The Traitor Baru Cormorant

How do you take down an empire that will wash away all traces of your culture and customs? From the inside. This provocative geopolitical fantasy was such a surprise. Don't let the talk of numbers and accountants fool you, Baru is a fascinating character who vows to free her home by becoming a tool of the empire she seeks to escape. She is beyond smart, a savant is more like it, pragmatic, and calculating. Her journey is brutal in a world where genocide and "re-education programs" are the means of unifying the nations, but she is determined to orchestrate a revolution. The prose is tense and tight, and sends you hurtling through events as you try to get your feet under you. There are sequels on the way, but this is an incredible beginning.