A review by dreynoldsbook
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

It’s a couple of years since I read the first of the series so I wasn’t completely up to speed when I started the novel. But it seemed like a bit of a detour. It’s clearly a not particularly disguised critique of colonialism. Maybe a bit too on the nose with tea plantations and slavery chucked in.

The world building and subtle politicking lifted it above the too obvious though. I often found it difficult to follow  the implications of what was happening but wasn’t sure how much of that was due to my having read the first a while ago and how much was due to Leckie’s writing which can seem obfuscating at times. 

It’s all very well conceived and convincing though.