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scifi_rat's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Genocide, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Police brutality, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Bullying, Blood, Rape, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love the way this series approaches identity, holding space for individuality and autonomy even though Breq is the last body of a collective identity which cycled through hundreds or thousands of bodies over her long existence. It seems as though this is part of why she cares about individual's rights to their own bodies so much, she had a duty of care and a sense of well-being tied up in her many bodies when she had them. In her strange existence as the last of her own ancillaries she is turning that care outward even more than when she just had charge of her ancillaries and crew.
Very importantly for the middle book of a trilogy, this has a complete storyline that could stand alone and be very comprehensible to someone who hadn't read the first book. Enough is explained about how the ancillaries work that even though Breq's backstory was told in the ANCILLARY JUSTICE, there's enough here for ANICLLARY SWORD to make sense without those specifics. Because of the way key details are explained towards the end of the book, to a new reader this could easily feel like the solution to a mystery, just as it does to most of the people around Breq.
The worldbuilding once again is complex and robust, but it's focused on people in a way that feels very accessible. I prefer soft sci-fi, and while I don't know if this technically counts, I do know that I've made it through two books so far without being forced to learn the technobabble for how the space travel gates work, so I'm happy with it.
I have some guesses as to what the third book could focus on, the only thing I know for sure is that breck leaves the station in the end, something I don't consider to really be a spoiler as her one constant is travel. Wherever she goes now and what happens because of the people she got to know in ancillary sword the third book is likely to deal with the Emperor's crisis of identity that is brewing in the background (and occasionally the foreground) of this book
I want to know how the Emperor's identity crisis will resolve (or not), really I want to know what Breq will do next.
Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, Slavery, Trafficking, Blood, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Child abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Sexism, Rape, and Sexual assault
directorpurry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: War
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Blood, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Gun violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Vomit, Addiction, Body horror, Classism, Death, and Drug abuse
madamenovelist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
troisha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Trafficking, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Sexual content
kjoli's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Murder and Blood
toopunkrockforshul's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Police brutality
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Violence, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
This book deals with a lot of difficult themes, and at its core is about the atrocities that empires and people with power commit against others