into the sequel expecting another book I'd really like, and ended up with a book that is rather stunning. A Memory Called Empire was all about politics, intrigue, machinations without much sci-fi in it. A Desolation Called Peace is still all that, and yet it is much broader as we venture out into the war between the Teixcalaan Empire and an unknown, almost invisible, entirely alien enemy. Mahit Dzmare has returned home to her space station, but is dragged into the middle of the war by Three Seagrass, her Teixcalaan liaison, who is now an envoy to be a diplomat between Teixcalaan and the aliens.

It's fascinating how so many things from the first book are still ever present in this book. The role of individuals, collective mind and memory, ever-present. The view of Empire. The unsung …

Good sequel building on the first part

5 stars

Content warning Desolation Called Peace (sequel to Memory Called Empire) minor setting spoilers

Schlechter als der Vorgänger

2 stars

Die Fortsetzung von A Memory Called Empire und leider nicht so gut. Zuviel Prosa in einer sich eher im Schneckentempo fortbewegenden Story, auch das eindrucksvolle Worldbuilding des ersten Bandes wird hier eher stiefmütterlich behandelt, zuviele Entscheidungen des Imperiums Teixcalaan wirken erstaunlich abwegig – um nicht zu sagen: dumm.

Es bewahrheitet sich also, was Mehrteiler und Serien in der Fantastik allzuoft ausmacht: abnehmende Qualität. Daher besinne ich mich auf meinen Vorsatz zurück, nur noch in sich geschlossene Bücher des Genres zu lesen. Ausnahme natürlich: Die Culture.

Review of 'Desolation Called Peace' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

*I received a free review copy as part of 2022 Hugo awards voting.

A DESOLATION CALLED PEACE is a collision of cultures bleeding into war, trying to find the bounds of personhood in more than flesh and bone.

The plot follows several parallel threads, centering on various characters. I love Twenty Cicada’s storyline. He’s one of my favorite characters, followed closely by Eight Antidote. Mahit and Three Seagrass are working together again, this time to find a way to communicate with the aliens whose proximity Mahit had used as leverage in the previous book. The worldbuilding focuses on intra-empire politics as much as it focuses on the empire’s communications with Mahit and with the aliens. It balances stress and war with levity and intimacy, exploring connections and communication as characters with conflicting methods and competing aims collide. 

This answers a few things left hanging from the first book, showing the …

Not too surprising but extremely competent

3 stars

Content warning Spoilers

Review of 'Desolation Called Peace' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This expands on the first book beautifully across multiple fronts - plot, setting, and characters. I admire how it handles so much depth without coming across as pretentious. Heck, it can reference its own internal history via epic poems and still not feel pretentious. It feels like every word has been chosen deliberately, perfectly, but somehow without taking itself too seriously. That tightrope walk is incredible.

This book could have so easily failed. Second books in a series are especially tricky beasts, as a sequel to a fabulous award-winning debut the pressure must have been off the charts. Incredibly well done.

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