The Citadel of Weeping Pearls
The Citadel of Weeping Pearls was a great wonder; a perfect meld between cutting edge technology and esoteric sciences. Thirty years ago, threatened by an invading fleet from the Dai Viet Empire, the Citadel disappeared and was never seen again.But now the Dai Viet Empire itself is under siege, on the verge of a war against an enemy that turns their own mindships against them; and the Empress, who once gave the order to raze the Citadel, is in desperate needs of its weapons. Meanwhile, on a small isolated space station, an engineer obsessed with the past works on a machine that will send her thirty years back, to the height of the Citadel’s power.But the Citadel’s disappearance still extends chains of grief and regrets all the way into the fraught atmosphere of the Imperial Court; and this casual summoning of the past might have world-shattering consequences…
Reviews
"Time travel, intricate political drama, and complex family dynamics, and you’ve got something that blows your mind. ... De Bodard’s excellent writing never fails to enchant me."
"There are no heart-warming mother-daughter relationships here, only women exploring the idea of reconciliation, separated by time. ... These conflicted relationships are the heart of the novella – a vanished scientist, time travel and interstellar war all little more than subplots to give it context and drive the characters to a place where they can confront their feelings and choose how to move forward. ... Add in a richly imagined space empire based on Viet traditions rather than Western ones, and themes that go straight for the heart and I’m helplessly engaged every time."
"I loved this. As it stands this is one of my top reads of the year so far. Eleven out of ten stars."
"Aliette de Bodard's writing is gorgeous, from lyrical tones to reflecting the complexity of some feelings."
Awards & Accolades
2015 Locus Award Finalist, Best Novella