A galaxy on a knife-edge. This sci-fi novel has murder, sabotage, political machinations, camaraderie, and unknown threats. I was intrigued by its world-building, apparently inspired by Byzantine and Mesoamerican cultures, and appreciated how cultural differences were present even in small details such as divergent facial expressions. I would have loved to learn more of the galaxy and other cultures mentioned. A major thread of this novel is identity, intertwined with themes such as linguistics, imperialism, cultural heritage and assimilation, artificial intelligence, and neurological enhancement.

The novel follows Mahit, a diplomat who has studied the Teixcalaanli Empire but is not a part of it as Lsel Station has not (yet) been annexed. She carries an imago, an implant that holds the memories of its previous owners—only Yskandr’s in her case— selected for compatibility and her culture’s way of preserving knowledge. Sabotaged, uncertain who to trust, and caught between the echoes of Yskandr and her own feelings, Mahit must navigate the political minefield left behind in the wake of her predecessor death.

In Teixcalaan narrative is of the utmost importance. Throughout the novel, Mahit struggles to reconcile her fascination with Teixcalaanli culture with her awareness of its imperial propaganda, grieved by the knowledge that she—as an outsider or “barbarian”— will never possess an inherent mastery over the language and its poetic traditions while simultaneously aware of its use as a tool for cultural assimilation. This complex entanglement of culture and identity, belonging and kinship is, perhaps, most poignantly reflected in a conversation between Mahit and Yskandr:

"Mahit, remember how you felt when you first read Pseudo-Thirteen River’s Expansion History, and you came to the description of the triple sunrises you can see when you're hanging in Lsel Station's Lagrange point, and you thought, At last, there are words for how I feel, and they aren't even in my language—" Yes, Mahit says. Yes, she does. That ache: longing and a violent sort of self-hatred, that only made the longing sharper. "I felt that way."

The novel's character dynamics were varied and compelling, whether it were established friendships, Mahit’s developing connections, or the echoes of past relationships through the imago. Although, the sapphic romance, present in an increasing fondness rather than storyline, could have been expanded upon. I also enjoyed the mysteries: the murder, the schemes, the artificial intelligence running the city, the unknown threat. I will definitely be reading its sequel.