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The Republic of Memory
Not yet published
Expected 14 May 26The Safina is a city ship, two hundred years into its voyage from the ruins of Earth towards a new habitable world. Its crew maintain the ship, generation after generation, while protecting their 'ancestors' - the final remnants of Earth's doomed Network Empire - by keeping them alive in cryostasis.
But a lot can change in two hundred years, and people are starting to ask questions. Why should the crew continue to toil for people none of them remember? What exactly gives Administration its authority over everyone else?
And when the blackouts start, they set in motion a chain of events that will change life on the Safina forever. A reckoning is coming. The system is only secure so long as those in power maintain the obedience of those beneath them.
And the crew has had enough.
A science fiction odyssey of breathtaking scope, The Republic of Memory is a gripping examination of what divides us, and what brings us together. This is a modern and ambitious work of Arabfuturism, and is perfect for fans of The Expanse, A Memory Called Empire or Children of Time.
But a lot can change in two hundred years, and people are starting to ask questions. Why should the crew continue to toil for people none of them remember? What exactly gives Administration its authority over everyone else?
And when the blackouts start, they set in motion a chain of events that will change life on the Safina forever. A reckoning is coming. The system is only secure so long as those in power maintain the obedience of those beneath them.
And the crew has had enough.
A science fiction odyssey of breathtaking scope, The Republic of Memory is a gripping examination of what divides us, and what brings us together. This is a modern and ambitious work of Arabfuturism, and is perfect for fans of The Expanse, A Memory Called Empire or Children of Time.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 14, 2026
420 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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October 22, 2025I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS!!!!
November 28, 2025
There's a lot to love in this book, but it felt completely buried at the bottom of too many characters, distressingly confusing world-building (including slang that does reluctantly grow on you), and a lack of plot focus that doesn't follow expected narrative arcs. It leans heavily on the reader's patience.
I would have loved to read the three separate books this one book tries to be. I wanted to care and feel the emotions of the (12?) point-of-view characters, but was interrupted repeatedly by new voices that kept me from developing a real relationship with anyone.
El Sayed has a brilliance that occasionally shines through, and clearly has a lot to say, so I hope with the next book he can tame some of that fire so everyone can bask in it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I would have loved to read the three separate books this one book tries to be. I wanted to care and feel the emotions of the (12?) point-of-view characters, but was interrupted repeatedly by new voices that kept me from developing a real relationship with anyone.
El Sayed has a brilliance that occasionally shines through, and clearly has a lot to say, so I hope with the next book he can tame some of that fire so everyone can bask in it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews