In the far distant future, humanity has colonized a planet on the edges of the known universe renowned for the alien hosts, the Ariekei, famous for their unique language. Their city, called Embassytown by the locals, exists on the outskirts of the Ariekei city in an atmospheric bubble of oxygen created by the Ariekei allowing human habitation but also limiting human exploration of the planet. Embassytown By China Mieville Read by Susan Duerden Random House Audio May 2011 On this planet and in this town, Avice Benner Cho is born and raised. In her teens she is made an integral part of the Ariekei language as a living simile, the girl who was hurt in the darkness and ate what was giving to her, linking her permanently to the Ariekei and their unique language. When Avice returns to Embassytown after travelling the stars as an adult she finds a world on edge. A new ambassador has come to Embassytown and nothing may ever be the same. Filled with intrigue, the shadow of war, action, and adventure Embassytown flows with uncommon depth and intelligence. This isn’t a book about those things, but rather a book about language and what language means more than anything else that includes those things. No doubt on purpose, this books language is one that the reader participates in as we learn the language of the world that China Mieville has created for us. The revelations, growth and change that accompany our characters through the story give the reader a satisfaction that is lacking in so much science fiction. Someone doesn’t win the war and then the book ends. Someone doesn’t overcome all odds and then the book ends. This book is far too complex and too philosophical in nature. What does it mean to have language? I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This is easily one of the best books I’ve read in the past several years. It is a work of art as much as an enjoyable tale. Note about the unabridged audio version: Susan Duerden does a magnificent job bringing home the otherworldliness of the Ariekei to life. Her sophisticated accent and thoughtful command of the language helps the reader lose themselves in the narrative while enlightening hard to understand concepts like the unique dual voice language of the Ariekei. One thing I particularly enjoyed was how the audio version layered Ariekei language so the reader could get an audible feel for the language and why it was so unique. The progression through the novel became so much more emphatic through this device.