Scan barcode
crufts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
With Breq's unisex pronoun use, I automatically pictured a lot of characters as having female-typical appearances, in conflict with occasional notes of description that they had beards, broad shoulders, deep voices and so on. This made it more difficult to tell characters apart, since this common distinguishing feature (i.e. social gender) was absent from the narration. But even though it made the characters harder to follow, I still think it was a cool worldbuilding idea.
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Trafficking
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Death: Several lethal fights occur on-screen, many of them involving sci-fi guns.War: The continual action of the expansionist Radch empire.
Slavery, Trafficking: Arguably, the ancillaries are "slaves", but they do not feel this way since they are inhabited by the minds of the Radch spaceship AIs (the original minds being long gone).
Sexual assault and rape: Mentioned as having occurred during wartime, not in detail.
rynaissanceenby'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? No
3.25
Graphic: Colonisation, War, Xenophobia, and Slavery
Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, Classism, and Murder
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
I enjoyed this and I'm very interested in where things go from here. I like the questions raised nearly as much as I appreciate not being given trite answers.
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Grief, Racism, Drug abuse, Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Xenophobia, Drug use, Slavery, Colonisation, and Death
Minor: Grief, Vomit, Alcohol, Rape, and War
petrel'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: War, Gun violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Genocide, and Murder
fmcphaden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, War, Blood, Classism, Medical content, Murder, Addiction, Xenophobia, Death, Deportation, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Bullying, Police brutality, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
jjjreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Confinement, Ableism, Classism, Genocide, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicide, Transphobia, Addiction, Racism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, War, Body horror, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
sofipitch's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What I found really interesting was the topic of selfhood throughout the book. As Breq is one part of a larger AI she often toggles between seeing herself as an individual vs seeing herself as part of a whole. The fact that that whole is a ship in an expansionist empire. I'm going to refrain from talking about the other character who is built like this, as it contains spoilers, but what was especially interesting was the struggle to decide if one component did something bad, was the whole polluted or just that segment? Again this applies not only to individuals, but also entire cultures. Breq is Radchaii and loved parts of her culture, but she also recognizes the harm it has done through colonization, and struggles with how those things can coexist and what she wants to do about it. Blow it all up and start over or try to preserve the good and eliminate the bad. Super excited to see how the next book continues that convo.
Also I would be remiss to not mention that part of the appeal isn't all the intelligent themes but also Breq and Servidan are compelling characters, I enjoyed their journey throughout the story. This is what is considered "hard sci fi" so get ready to be super confused at the beginning as you get your bearings. But it is worth it, and the characters are what helps you hold on while you're confused. I already went ahead and put book 2 on hold with the library
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
selfsoulfriend'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: War, Murder, Classism, Genocide, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Addiction
audbaum's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Violence, War, Addiction, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
ekcd_'s review against another edition
Moderate: Car accident, Deadnaming, Confinement, Blood, Drug abuse, Medical content, Murder, Gore, Drug use, Genocide, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Medical trauma, War, Body horror, Physical abuse, and Police brutality