Author: Arkady Martine | Narrator: Amy Landon
Runtime: 17h 32m | Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction, Political, Mystery, Galactic Empire, Literary Sci-Fi, Aliens
On the violent edge of Teixcalaanli space, diplomat Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass attempt to communicate with an enigmatic, hive-mind alien species.
Clocking in at seventeen and a half gripping hours, *A Desolation Called Peace* is Arkady Martine’s breathtaking, Hugo Award-winning conclusion to the Teixcalaan duology begun in A Memory Called Empire. Moving the narrative from the baroque, poem-obsessed courts of the imperial capital to the bleeding edge of deep space, the novel confronts the ultimate science fiction challenge: genuine first contact with an alien intelligence so fundamentally different from humanity that communication itself seems physically impossible.
An unknown, terrifying alien armada has begun systematically destroying Teixcalaanli frontier fleets, communicating only through horrifying screams broadcast across radio frequencies that drive human listeners insane. Desperate to avoid a catastrophic war of annihilation, imperial admiral Nine Hibiscus risks court-martial by sending for diplomatic specialists. Arriving at the war front, Lsel Station ambassador Mahit Dzmare and imperial liaison Three Seagrass must decipher alien sensory biology and linguistic syntax while dodging internal mutiny from warmongering fleet commanders. Martine’s background as a Byzantine historian shines through every page, infusing the plot with intricate political maneuvering, poetic grandeur, and a tender, complicated queer romance between Mahit and Three Seagrass.
The narrative expands beyond diplomatic puzzles to examine imperial assimilation, military ethics, and the profound psychological isolation of commanders trapped thousands of light-years from home. Martine crafts an unforgettable, tender, and deeply human character arc between Mahit and Three Seagrass that anchors the cosmic intrigue. In audio, narrator Amy Landon delivers a tour-de-force performance, capturing the razor-sharp intellect, existential dread, and emotional intimacy of Martine’s prose. The auditory translation of the alien signals and the rhythmic, musical cadence of Teixcalaanli speech are executed with spellbinding precision. Standing proudly alongside cerebral space opera benchmarks like Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice and Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time, this seventeen-hour masterpiece provides extraordinary value for discerning science fiction listeners.
Teixcalaan Reading Order: • A Memory Called Empire (Book 1 – 15h 37m) • A Desolation Called Peace (Book 2 – 17h 32m)
Amy Landon’s narration on A Desolation Called Peace is intelligent, nuanced, and intensely atmospheric. Landon perfectly renders Mahit Dzmare’s anxious vulnerability and pragmatic tradecraft, contrasting it with Three Seagrass’s effortless, lyrical imperial charm. Her vocal pacing during the first-contact translation breakthroughs conveys intellectual exhilaration with extraordinary nuance, while her delivery of the chilling alien sound-transmissions raises genuine goosebumps. The audio mixing is crisp and clean, making every minute of this seventeen-and-a-half-hour space opera an absolute joy.
*Note: Narrators may differ across regional releases and audiobook editions.