In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak. Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language.
When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties -- to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak yet speaks through her.
I'm sorry to report this is boring. I loved The City and The City, but after a quarter of the book, this one seems to be all about nuances of complicated made-up alien languages. 💤
Muito legal. Leitura meio difícil: às vezes não dá pra saber se uma palavra é invenção do autor ou apenas inglês arcaico... mas a história é bem louca!
I think this requires more imagination than even I can muster ~ thanks, Michael Stone - I am actually rereading passages trying to figure out what the hell is going on :/