They feel a lot smaller in scope, and the big questions from the first book are never really resolved. Second, it starts off slowly – so, push through the first 50-80 pages, and know that it’s an incredible experience once you are immersed in the world!Īs a note, the two sequels (Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy) unfortunately aren’t as good. First, it’s fairly complicated – bordering on convoluted in a couple of areas / plotlines. That said, there are two small things that hold this book back just a little bit.

It strikes a wonderful balance, and feels like we’re meeting real people (because of course that’s how we get to know people in the real world).Īnd finally It’s just so propulsive once it gets going! The stakes are incredibly high, the main character is extremely likeable and competent, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat through the whole second half of the book. The dialogue and characters are also really masterfully done - instead of telling us what characters are thinking, we’re left to figure it out through the subtext in their dialogue. That idea is tweaked and twisted throughout the book in super novel ways that I don’t want to spoil - I’ll just say it is very unique and gives a ton of depth to both the characters and plot! There are so many things about this book I love, but I’ll try to pick just a few to highlight:įirst, having a single AI experiencing the world through many interlinked human bodies is just a deeply interesting idea. The book follows two parallel timelines – one as Breq, now reduced to a single ancillary body, closes in on the end of her quest for revenge, and the other set twenty years in the past and covering the events leading up to her betrayal. The ancillaries are terrifying soldiers – each one is protected by almost impenetrable armor, and the AI never miss a shot. Here’s the setup (back of the book style):īreq used to be the Justice of Toren - a huge, complex AI that inhabited a colossal starship and all of its thousands of ancillaries in the service of the Radch, the largest of the human empires.Īncillaries are human bodies that were captured in previous Radchaai annexations – those who resist the takeover are killed and their bodies frozen and stored, ready to be activated and controlled by Radchaai AI in future annexations. Definitely one of my favorite sci-fi books of the last ten years! Such an incredible debut novel from Ann Leckie.

Ancillary justice book