A Memory Called Empire

 A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1) by Arkady Martine 462 pages 

Summary from Goodreads: Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.

Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.

What I thought:  A few people in my book group had mentioned that they really liked this book, and since I haven't read much science fiction lately, I figured I would give it a try. I really enjoyed the ideas in this book and how as a reader you learn about a place and people through the eyes of the main character -- as they learn, so do you. I also liked a lot of the concepts in this book, especially that Mahit has a brain implant that gives her access to previous ambassadors. And of course, something goes wrong, leaving Mahit mostly alone to navigate the treacherous waters of her duties.  This story is extremely detailed, which makes it relatively easy to become immersed in the world of the Teixcalaanli Empire. I felt at times, the story slowed down a little too much for my liking, but appreciated that this gave me the opportunity to really think about what was happening in the story. If you like multi-layered political intrigue stories mixed with "stranger in a strange land" type of stories, this may be a good book to try.