The Imperial Radch Trilogy

Imperial Radch #1-3

by Ann Leckie

This special boxed set includes the New York Times bestselling author Ann Leckie's complete Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, and Locus Award-winning Ancillary space opera trilogy.
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren-- a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.


An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose-- to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.

The Ancillary Trilogy

Ancillary Justice
Ancillary Sword
Ancillary Mercy

For more from Ann Leckie, check out:Provenance

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Queer, Adventure

1248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Tanabrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un'ottima trilogia di fantascienza che ha tutto quello che una saga di questo tipo deve avere.
Ha un'ambientazione affascinante, tecnologie avanzate, imperi galattici e specie aliene totalmente estranee al concetto di umanità, incomprensibili pure per gli umani loro vicini.

Ha azione e guerra, ha sentimenti, riflessioni sugli ordinamenti politici, sociali e religiosi, ha concetti nuovi per la sessualità e mostra con efficienza come alcuni tratti propri dell'uomo non cambino mai.

Mostra l'intelligenza artificiale, i paletti impostegli, e cosa succede quando le circostanze rendono impossibile seguire le direttive. La presa di coscienza della propria esistenza, contrapposta con l'esistenza immortale di un regnante\leader\despota in vita da millenni e diviso in infiniti corpi, talmente frammentato da rendere inevitabile il collasso.

Una serie moderna, scritta benissimo (e tradotta divinamente, come viene fatto notare nelle note introduttive: non deve essere stato assolutamente facile) ma al tempo stesso con quell'attenzione per le tematiche sociali e introspettive proprie della fantascienza classica.

Probabilmente gli avrei dato anche il massimo della valutazione, non fosse che i finali dei libri hanno spesso lasciato un po' di amaro in bocca, non riuscendo a mantenersi all'altezza delle aspettative create nei capitoli precedenti.

Buoni anche i racconti inseriti nel libro, che ci mostrano altre zone dell'universo e altri tempi.
Soprattutto il secondo, Lei comanda e io obbedisco (visto il collegamento con la trilogia).

[Luca Cresta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalmente ho potuto gustare appieno questa trilogia capolavoro di SF. Avevo letto l'edizione del primo volume pubblicata da Fanucci, veramente pessima, e non ero stato in grado di apprezzare appieno il testo. Mondadori e specificatamente Francesca Mastruzzo ha finalmente reso giustizia alla versione italiana di questo ottimo testo. Ancillary è probabilmente una delle migliori 5 opere di SF che ho letto negli ultimi anni: universe-building di grandissimo suggestione, personaggi che restano nella mente del lettore, una trama sì complessa ma gestita alla grande, senza mai perdere il filo della narrazione, che tiene sempre il lettore sulla pagina, sia nei momenti più concitati di azione che nelle pause di riflessione che la storia propone, senza sconti né facili scorciatoie. Grandissima hard-SF moderna di qualità!

[Tex-49 · Rating 3 out of 5]

La trama è più movimentata dei precedenti, ma il diverso traduttore, che fa un uso estremo del genere femminile (anche per dire "non c'è nessuno" traduce "non c'è nessuna" o quando usa il termine "fanciulla" per parlare di soldati) complica un po' la lettura.
Inoltre l'Autore nomina tanti popoli senza mai descrivere la geografia dei pianeti in cui si svolge l'azione, né spiegare nulla dei suddetti popoli, manca completamente la scenografia!

[Märy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: It took me several days to write this review, because I love these books so much and I feel like I cannot do them justice (hehe), no matter what I write about them. Well, I'll try.

This is easily and without competition my favorite book series out of everything I have ever read. I love this trilogy so much that I don't even know where to begin. My best friend bought me the first book because she thought I might enjoy the different approach to gender and gender linguistics (which I did!), but that is by far not the only part of the incredibly innovative worldbuilding that I enjoyed. Different species and different cultures are illustrated with delicate precision, every character, no matter how minor, is complex and vivid and perfectly flawed and so alive. The story is captivating and many-faceted and funny and the plot is refreshing and just the right degree of unpredictable and yet sometimes satisfyingly foreseeable, of serious and emotional and so funny. I could go on, but I am rambling and I cannot help it.

I mean honestly... A human bodied AI that used to be a warship that shared its consciousness with several other bodies but lost its ship and its crew and the rest of its AI bodies and longs to be a ship and yearns for its crew and its other bodies and the sense of togetherness that came with all of that? And then we have a ship that's still a ship but lost the bodies it could control and feel and its captain? And there's a crew that sometimes finds it easier to act like AIs even though they are so wonderfully deficiantly human? I'm sold! There is something in this story, the maxim of being known and felt and understood and never alone, that made me long for something I cannot achieve as a human being in this world. There is a whole new level of found family here and there is love, so much love, versions of love I did not see coming. These books broke me and put me back together.

I cried when I finished the third book, not only because there was nothing left for me to read (except for Leckie's other works which I devoured in the following months), but also because the ending was so soft and satisfying and somewhat open and literally exactly what I would have asked for, if I could have. And more. All I can say is Thank you for these books, Ann Leckie. And Go read them, everyone else!.

[Yupa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mentre, dopo un lungo arrancare tra interminabili dialoghi, personaggi privi di caratterizzazione, colpi di scena incomprensibili e altre amenità, mi chiedevo se assegnare una o due stelle a questo (pessimo) esemplare della fantascienza contemporanea, e mi sono detto: c'è qualcosa che si salva nella trilogia di Ann Leckie? C'è anche una sola cosa, componente, idea, personaggio, costruzione narrativa, o che altro che risollevi anche se di poco la (s)qualità dell'opera? La risposta è arrivata, di qui la monostella.

Trilogia di romanzi che comprende tutti i mali di tanta fantascienza contemporanea: grande, smisurata ambizione ma poveri mezzi d'esecuzione.
Da affiancare ad altre grandissime delusioni del genere: mi vengono in mente il brutto Problema dei tre corpi di Cixin Liu e l'ancora più brutto Pathfinder di Orson Scott Card (sì, quello del Gioco di Ender).

[Charlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading science-fiction for 25 years. I can’t pretend that I’ve read everything out there. There is just too much, but I have read widely. This volume and the other two that make up the series are simply the best science fiction I’ve ever read. I have Re-read the entire series twice.

The central character, Breq, is brilliantly conceived and their story and evolution as a character are magnificently done. The scope of the story that emphasizes the vastness of space even with FTL travel balances the character study that makes up Breq’s journey.

I’d give more stars if I could.

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started the first of the trilogy and then couldn't stop. So I continued with the second and then the third in the series. Beautifully written and full of thoughtful discussions. There really isnt much emphasis on gender even tho all the human-type characters are referred to as "she". I think I will go back and re-read at least the first book. Maybe I will be able to stop with that. Maybe not.

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really want to rate this bundle of the trilogy to say once again: this is a 5/5 trilogy that I loved immensely.
All the themes are dealt with perfectly and the characters are amazing

[Caterina Franciosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

LE RECENSIONI DEL BLOG IL SALOTTO LETTERARIO
Con la trilogia di Ancillary, Ann Leckie dà vita a personaggi e ambientazioni davvero singolari, curati in ogni dettaglio e, sotto alcuni aspetti, decisamente innovativi. Ma andiamo con ordine.
L'universo che l'autrice ci presenta è quello di un impero millenario, il Radch, al cui vertice si trova Anaander Mianaai, la Lord del Radch. Nel corso dei secoli, il dominio della Lord si è allargato sempre più, conquistando e annettendo pianeti e realtà locali anche molto diversi fra loro. Il risultato è la creazione di un complesso sistema di regole sociali, culturali e linguistiche, in cui intelligenze e coscienze artificiali e non coesistono e convivono in rapporti molto stretti fra loro - talvolta anche in un unico corpo. Le astronavi dell'impero Radchaai sono infatti IA, creature senzienti e dotate di raziocinio proprio, e utilizzano corpi umani opportunamente modificati come ricettacoli ed estensioni della propria "mente" per gli scopi più svariati. Questi ricettacoli sono le cosiddette Ancelle e Breq, la protagonista e voce narrante della trilogia, è proprio una di loro, la ex One Esk della nave Justice of Toren, andata distrutta anni prima. Con tono piuttosto freddo e preciso, come si conviene a un soldato come lei, Breq alterna passato e presente e ci racconta la propria storia, fatta di tragici eventi e strettamente collegata a un pericoloso segreto che riguarda proprio la Lord del Radch.

Ma se l'aspetto delle coscienze interconnesse può apparirvi singolare, nondimeno lo sarà quello linguistico. Come spiega la traduttrice Francesca Mastruzzo nella nota introduttiva all'opera: "Quella Radchai è inoltre una cultura che non bada alla distinzione tra i generi sessuali, e questo si riflette sul linguaggio: dato che il genere non è importante, per consuetudine tutte le persone vengono indicate con il pronome femminile. Non perché i personaggi siano tutte donne, ma perché questo prevedere il Radchaai, la lingua franca dell'impero. Quando, all'inizio del racconto, la protagonista e voce narrante Breq incontra Seivarden, che già conosce, e ci dice di sapere che è un maschio, continua comunque a farvi riferimento al femminile. D'altra parte che senso avrebbe fare questa distinzione quando una moltitudine di intelligenze (artificiali e non), compresa la persona più importante del Radch, hanno più corpi - e tutti diversi per età, sesso, etnia?"

La trilogia di Ancillary è una space opera entusiasmante e ricca di interessanti spunti di riflessione a livello sociale, etico ma anche fantascientifico. Oltre a considerazioni in merito a dove risiedano davvero giusto e sbagliato o in merito a quanto sia importante rispettare le convenzioni sociali e la rigida etichetta imposta dall'impero, ciò che ci accompagna lungo tutta la trilogia è un dilemma ben preciso: possiamo differenziare una IA da un essere umano? In un mondo in cui le navi e le loro derivazioni sono appassionate di musica e sono vere e proprie intenditrici di tè è ancora possibile stabilire che le macchine non siano umane?
"Ancillary" si rivela essere un'opera complessa, sottile e ricca di molteplici sfaccettature, una trilogia che non può mancare nelle vostre librerie se siete appassionati di sci-fi e avventure spaziali e di storie... più umane dell'umano.

Leggi la recensione completa: https://salottoletterario20.blogspot....

[Tristan Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many of her readers, I was drawn to Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch trilogy because it’s a sci-fi space opera set within a culture that does not believe in gender, and all characters are referred to as She/Her. This was a cool idea that… wasn’t really developed in any significant way – there was a bit of stuff in the first volume about interacting with gendered cultures and the confusion this creates, but other than that you just get used to all the characters having she/her pronouns and gender not being an issue. Which I guess was cool.

What I did like were the setting and world-building – a galactic empire ruled by an empress who cloned herself many times over, insuring she lived on for thousands of years, unbound by one body, and could oversee many parts of her empire at once without worrying whether any one version of her was in physical danger. This safety net of clones does, however, leave her vulnerable to alien opponents turning one version of her against another… Also, I liked the focus on tea and tea ceremonies as a mark of galactic Civilization. And the idea of spaceships being run by Culture-like AIs that also possessed the bodies of several avatar crew members (ancillaries).

Unfortunately, not only did Leckie fail to expand upon her genderless idea, she also failed to do anything much with the role of AIs in her setting. In particular, the protagonist/narrator is an AI who used to control a ship but, after that ship’s destruction, was left in the body of one of the ship’s ancillaries. But she did not really think or act in a noticeably non-human way – her main difference compared to the humans around her was that her opinions were closer to those of a liberal, educated Westerner of the 2010s than to those of her more imperial, haughty peers. Like, I get that her thousand years of life and experiences seeing the waste of colonial violence shaped these views, but I never thought of her as an AI until this became a plot point at the very end of the last volume, at which point the fact that she wasn’t noticeably non-human became a glaring error (especially when the last novel I read, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun, featured an AI narrator who was very clearly written as an AI).

Ultimately then, the Imperial Radch trilogy was a fun read in a cool setting marred by Leckie’s failure to develop her most interesting ideas.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

7.3/10

Ancillary Justice [2013] was a genuinely exciting and original perspective on the canon that is only a mere hundred years or so old - compared to the thousands of years of its principal players. It introduced 'ancillaries' as aspects of a Ship's mind as well as crew, and an aristocratic human command allied to 'houses', much like Herbert's Dune series, thereby using and successfully extending the sociological basis that makes up the Radchaai, the 'human' meta-civilisation run by the manifold Lord of the Radch, Anaander Mianaai, the omnipotent and omnipresent ruler.

There are a couple of other alien civilisations in the universe, but we only brush up against one of them, and rather strangely so. But it's the centrality of the main character throughout the trilogy, Breq, formerly Justice of Toren, in whose first-person mind we progress through an interesting burgeoning 'civil war'. The opening novel is a cracker; its successor, Ancillary Sword [2014], not really about a Sword or its ancillary, sees Breq somewhat transformed and off on a new mission, which has its merits, but of course none of the impact of the novel ideas nor pace of the first. The endbook, Ancillary Mercy [2015], is about a Mercy and its ancillary, but not really a new adventure, and brings little to the table, except a series of odd alliances and snippets of potentially high but ultimately pedestrian entertainment - a bit like being a fly on the wall in a student cafeteria and the Principal turns up.

That the trilogy starts with a bang and ends with a whimper is perhaps largely due to commercial imperatives rather than taking three mixed merits and releasing one good doorstop (Hamilton's Void, a good example) - but it is as it is, and it's a trilogy well worth reading from a welcome new name in the cosmos of fun-filled smarts with seriously smart tech.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best book series I have ever, ever read.

The incredible way it handles an agender society in depiction and language. It is incredible how the protagonists genuine blindness to gender illustrates both how people who claim to be genderblind are not, and how fundamental gender is to human perception and language, while opening a space genuinely beyond. Once you get to the point where you stop trying to guess the sex of the characters you meet, something changes in a wonderful way. I identified with the protagonist in ways I have rarely identified with anyone. Just for the gender dynamics, this book is a utopia for non-binary folks, and an education on sexism for people living in the binary.

Also one of the few books that understand the horror and impact of genuinely failing as a moral being, while plausibly finding a way, not to fix that, which you can never do, but to never make that mistake again.
So painful it often made me weep.

An incredibly inspiring handling of colonial dynamics, slavery, and revolution, in which people are genuinely respected as agents, not followers or victims to be saved, but also not victim blamed.

An incredible take on AI and AI rights.

An incredible take on a protagonist who is, and will forever be, crippled from her former self, in pain, having lost capabilities, and yet finding purpose and connection.

And the alien Presger translators are simultaneously unsettling, hilarious, and yet entirely non-random, with the puzzle of figuring out the Presger behind them really intriguing.

I am sorry I keep saying incredible. But this book series is so unbelievably good.

[Ashwinee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most common critiques of contemporary science fiction is that the characters are simply too robotic, their voices monotone, or their actions too incomprehensible for the reader to truly champion any character or become emotionally invested in what happens to the characters -and as a result, it is difficult for the reader to become emotionally invested in the book at all. For a prime example, just look at the acclaimed Three Body Problem trilogy, whose characters are little more than identically voiced devices for Cixin Liu to didact at length through.

The Imperial Radch trilogy takes the opposite path. Breq, our point of view first person protagonist, is not merely too robotic, she is literally an AI (artificial intelligence). Yet in spite of this, Ann Leckie not only infuses emotion into the words and actions of a cold, calculating AI, she makes the reader truly invested in the world as seen through Breq's eyes. Entire chapters are dedicated to breaking down the emotional discourse that goes into simple interactions between crewmembers, yet it never feels like too much.

The worldbuilding and science fiction ideas are not overly complex; a race of humans has decided to colonize the galaxy in order to plant tea, and they've created AIs to help them do so. One such AI goes rogue and is, in very predictable fashion, the anti-imperialist voice of reason in an otherwise grossly militaristic world. But the characterization and complex reasoning between interpersonal interactions makes The Imperial Radch shine.

[Carlos Leos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes place during an undisclosed time in human history (could be an alternate timeline to ours) when humanity has colonized planets throughout the galaxy. One group of humans, the Raadch, have taken it upon themselves to conquer the rest of human space via brutal "annexations" of soon-to-be provincial worlds added to the Raadchai empire. The Raadchai employ the use of large AI ships in these annexations.

The AIs of these ships not only control the space-faring vessels, but also are connected to dozens or hundreds of "corpse soldiers", human bodies harvested during annexations for use as "ancillaries" on the warships. The Ancillary trilogy is the story of one of these ancillaries, disconnected from the rest of herself, her ship, and on a mission of bloody revenge.

This book is awesome. It has cool sci-fi concepts, an intriguing plot that reveals more of the fascinating universe as it unfolds, epic battles and high stakes for the characters. For good reason is this the only book that has won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Recommended for fans of hard sci-fi, space opera, and those looking for a book that explores questions of human ambition, cruelty, redemption, and creativity via non-human and otherworldy characters and settings.

[Ian Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll review them all together, instead of individual reviews. This series was a lot of fun. The first book (Ancillary Justice) was the strongest. The world is set up well and the main protagonist introduced convincingly. The idea of being a vast AI intelligence with many bodies and then forced into one body is compelling. Add together some questions about what it means to be human, a decades old revenge quest, and some good old space opera, and you have a compelling book. There was a particularly beautiful moment at the end where the main character is isolated. I always appreciate it when authors just take a break from the action and allow their characters a moment to pause and be themselves.

The next two books are a lot of fun as well, but weaker. The main character seems a little too good, but the story is good and keeps you going. In particular, additional characters are allowed to flourish a bit more. I appreciated that all the main protagonists were flawed, but had enough self-reflection to strive to be better people. The endings of the 2nd and 3rd books are a little too convenient and tied up a little too well.

[Fra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sinceramente le mie aspettative (per via dei premi vinti riportati sull'edizione italiana) erano alte, ma, purtroppo, non sono state soddisfatte.
La storia è carina e ben scritta ma, personalmente parlando, non è una di quelle che ti fanno appassionare e rimanere attaccato al libro fino alla fine, accrescendo sempre più la voglia di sapere come sarà la conclusione. Mi è piaciuto molto, invece, che la maggior parte delle descrizioni siano praticamene inesistenti e lasciate alla completa fantasia del lettore (soprattutto l'aspetto degli alieni).
Per quanto riguarda i due racconti il primo è stato carino, mentre il secondo ammetto di non averlo capito proprio, soprattutto su cosa ha a che fare con questo universo in cui è ambientata la storia.
Conclusione: Un libro, a parer mio, nella media per quanto riguarda l'ambito Sci-Fi, ma che può essere comunque una lettura di compagnia tranquilla, con anche un fattore romantico.

Lato traduzione nell'ultimo libro della trilogia ho trovato un paio di errori, cosa che mi delude un po' essendo la Titan Edition - quindi mi aspettavo ci fosse un minimo di revisione.

[BOOK BOOKS]

I JUST FINISHED THE IMPERIAL RADCH TRILOGY FOR THE FIRST TIME! I'M NOW READING PROVENANCE BECAUSE I WANTED MOAR SO BADLY AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS MOAR. BUT IDK WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WHEN I'M DONE WITH THIS, TOO. :(

I RLY L'D THE FIRST BOOK IN THAT TRILOGY AND LIKED THE SECOND TWO, BUT THE BOOK DIDN'T GO WHERE I EXPECTED IT TO IN A WAY THAT I FOUND MILDLY FRUSTRATING.

BY THE BOOK DO YOU MEAN PROVENANCE OR ANCILLARY MERCY? IL'D ANCILLARY MERCY MOAR THAN ANY BOOK I'VE READ IN AGES AND AGES, BUT WHILE I'M ENJOYING PROVENANCE A LOT, I CAN SEE WHY IT'S LESS BELOVED THAN THE TRILOGY ITSELF.

LOL BOATH OF THEM. I READ THE ANCILLARY BOOKS AS THEY CAME OUT, SO I HAD A LOT OF TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHERE I THOUGHT THE TRILOGY WAS GOING.

OIC! IT MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE IN MY FANDOM EXPERIENCE TO HAVE THAT BREAK BETWEEN BOOKS OR SEASONS TO SPECULATE AND HOPE. DD ON WHERE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING!

[Tarot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars ~

0.5/1 for plot
0.5/1 for characters and character development
0.5/1 for writing style
0.5/1 for pace
1/1 for world-building

My review of Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)

My review of Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch, #2)

My review of Ancillary Mercy (Imperial Radch #3)

[Mariah Lauritzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this series and it is easily among my favorite books.

It's nice to have a main character who has a lot of integrity, but is still self-interested in their own goals. Despite being an AI and with superhuman abilities, the main character can not solve all problems, just like in real life. And also like real life, helping others can conflict with their own self-interests. I enjoyed see things play out

The gender dynamics in the culture are interesting to play out, as well as the nonhuman perspective.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was great. I rate the 1st and second books 4, the third book a 5. However, overall, when all the story points come together, it is certainly a 5 for the trilogy as a whole. I recommend this trilogy for sci-fi fans, futurists, and those who just enjoy the concept of rogue unshackled AIs.

[SeekingSunlight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was put off for a while by how the book presented (okay, yes, I judged the book by the cover) but a friend had recommended it so I did eventually get round to it. Very glad I did. It's an astounding trilogy where I felt very deeply for the characters. The author's use of perspective effortlessly marries character and narrative. Oh and I love the singing!

[Cerys Ship · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series really took me by surprise with how engrossing and captivating its characters and plot could be. If you need a new book that hits that futuristic cyberpunk bug without being cliche this is it.

[Justin Hargrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmm good... but not worthy, I think, of all the awards & buzz it generated. Book 1 was quite good, but 2 & 3, while good, slowed down considerably. Maybe something like Jane Austen in outer space...?

[Polly Berseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite series ever. I have read sci-fi novels since pre-teen years, and this stands out. The world building is fantastic, I feel immersed in Radch space when I read these books. What happens next?!

[Jake Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and fairly quick reads.

[Carole]

Read individually. See those reviews.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive worldbuilding with a wonderful cast of characters, and as satisfying a conclusion as one could hope for given the broad arc of the trilogy.

[Rachel Freudenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish the trilogy.

[Julija · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first book. It reminded me, at times, of The Left Hand of Darkness, and not only because of the gender topic. It had that special brand of trueness to it, of fierce vulnerability in characters, of a different—truer?—brand of love, of vivid depiction of what it’s like to be an outsider and, despite everything, to find a connection, to belong.

I adored One Esk Nineteen, and I loved Breq and her interactions with Seivarden. Ah, the chemistry between these two, the promise of a special bond. I was rooting for them. I loved not knowing Seivarden’s real feelings. Is it petty of me to think of Seivarden as “him”? I loved the culture’s inability to tell genders apart, it felt organic in the novels, not just trendy, but I caught myself trying to figure out their biological gender. Seivarden’s struggle with addiction and her shift in viewing the world are fascinating to watch.

And I loved that world, the culture, the history, the politics. I loved their gloves and their tea, and an occasional glimpse of aliens. I loved how for most of the story, Breq is a stranger anywhere she went. An informed stranger, and a stranger in a different sense than people around her thought she was. I loved the idea of ships that lost their ancillaries to reforms, and an ancillary who lost its ship, and I loved the split in Anaander Mianaai, which was not unlike the split in Justice of Toren. My heart broke when Breq asked why she was still alive, and Seivarden told her no one is thinking of her as an ancillary, while she herself kept seeing herself as a broken weapon. It was just heartbreakingly wonderful.

And I’m sorry to say I didn’t love the other two books as much. They were good, just not as wonderful as book one. All those recaps of things I already knew really annoyed me in later books. Maybe if I were reading them as they got published, or if the series were the size of The Song of Ice and Fire, I would have appreciated the reminder of events and people and names, but reading the books in succession just made all those quick summaries really unnecessary and condescending. But most importantly, Breq Mianaai wasn’t as dear to me as One Esk or Breq from Gerentate. I get it, she’s changed, but… I guess I liked the old Breq better. And that potential love story between Breq and Seivarden which I loved to imagine for myself? Yeah, it never happened. It’s silly, I know. I do think their actual relationship is touching, and perhaps more true—Breq wants a different kind of closeness, and Seivarden has a lot of work to do before she can have any healthy relationship. And the story isn’t really about love, but about autonomy (and Significance). But damn, I wanted that love story!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaving off one star because I felt a little deflated by the ending. But overall this was fresh and thoughtful. Even in the third book, after most of the world-building's novelty is replaced by political intrigue and character relationships, there are still a couple surprises.

This takes place in the far distant future, and it's obvious that Leckie really thought about what humanity would be like. Because of that, I doubt this will feel dated in a few years like many other stories set in the supposed future.