A review by mitskacir
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

3.0

This was a good follow up to the first book. It had the same characters (and a host of new ones) but expanded on the story in a new setting which made the sequel feel fresh and not simply a continuation of book 1. However, it was much slower and the climax didn't feel as exciting. There was much less of a mystery for the reader and/or Breq to puzzle out, and there were none of the flashbacks that were in the first book that helped deepen the intrigue - book 2 basically gives a play-by-play of current action. My biggest disappointment in this book was Breq's infallibility. Breq, as an ancillary, has a lot of powers the other characters don't have. She is put in the position of Captain, which adds to her powers, but she never seemed to make a wrong move. Her moral compass was set and when her actions did lead to discontent (like the gentrification of the Undergarden), other characters were the ones who dealt with them and there really seemed to be no harm done. I hope Breq's character becomes more complex in the 3rd book - I am getting a bit tired of her one-note success.