Scan barcode
A review by couldbestephen
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
3.5
I felt like I should have liked this book more than I did. It had everything that I liked: a story about someone who used to be in a hive mind on their own, intriguing political machinations, solid writing… it was all there. I think the story structure hindered my immersion. I rated this 3.5 stars and would still recommend!
The story follows Breq, a former ancillary of the starship Justice of Toren. Ancillaries are bodies controlled by ship AIs. When her ship is destroyed, Breq makes her way to the leader she holds responsible.
This book takes place in the “past” (when Breq was still a part of her ship) and the “present” (when she’s seeking revenge. Bouncing back and forth between the two times threw me off and didn’t let me get fully involved in the story until the final fourth of the book, when the “past” arc resolved and we were fully in the present. This was mostly just a personal thing, I can see why this book has gained so much popularity. The takes on gender (the empire Breq is from doesn’t differentiate between genders, everyone is “she”) were really cool, the culture of the Raach was fascinating and well explored. The themes of empire and annexation were good, but didn’t offer any new takes. Looking forward to finishing the series!
The story follows Breq, a former ancillary of the starship Justice of Toren. Ancillaries are bodies controlled by ship AIs. When her ship is destroyed, Breq makes her way to the leader she holds responsible.
This book takes place in the “past” (when Breq was still a part of her ship) and the “present” (when she’s seeking revenge. Bouncing back and forth between the two times threw me off and didn’t let me get fully involved in the story until the final fourth of the book, when the “past” arc resolved and we were fully in the present. This was mostly just a personal thing, I can see why this book has gained so much popularity. The takes on gender (the empire Breq is from doesn’t differentiate between genders, everyone is “she”) were really cool, the culture of the Raach was fascinating and well explored. The themes of empire and annexation were good, but didn’t offer any new takes. Looking forward to finishing the series!