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Ancillary Mercy
Imperial Radch
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AM: Part 1: Chapters 1-5
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This is a smooth continuation from the previous book, and in these first five chapter we seem to be still only seeing local events. (I enjoyed the previous book so I don't have a problem with that.) It makes me wonder if the overall arc will be wrapped up in this book though.One of my favorite parts of this series is Breq's ability to see everywhere via ship. I love the AI connection.
I also liked that I was reminded of the previous plot without a recap. I thought that was good writing.
In this section we see Tisarwat demonstrating that some of her inclinations are still towards the autocratic, something filtering through her failed Anaander Mianaai imprint. Governor Giarod on Athoek Station discovers an anomalous resident of the Undergarden who Breq identifies as an ancillary of the ship beyond the Ghost Gate which she identifies as Sphene, a Notai Gem class ship.Meanwhile we're introduced to the High Priest of Amaat on the Athoek Station, Eminence Ifian who is something of an antagonist and against the resettlement of the Undergarden by its previous residents. Her actions cause social unrest on the Station which Breq talks the security chief into allowing.
We also get an introduction to the new Presger Translator who introduces herself as Presger Translator Dlique (Dlique was the name of the one killed in the previous book). Then in a very weird exchange Breq then convinces her that she isn't Dlique, she's actually Zeiat.
Ekalu, the once Amaat One, is feeling jealous of Seivarden's fixation on Breq and lets a thoughtless comment from Seivarden escalate into a major blowup. With Breq's absence from Mercy of Kalr this further triggers a full emotional breakdown on the part of Seivarden.
Breq makes a quick trip to the planet to witness the interrogation of Queter, the bomber in the previous book and it gives us an opportunity to get just how weird Translator Zeiat is. She eats a live goldfish and a whole oyster.
I love just about everything Zeiat does and says :)
Thanks for the recap. It helps so much to see what is in what section - and aaaah - all those correct spellings - also helps!I agree - I love everything Zeiat does and says. And I think that initial exchange was very interesting - I really hope to learn more about it.
I kept hoping that Breq would just steamroll the high priest and get him to cooperate, but that is just not her style.
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Exactly my thoughts. The pace seems very slow.
The Translator is really strange. I don't recall the one from the last book, were they also this strange? The thing with the fish was pretty funny.
I will say in the first book, I thought the whole pronoun thing of everyone is a she was interesting. In the last book, I was over it. In this one it's starting to annoy me for some reason.
I like the sentient ship thing, especially the seeing multiple things at the same time part, but everytime I read "she" now it takes me out of the story because I'm like "Are they really a she? or is it a he?"
The she/he thing bothered me more in the first one - thinking that same thing. I think because I really like to picture my characters. It didn't bother me as much in this one but I think because I'd already decided in MY mind who was a male "she" and who was a female "she". :)
I stopped caring two books ago. In fact, the sexual abuse in the second book took me a little out of it because it made me realise the gender of a couple of the characters.
Please keep all discussion and speculation to the events of Chapters 1-5.
No spoiler tags required. Though it would be highly appreciated if you Uncheck Add to my Update Feed to avoid accidentally spoiling this for your good read friends.
Please do not discuss events from later chapters. Referring back to events from a previous section/book is fine.