Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

9 reviews

scifi_rat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

violerwolf's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I absolutely love the world Leckie has crafted. While this book feels more like an interlude between the main conflicts, the characters, the prose, and the politics more than compensate for the less urgent tone of this book. So excited to read the third.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Colonisation, Slavery, and Infidelity

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Minor: Medical content, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Death, and Gun violence

black_cat_iiix's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Racism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Classism, Gun violence, and Child abuse

Minor: Addiction

meliemelo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

An excellent follow-up to one of my favourite reads this year. I absolutely LOVED the not-subtle anti-colonialist message and the care the author took not to fall into certain traps. I thought I'd miss the flashbacks but the book works really well as it is, especially as we still get the "multiple self" sense from Breq, although differently this time. Objectively, the pacing may not have been optimal but it didn't bother me.

I cannot wait until my reserved copy of the third book arrives at the library, hopefully very soon! And I will definitely add this trilogy to my "must own" list!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Colonisation, Gun violence, Murder, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Death

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Addiction, Slavery, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

sofipitch's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I do feel like this suffered a bit from middle book syndrome where it is setting up a lot for the finale. It still manages to feel like it's own book though. I'm just obsessed with the concept of the Lord of the Radch and how that will be dealt with. I cannot help thinking she is such a good representation of American politics, two sides in conflict with each other yet still the same, still complicit in it's colonialism. I was also starting to think Breq had too much of an outside saviour role but I think the book addressed it well.

Tisarwatt is babygirl. I did miss Seivarden, she wasn't in this as much. I also loved Translator Dlique, a shame they weren't in more of the book (<- my non smart person opinions)

Also adding this book to the ever growing list of "contemporary sci fi that features last minute amateur brain surgery". Is everyone okay?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, and Xenophobia

Minor: Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Grief

coffeedog14's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• 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? Yes

4.5

While not as heart-wrenching or heart-stopping as the first installment, and lacking in some of the cool action moments that book had, this is a much more mellow work that relies more on intrigue and delving into the heart of the corruption that is inherent to the Radch and its ideology. It didn't feel like it propelled the plot as much, mainly setting up characters and ideas for later, but it was fascinating while doing so.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Trafficking, Bullying, Colonisation, Violence, Classism, War, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Child abuse, Medical content, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, Torture, Addiction, Genocide, and Rape

ricksilva's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

More character-driven than the first book, this story puts Breq in command of Mercy of Kalr, a small ship, assigned to protect a remote system as the civil war between the fractured Radch Emperor's factions intensifies. 

This was great, from the details of the worldbuilding, to the political themes of justice in the face of colonialism, to the small details and character interactions. I loved the expanded cast of characters aboard Mercy of Kalr, and at the destination system.

There was some good political intrigue, and a nice setup for the third book in the series. 

Builds on the world and themes established in the first book, but it stands alone surprisingly well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation and Police brutality

Minor: Sexual assault

ailsaod's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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

 Read this because I was down about 'Winter's Orbit' being so good. It just made me down about having read two good books! The only problem I see with Leckie's books is that they are very quick to read!!

This book was admittedly very slightly less good than book 1 but it had an almost impossible act to follow! I see that a lot of people that weren't so keen on this book complain about the tea content of the story but I personally think it was very appropriate given the anti-imperialism themes. Leckie was having a great time dunking on the British Empire - as she should!

Another thing I enjoyed was Breq (an Ancillary pretending to be human) commanding humans, many of whom are trying to pretend to be Ancillaries. It is somewhat comical and I really liked Kalr Five in particular.

I'm really looking forward to book 3 (and also not because I don't want to finish this series!). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, and Police brutality

Minor: Sexual harassment and Toxic relationship

toopunkrockforshul's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

I was worried this sequel wouldn't live up the the first book, which I loved so much. It definitely did and it was so lovely to be back with Breq. The narration style of this book is so well crafted and manages to create mystery and intrigue while also being engaging. One of those books that feels like seating down to a large meal, where you can just dig in and get lost in the world. Very excited for the next in the series. 

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Content Warnings

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