From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)

Ann Leckie

Start date: November 1, 2013

Finish date: November 30, 2013

Discussion: 2013 Reads

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2013 Reads

ANHoD: Looking to buy Within the Sanctuary of Wings in Paperback
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What Members Thought

Jun 04, 2014 Vicki rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audible, favorites, mystery, dystopian, sff, society, technology

Gobstopper of debut novel that you will mentally revisit over and over after you've read the last page. So much more than a space opera, and worthy of the buzz it has been getting. ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Chessa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: feminist, space, sf_fantasy, series, 5-star-favorites-2015

Amazing. Artificial intelligence, identity, love, revenge...what more could one ask for? As a feminist with an interest in gender and how gender plays in society, this book *hurt my brain* in a really really good way. Since the first person narrator is an AI who cannot distinguish gender easily (it's just not a thing in the culture it's from), you are forced into this gender-blindness that is as uncomfortable as it is fascinating. But this is really a side note of my own, not a central plot elem ...more

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Jun 25, 2015 Elizabeth Arnold rated it did not like it

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

I did it! After weeks of hate-reading, overdue library fees, I finally finished this book. Around 150 pages I had no idea who any of the characters were. I stuck with it, reasoning it took me at least that long to come around to Rothfuss. Around page 250, I realized that I didn't care what happened to anyone in this book. I hate to give a book a bad review, as I usually can find the good in any read. (see what I did there?) I felt like something must be wrong with me because this book won the Hu ...more

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Oct 07, 2013 Kdawg91 rated it really liked it

First of all thanks to the publishers for a ARC, even though I am bit slow reading it.

I enjoyed this book, Ms. Leckie spins a tale of revenge in a world unlike any I ever seen before. Granted, it confused me at times, gender and individuality are kind of loose concepts in my humble opinion in the world Ms. Leckie has created. The writing is sharp, the world building is top notch, it reminds me a bit of Iain Banks and the Culture. My only problems with the book was the sudden ending, I am not a f ...more

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Feb 03, 2014 Shannon rated it it was amazing

Ancillary Justice has a ship’s AI as its narrator. Although actually it’s a bit more complicated than that, because the AI is housed in a human body—a tribute exacted by a conquering interstellar empire from one of its colonized peoples—and there’s strong hints that some of that person’s erased mind still influences the AI. It’s a fantastically nuanced portrayal, at once believably alien and heartbreakingly human. There’s also plenty of action and space-intrigue and murder and skulduggery, which ...more

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May 24, 2014 Chris C rated it liked it

Really solid world building but the characters' development is really lacking to the point where I'm still not sure about why the protagonist feels about certain characters other than the surface directions. At times the plot felt really slow but I found myself similarly intrigued about the presence of aliens and what other fantastical world building awaits. Normally, I wouldn't continue a series given the average rating but I feel that so much can be done with the universe that the author has c ...more

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Dec 26, 2013 Lauren Magee rated it it was ok

Okay, but never really got as awesome as all the hype for it, at least not for me.

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Jan 30, 2021 Min rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, ebook, 2020, 2021

It took me a bit to really get into this story but that had more to do with my not feeling focused enough to really fall into the story. Once I got over that issue I was able to enjoy the world and the characters.

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Feb 22, 2014 hatpin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ancillary Justice has been overhyped, but is still very much worth reading. It won't change your life but it makes for a very pleasant afternoon.

ETA - Despite what I say above, this book has stuck with me since I read it, popping up at odd moments. Really looking forward to the next in the series.
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May 28, 2014 Laurie rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014

I don't know if my expectations were too high or what, but I found this book kind of boring. I admire a lot about it: the introduction of truly different ways of thinking far in the human future, and the questions it asks about AI, but reading it was kind of a slog. ...more

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