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aeturnum's review against another edition
5.0
Read as 4.5 *s.
Fleet Captain Breq is the last body of a ship destroyed by one faction of the group consciousness of the ruler of the Radch, the single empire that controls all human worlds. She is now empowered by another splinter faction of the ruler of the Radch (themselves all genetically identical but with different bodies having different goals) to command a ship and secure the needs of the population. Breq is traveling to the system where the sister of the commander she loves (and killed) lives in order to do all that Breq can to ensure that sisters' safety.
Ancillary Justice is a bit of a slow boil - you take a while getting to understand what is happening and what Breq intends. Now we are off the map and even Breq isn't sure what she is getting herself into or how to proceed. We also now have many more characters - as Breq is given command of the only available warship (Mercy of Kalr) and its human crew. Her crew is not aware that she is an ancillary - a human body taken over by a ships AI. This is Ironic because the age of new ancillaries is over in the Radch and the crew, previously led by a captain nostalgic for the days of military expansion, has been trained to emulate their mannerisms.
This book effectively builds on the previous one by putting our hero into a totally new (to the audience) environment with new challenges. It lets us explore the Radch's treatment of race and ethnicity, of high and low class in practice. Once again the charm of the book is in the details of how Breq thinks about her duty, how her individual ideas bump into (or correspond with) the ideas of the overall Radch (and the system they are in - Athoek).
Compared to Justice, this book is a slower burn. Breq does not have a clear plan at the start, but is instead muddling her way through a complex situation while she gets to knew her crew and other important figures. The result is a slower, but no less compelling story that focuses a bit less on Breq herself and bit more on the people who now surround her. The strength of Justice was in the careful, purposeful way relationships and regard were communicated - and those factors are still in play here - but with a less compelling overall arc. This book does not have a similarly satisfying grand conclusion that one might expect from the previous book. That's not to say the ending is unsatisfying - it's compelling and meaningful and sets up the end of the overall arc in the next book. There is just less of a driving narrative throughout the story. Much of the time Breq is doing what makes sense to her at the moment and the audience must wait with her to see what happens. This is well done, but might not be everyone's taste. I found that it was very much to my taste.
Fleet Captain Breq is the last body of a ship destroyed by one faction of the group consciousness of the ruler of the Radch, the single empire that controls all human worlds. She is now empowered by another splinter faction of the ruler of the Radch (themselves all genetically identical but with different bodies having different goals) to command a ship and secure the needs of the population. Breq is traveling to the system where the sister of the commander she loves (and killed) lives in order to do all that Breq can to ensure that sisters' safety.
Ancillary Justice is a bit of a slow boil - you take a while getting to understand what is happening and what Breq intends. Now we are off the map and even Breq isn't sure what she is getting herself into or how to proceed. We also now have many more characters - as Breq is given command of the only available warship (Mercy of Kalr) and its human crew. Her crew is not aware that she is an ancillary - a human body taken over by a ships AI. This is Ironic because the age of new ancillaries is over in the Radch and the crew, previously led by a captain nostalgic for the days of military expansion, has been trained to emulate their mannerisms.
This book effectively builds on the previous one by putting our hero into a totally new (to the audience) environment with new challenges. It lets us explore the Radch's treatment of race and ethnicity, of high and low class in practice. Once again the charm of the book is in the details of how Breq thinks about her duty, how her individual ideas bump into (or correspond with) the ideas of the overall Radch (and the system they are in - Athoek).
Compared to Justice, this book is a slower burn. Breq does not have a clear plan at the start, but is instead muddling her way through a complex situation while she gets to knew her crew and other important figures. The result is a slower, but no less compelling story that focuses a bit less on Breq herself and bit more on the people who now surround her. The strength of Justice was in the careful, purposeful way relationships and regard were communicated - and those factors are still in play here - but with a less compelling overall arc. This book does not have a similarly satisfying grand conclusion that one might expect from the previous book. That's not to say the ending is unsatisfying - it's compelling and meaningful and sets up the end of the overall arc in the next book. There is just less of a driving narrative throughout the story. Much of the time Breq is doing what makes sense to her at the moment and the audience must wait with her to see what happens. This is well done, but might not be everyone's taste. I found that it was very much to my taste.
baldwinme40's review against another edition
4.0
this series is still Not My Jam but I liked this volume better than the first one! the characters had clearer goals and feelings, and it actually had humor.
hneite's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
3.75
scifi_rat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
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
keratincorn's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
vvitchprincess's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
katieinca's review against another edition
5.0
You know an author's done some successful worldbuilding when you're laughing out loud at jokes that would have made zero sense a week ago. Especially if that happens in between keeping up with political intrigue in space and arguments about the nature of justice.
Extra points for coining of the term "baby lieutenant," which I now wish I had occasion to use.
Extra points for coining of the term "baby lieutenant," which I now wish I had occasion to use.
alexush's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
emath98's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25