You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Not as good as the first in the series, but still plenty good. Without some of the chronology jumping, I think she lost some of her best narrative powers. That said it is still a great book and worth the read and I'm on to the third soon. This one's more a mystery; intrigue; subtlety; and yet interesting dives into some of the unexplored complexity of the first.
Ahoy there me mateys! Here I take a second look at a previously enjoyed novel and give me crew me second reflections, as it were, upon visitin’ it again . . .
It's Sci-Fi Month!! I enjoyed me reread of ancillary justice so much that I didn't read anything on me actual ports for plunder list but immediately hopped right into revisiting the Imperial Radch and reading the other two books of the trilogy back to back. Minor spoilers may abound so read at yer own peril. Basically Matey Nikki summed up this series well when she said:
"Every time, it surprises me how quiet these books are really — most of it is not civilisations crashing into each other, or high octane combat: it’s Breq drinking tea, talking to people, managing relationships. There is an action-filled climactic scene . . . but this isn’t sensawonder space battles, and it’s even less so than the first book. Which is a thing I enjoy, but is possibly another reason some people don’t get along with these books. You expect something earthshaking, but Breq’s not going to bring down the Radch alone, and doesn’t even want to try. She’s lit the fuse, but now she’s off in another system protecting those important to her and letting what will happen go on without her."
Book two has Breq going with a new ship and new commands to Athoek Station. Her stated purpose is to secure the system. Of course Breq has ideas about how to accomplish this. What I was reminded of in book two is how much narrower the scope is. There be one time frame and basically Breq's single perspective. Now this perspective is still influenced by Breq's connectivity with the ship and her implants so the feel of Breq being an ancillary is still going strong. On me first read the advancement of the plot was such that I thought it was more of a character study. However it only seems that way because, though subtle, the threads are very much being set up for the next book. On this read, I particularly loved the alien translator and Lieutenant Tisarwat. Following Tisarwat in the beginning especially had some great foreshadowing as to consequences of the overall conflict. Plus many of their sections made me laugh. I had forgotten how little Seivarden appears in the book and I missed them. I think of this book as a larger exploration of the Radchaai society's culture as a whole and as such a commentary on the viewpoints of superiority and greater good.
I love this series so much. Arrrr!
It's Sci-Fi Month!! I enjoyed me reread of ancillary justice so much that I didn't read anything on me actual ports for plunder list but immediately hopped right into revisiting the Imperial Radch and reading the other two books of the trilogy back to back. Minor spoilers may abound so read at yer own peril. Basically Matey Nikki summed up this series well when she said:
"Every time, it surprises me how quiet these books are really — most of it is not civilisations crashing into each other, or high octane combat: it’s Breq drinking tea, talking to people, managing relationships. There is an action-filled climactic scene . . . but this isn’t sensawonder space battles, and it’s even less so than the first book. Which is a thing I enjoy, but is possibly another reason some people don’t get along with these books. You expect something earthshaking, but Breq’s not going to bring down the Radch alone, and doesn’t even want to try. She’s lit the fuse, but now she’s off in another system protecting those important to her and letting what will happen go on without her."
Book two has Breq going with a new ship and new commands to Athoek Station. Her stated purpose is to secure the system. Of course Breq has ideas about how to accomplish this. What I was reminded of in book two is how much narrower the scope is. There be one time frame and basically Breq's single perspective. Now this perspective is still influenced by Breq's connectivity with the ship and her implants so the feel of Breq being an ancillary is still going strong. On me first read the advancement of the plot was such that I thought it was more of a character study. However it only seems that way because, though subtle, the threads are very much being set up for the next book. On this read, I particularly loved the alien translator and Lieutenant Tisarwat. Following Tisarwat in the beginning especially had some great foreshadowing as to consequences of the overall conflict. Plus many of their sections made me laugh. I had forgotten how little Seivarden appears in the book and I missed them. I think of this book as a larger exploration of the Radchaai society's culture as a whole and as such a commentary on the viewpoints of superiority and greater good.
I love this series so much. Arrrr!
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great follow on from Ancillary Justice, this book takes time digging deeper levels of plot and intrigue, really kicking off towards the conclusion, setting up the final part of the conclusion very nicely.
Reread - yep, still really good, clever, exciting and all those sorts of words.
Reread - yep, still really good, clever, exciting and all those sorts of words.
SO GOOD, and I'm very glad that I can start book 3 right away.
Jan 2023: really enjoyed the reading, again. It’s a bit odd to try to consider this as a standalone book: its own arc might really be about the baby lieutenant as much as anything else? But it’s a stellar Middle Trilogy Book, adding complications and stakes without falling into the trap of being a slog of “problems just getting worse so the final book can resolve them”. Excited to read the third one!
April 2024: I really enjoyed this on my reverse chronological reread; it was satisfying to see the workings of events while actually already knowing what is behind them. Also, I feel like I kind of want a whole book about Kalr Five.
Jan 2023: really enjoyed the reading, again. It’s a bit odd to try to consider this as a standalone book: its own arc might really be about the baby lieutenant as much as anything else? But it’s a stellar Middle Trilogy Book, adding complications and stakes without falling into the trap of being a slog of “problems just getting worse so the final book can resolve them”. Excited to read the third one!
April 2024: I really enjoyed this on my reverse chronological reread; it was satisfying to see the workings of events while actually already knowing what is behind them. Also, I feel like I kind of want a whole book about Kalr Five.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
second of the triogy, and a pretty solid entry. a lot of stuff filling in the gaps between the two books. it started out slowly because even very good sequels (which this was) will pepper in exposition and background info in the first chapter to catch up readers, which tend to take place in between lines of dialogue. I wouldn’t mind except I always forget what was just said and have to go back and check, and it’s comparatively much more difficult to rewind an audiobook to the right place than to glance back over a page. but even early on I was already intrigued by the new characters and entertained by the new plot direction
it’s also so neat to have a pov character who’s extremely experienced and capable. I’ve said this many times but my last big reading era was in hs so on the whole I’m more used to uncertain teenagers struggling to figure out how to use their powers and defying schoolyard bullies and other such coming-of-age content. but breq is thousands of years old, cool and collected, not without emotion but utterly rational, who knows exactly what she’s doing at nearly every moment, and is incredibly good at it. and it’s so satisfying to read. not that she’s the most powerful character in her setting - she still seeks to defeat a tyrannical and nearly omnipotent emperor - but as a weapon she has a lot of martial power and technical knowledge, and as the captain of her ship she’s got a lot of authority and the careful and politic way she uses that is interesting as well
Seivarden is pretty funny ngl. what if a guy was elitist and shitty and then someone he considered an inferior saved his life and he became intensely loyal and attached to her and started pretending he was enlightened but he was still kind of a shitty guy. and that’s just how he is for a solid couple books. if he IS a guy because we really can't know how Seivarden would identify in a culture that distinguishes between male and female
but this book Gets Into It. pretty successfully, I think! but also...hm
at this point in the story the colonized peoples have disappointingly little autonomy or ability or often even heart to resist this imperial power. the protag is herself an exploited being, but she was a weapon of war, not a conquered human. she’s working within the imperial system, with the lieutenants and foot soldiers and administrators, to ostensibly ‘save lives’ bc of the internal war, but that’s only necessary bc the emperor took these places over in the first place. she and her troops and the aristocrats are the actors, they’re the ones with agency. not the resistence sects. arguably denzai from book 1 acted with autonomy but it was only out of trust in an individual who served the system.
but breq arrives as a savior it seems, and she’s coming to contemplate the moral indefensibility of many of her past actions and like…yeah? we know? everyone who she hurt already knows
it’s also so neat to have a pov character who’s extremely experienced and capable. I’ve said this many times but my last big reading era was in hs so on the whole I’m more used to uncertain teenagers struggling to figure out how to use their powers and defying schoolyard bullies and other such coming-of-age content. but breq is thousands of years old, cool and collected, not without emotion but utterly rational, who knows exactly what she’s doing at nearly every moment, and is incredibly good at it. and it’s so satisfying to read. not that she’s the most powerful character in her setting - she still seeks to defeat a tyrannical and nearly omnipotent emperor - but as a weapon she has a lot of martial power and technical knowledge, and as the captain of her ship she’s got a lot of authority and the careful and politic way she uses that is interesting as well
Seivarden is pretty funny ngl. what if a guy was elitist and shitty and then someone he considered an inferior saved his life and he became intensely loyal and attached to her and started pretending he was enlightened but he was still kind of a shitty guy. and that’s just how he is for a solid couple books. if he IS a guy because we really can't know how Seivarden would identify in a culture that distinguishes between male and female
but this book Gets Into It. pretty successfully, I think! but also...hm
at this point in the story the colonized peoples have disappointingly little autonomy or ability or often even heart to resist this imperial power. the protag is herself an exploited being, but she was a weapon of war, not a conquered human. she’s working within the imperial system, with the lieutenants and foot soldiers and administrators, to ostensibly ‘save lives’ bc of the internal war, but that’s only necessary bc the emperor took these places over in the first place. she and her troops and the aristocrats are the actors, they’re the ones with agency. not the resistence sects. arguably denzai from book 1 acted with autonomy but it was only out of trust in an individual who served the system.
but breq arrives as a savior it seems, and she’s coming to contemplate the moral indefensibility of many of her past actions and like…yeah? we know? everyone who she hurt already knows