A Desolation Called Peace

[psocoptera]

A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine. Sequel to A Memory Called Empire, which I did not reread as prep and didn't need to, I thought Martine did a great job of reminding the reader of who everyone was as we went along. This is an excellent book and a worthy sequel and is the first 2021 book I've read and I think has an excellent shot to be my favorite book of 2021 the way Memory was for 2019. Any more review would just be "that! and then *that*! and I had FEELINGS about it!". Oh, except, future speculation behind the cut: [SPOILERS] I really hope we get a third book, and I feel like certain hints have been dropped about what some of the content may involve (why *doesn't* Lsel station have any kind of record about why they decided to move and settle where they did, and how does the 14-generation timeline compare with the "400 or so years ago" since certain Teixcalaan atrocities?) as well, of course, the major "ask me a third time when I can say yes" relationship cliffhanger, so I think there's reason to think we should even if Martine hasn't announced one. Anyways, I often like to try to Name That Book, when there's a series going with somewhat formulaic titling, so... "A Persistence Called Freedom", or maybe "A Lesson Called Elegy", depending on how much it's about grappling with old war crimes, or "A Yearning Called Tomorrow", maybe... will Three Seagrass actually learn Stationer for Mahit, hmmm... this is surprisingly hard to do! One word with the personal/emotional scope, and one big-concept, coupled in a non-obvious, surprising or contradictory way... I wonder if it would be easier actually knowing the plot of the hypothetical book, or not.