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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Loved it
Pulled me in, just the way I like it. Love the writing style and the characters. Will definitely get the 3rd book in the trilogy.
Pulled me in, just the way I like it. Love the writing style and the characters. Will definitely get the 3rd book in the trilogy.
I was not a huge fan of the first book in the series, Ancillary Justice, but I thought I would give the sequel a try. I can't say I found this book any better though. In fact, I started getting very strong Canto Bight (From The Last Jedi) vibes from this novel. Meaning that the stories anti-colonial/anti-slavery themes wallop the reader over the head with little to no nuance or greater bearing on the overarching story. Breq enters the new system and immediately begins to root out the injustices of the local stratified class society. Certainly a noble goal, and by the end of the novel a general success, but I did not see how it further the battle between the two personalities of Anaander Mianaai, which I thought was the overall plot. Instead it felt like filler, or a side story, and it was only until the final quarter of the novel where I felt invested in the story.
I really find the near sole use of female pronouns an interesting concept, but I didn't find that it added anything to the story. Only one time in the novel did she misgender anyone, and I think much more could be done with the idea of a ancillary unable to recognize gender reliably. Nevertheless I found it fascinating to reflect on how much I tried to determine the gender of the characters with out the reliable use of pronouns. I kept looking for male characters, looking for clues so I could make my determination.
Finally, I saw another reviewer describe this book as Downton Alley in space, and in my opinion, they aren't that far off. There is a lot of tea breaks, a lot of discussions of proper etiquette, and did I mention the tea? I could see it as just worldbuilding, but now I sort of just see it as Downton Alley in space. Still, I didn't hate this book. I just didn't find it very engaging and I felt it didn't capitalized it's full potential in relation to the universe developed in the first novel in the series.
I really find the near sole use of female pronouns an interesting concept, but I didn't find that it added anything to the story. Only one time in the novel did she misgender anyone, and I think much more could be done with the idea of a ancillary unable to recognize gender reliably. Nevertheless I found it fascinating to reflect on how much I tried to determine the gender of the characters with out the reliable use of pronouns. I kept looking for male characters, looking for clues so I could make my determination.
Finally, I saw another reviewer describe this book as Downton Alley in space, and in my opinion, they aren't that far off. There is a lot of tea breaks, a lot of discussions of proper etiquette, and did I mention the tea? I could see it as just worldbuilding, but now I sort of just see it as Downton Alley in space. Still, I didn't hate this book. I just didn't find it very engaging and I felt it didn't capitalized it's full potential in relation to the universe developed in the first novel in the series.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a different kind of story than the first book, but in my opinion, it's equally enjoyable.
The social commentary about the undergarden is a lot more poignant than I noticed the first time through. It also happens to be particularly timely.
The social commentary about the undergarden is a lot more poignant than I noticed the first time through. It also happens to be particularly timely.
challenging
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Rough
The pace of this book worked better for me than the first entry in the series, perhaps because the worldbuilding investment made in book 1 starts to payoff and the unconventional narration is more familiar by book 2. I'd say 4.5/5 stars.
The world of the Radchaai gives me far-future scifi Downton Abbey vibes. Subtle politics, friction between classes and cultures, vast quantities of tea, a long history of violent colonization happening with a thin facade of "propriety & civilization"... Can't help but hear screams of the British empire. The AI narration, bioengineering/cyborg/corpse soldier stuff, and the exploration of the role of gender (or lack there of) in a culture add fascinating conceptual layers. After book 1 I wasn't sure if I'd finish the series but I'm glad I read on and I'll finish the trilogy.
The world of the Radchaai gives me far-future scifi Downton Abbey vibes. Subtle politics, friction between classes and cultures, vast quantities of tea, a long history of violent colonization happening with a thin facade of "propriety & civilization"... Can't help but hear screams of the British empire. The AI narration, bioengineering/cyborg/corpse soldier stuff, and the exploration of the role of gender (or lack there of) in a culture add fascinating conceptual layers. After book 1 I wasn't sure if I'd finish the series but I'm glad I read on and I'll finish the trilogy.