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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Sometimes there are books that excite you in the first few chapters and then gone mostly bland despite some teeny weeny sparks, until the end. Sometimes even space opera books can offer you nothing but convoluted sentences in dialogue and inner thoughts. Sometimes these kinds of books got nominated for a Hugo. Sometimes people will say 'Oh but the author's previous works are phenomenal!'
And sometimes I decide to read these kinds of books. The end.
And sometimes I decide to read these kinds of books. The end.
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2017/09/25/review-provenance-by-ann-leckie/
Leckie’s first trilogy is amazing, which sets a high bar for this new book. I am thrilled to say Provenance delivered more than I expected (even with the high expectations set by the previous books). I love the unique world Leckie has crafted, the unconventional genderizations (or lack there of) that exists in some of the worlds and how that challenges readers to drop their own gender expectations and assignments. This continues in this new standalone novel but I also found it easier to read than the first time I read one of her books. I do still find myself defaulting gender, but it makes me aware that I do this, so I feel like that is a positive step. I just find it interesting how easy it is to mentally assign a gender to a character based on their traits or personality, not necessarily because their gender was ever stated.
All of that said, what I love most is the characters and the actual story or plot. And I feel like that is where this book excels most. I enjoyed the tighter focus on a smaller cast of characters and became very invested in Ingray’s story. She was adopted from a public creche (kind of like a public orphanage) by a very powerful woman. The way things work in Hwae, politicians have heirs, but it is not a birthright and therefor heirs must be named and named before they die or their position will no longer exist. Some choose to always name their biological children, but some, like Ingray’s mother, do not have children of their own and adopt a number of kids with the sole purpose of finding one worthy of being named their heir. Ingray has been pitted against her brother in this competition. They both have been raised to master politics and be ambitious, but have different strengths. I loved Ingray’s character. She is intelligent and resourceful and has a determination to follow through, even when the odds are stacked against her.
The story is exciting as well. Ingray’s brother seems destined to be named heir (no one even pretends otherwise). So, Ingray decides to try one daring move that will get her noticed, and perhaps be enough to get that edge she needs to be her mother’s choice. This mission she takes does not go exactly as she plans, and could backfire. But it also connects her with some interesting characters, and puts her in a very unique position as a result. I don’t want to say more than that because I think you should get the details from your own reading experience with this book. Just know it is a book full of fun and excitement, with a mystery or two as well.
As much as I loved the Ancillary series, I loved this one even more. It is a standalone in the same world, and I would be ecstatic to read more about the characters, but the ending was very satisfying. Even if I might like more, it doesn’t need anything additional. I feel like this novel has all of the strengths seen in Leckie’s earlier books, but without needing the adjustment to a POV that is one element of a hivemind, as well as a smaller set of central characters, this felt “easier” to read. Some of the complexities were eliminated, but yet those complexities for the world that we learned about in the trilogy still exist and enhance this book. I do not think the it is required to read the trilogy before reading this, I would guess it would stand well completely on its own.I also enjoyed getting the resolution in a single book instead of needing to wait for the next installment. I love series, but I can also appreciate the satisfaction from a great standalone as well. Highly recommend it.
Leckie’s first trilogy is amazing, which sets a high bar for this new book. I am thrilled to say Provenance delivered more than I expected (even with the high expectations set by the previous books). I love the unique world Leckie has crafted, the unconventional genderizations (or lack there of) that exists in some of the worlds and how that challenges readers to drop their own gender expectations and assignments. This continues in this new standalone novel but I also found it easier to read than the first time I read one of her books. I do still find myself defaulting gender, but it makes me aware that I do this, so I feel like that is a positive step. I just find it interesting how easy it is to mentally assign a gender to a character based on their traits or personality, not necessarily because their gender was ever stated.
All of that said, what I love most is the characters and the actual story or plot. And I feel like that is where this book excels most. I enjoyed the tighter focus on a smaller cast of characters and became very invested in Ingray’s story. She was adopted from a public creche (kind of like a public orphanage) by a very powerful woman. The way things work in Hwae, politicians have heirs, but it is not a birthright and therefor heirs must be named and named before they die or their position will no longer exist. Some choose to always name their biological children, but some, like Ingray’s mother, do not have children of their own and adopt a number of kids with the sole purpose of finding one worthy of being named their heir. Ingray has been pitted against her brother in this competition. They both have been raised to master politics and be ambitious, but have different strengths. I loved Ingray’s character. She is intelligent and resourceful and has a determination to follow through, even when the odds are stacked against her.
The story is exciting as well. Ingray’s brother seems destined to be named heir (no one even pretends otherwise). So, Ingray decides to try one daring move that will get her noticed, and perhaps be enough to get that edge she needs to be her mother’s choice. This mission she takes does not go exactly as she plans, and could backfire. But it also connects her with some interesting characters, and puts her in a very unique position as a result. I don’t want to say more than that because I think you should get the details from your own reading experience with this book. Just know it is a book full of fun and excitement, with a mystery or two as well.
As much as I loved the Ancillary series, I loved this one even more. It is a standalone in the same world, and I would be ecstatic to read more about the characters, but the ending was very satisfying. Even if I might like more, it doesn’t need anything additional. I feel like this novel has all of the strengths seen in Leckie’s earlier books, but without needing the adjustment to a POV that is one element of a hivemind, as well as a smaller set of central characters, this felt “easier” to read. Some of the complexities were eliminated, but yet those complexities for the world that we learned about in the trilogy still exist and enhance this book. I do not think the it is required to read the trilogy before reading this, I would guess it would stand well completely on its own.I also enjoyed getting the resolution in a single book instead of needing to wait for the next installment. I love series, but I can also appreciate the satisfaction from a great standalone as well. Highly recommend it.
This is a different beast than the Radch trilogy. Where that series delved into interesting questions of identity, morality, and the possibilities of AI, this story is a straight-up political adventure. It's very reminiscent of certain books in Bujold's Vorkosigan series - a character thrown into a political-military plot that they don't understand, and have to unravel. That said, it's a very well written example of the genre, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-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
adventurous
funny
fast-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
4 stars
Ann Leckie's "Imperial Radch" trilogy was a groundbreaking work that tackled themes of empire, gender, identity, and colonialism. "Translation State" had similarly lofty ideas. "Provenance," set in the same universe, suffers a fair bit in comparison. It's still a good novel, but not nearly as good as her other works.
"Provenance" is about a society in which "vestiges", or historical artifacts, have great cultural meaning. But when many vestiges are found to be fake, what does that mean for the society that created them? There is a fun and fast-paced story involving theft, breaking someone out of a high-security prison, and forgery. Fans of heist novels will love it. The characters are fun, even if not quite as lovable as Leckie's other novels.
If I had read this one first, I may have rated it even higher.
Ann Leckie's "Imperial Radch" trilogy was a groundbreaking work that tackled themes of empire, gender, identity, and colonialism. "Translation State" had similarly lofty ideas. "Provenance," set in the same universe, suffers a fair bit in comparison. It's still a good novel, but not nearly as good as her other works.
"Provenance" is about a society in which "vestiges", or historical artifacts, have great cultural meaning. But when many vestiges are found to be fake, what does that mean for the society that created them? There is a fun and fast-paced story involving theft, breaking someone out of a high-security prison, and forgery. Fans of heist novels will love it. The characters are fun, even if not quite as lovable as Leckie's other novels.
If I had read this one first, I may have rated it even higher.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
This book set in the same universe as the author’s 2013 Ancillary Justice and its sequels, it is not itself a sequel.
I enjoy these books because the culture they depict, although human, is thoroughly alien.
I enjoy these books because the culture they depict, although human, is thoroughly alien.
the story took a bit to build up to the point, and spent a little too much time in side plots. it also tended to leave some juicy stuff unexplored or ignored it outright. I liked this book over all but yeah not as great as her debut trilogy
Not going to say much, other than I enjoyed this and was frequently amused by all the culture collisions of different aliens, and the vestiges, and following Ingray around as she starts on a plan that very quickly transforms into other plans, which intersect with treaty violations, a murder investigation, theft, family shenanigans, planetary and interplanetary intrigue, and new relationships. And spider mechs. Lighter in tone than the Ancillary series (the fallout from which is referenced in this book) the action in this book takes place outside Raadch space, primarily at Hwae. Hwae has a fascinating culture, multiple genders, interesting family dynamics and a passion for physical objects tied to events and other important instances. Provenance was fun and different from Leckie's other books, but definitely enjoyable.