Ancillary Justice

Ann Leckie

Oct 2013 · Imperial Radch Book 1 · Sold by Orbit

About this ebook

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards: This record-breaking novel follows a warship trapped in a human body on a quest for revenge. A must read for fans of Ursula K. Le Guin and James S. A. Corey. 

"There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can. There are few who ever could." -- John Scalzi
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren -- a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Ratings and reviews

This is the worst book I've ever tried to read. The intricate names used are off-putting, unpronounceable even in thoughts, and make it hard to concentrate on the story. The story is choppy, going back and forth to different times and places confusingly. Unfortunately, I bought all three books in the series before reading the first and I feel cheated. It's very pretentious and I hope others will take my warning before buying these 300 page books for way too high a price.

An unsubtle, heavy handed, and overwrought book which screams its values at the reader. If certain readings (e.g. reading Leckie's stylistic choices as being echoes of how a possibly traumatised AI might think and what it might narrate) are valid and can help to "save" the book, they did not help to sway my opinion in the slightest. Still, Leckie's novel has found an audience and will continue to do so.

...I don't often encounter writing that actively changes ones mental gymnastics during reading. I had a hard time bending to the conventions at first, which took about the first fifth of the novel. But once it "clicked" it seemed completely ordinary. I accepted the notion that the gender identity of any particular character was not relevant to the narrative. It's not an easy read, but one I'd consider worthwhile.

About the author

Ann Leckie is the author of the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, and British Science Fiction Award-winning novel Ancillary Justice. She has worked as a waitress, a receptionist, a rodman on a land-surveying crew, and a recording engineer. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri.