Read All About It: Ancillary Sword

The deeper I get into Ann Leckie's trilogy, the more I love it. Ancillary Sword outdoes its predecessor in all the good ways, expanding the universe, its ethical quandaries, and the struggles of its inhabitants. This book...I'm not sure how to describe it, other than incandescent and hard-hitting. I had to put it down several times, just to walk around the house or make my own cup of tea to deal with the emotions I was feeling from reading and absorbing this universe.

I am falling in love with this universe, and I find it both heartening and distressing that I have one novel left in it. It's a universe so different from our own, in terms of both culture, and its technology is vastly superior, ethically ambiguous, and fascinating. I also really how Leckie writes her characters. They're strong, yes, but they are so connected to the protagonist in a way that makes each experience invaluable to the narrative.

Image Source: goodreads.com

We reunite with Breq as she continues to work against the tyrant known as Anaander Mianaai, who has been fighting against her own self split into thousands of bodies spread across the entirety of Radch space. Breq has been sent to Athoek Station, both at the behest of the Tyrant and at her own personal demand, in an effort to protect the family of the lieutenant she was forced to murder.

However, nothing is simple when you're a former Ancillary among an unfamiliar culture, given a questionable baby lieutenant, and forced to deal with corruption and death while attempting to remain cut off from the tyrant''s influence, even this deep in space. Breq is forced to deal with incompetence, murder, emotions, and some questionable officials within the military as well as on the surface of the Station.

The entire concept of these novels is so unique--I've never read anything that considers AI's as not just sentient, but capable of serious emotions, and the abilities to act on those emotions. Seeing Breq being able to interact with Ships (both those who did and did not have Ancillaries) was heartbreaking, because it was clear that the foremost desire Breq has is being Justice of Toren again, being a part of a ship's ecosystem, its heart, and most of all having that information stream that allowed her to be who she was, something she so desperately lacks as a lone Ancillary, cut off from her ship and her former crew.

Gender is such an integral part of our own universe, but is not as big an aspect of the Radch Empire. Even our understanding of the designated sex of Breq's body is unclear. Instead, gender is fluid, non-conformative, even negated within the larger context, and it gives these novels an edge over other space operas. Instead of focusing on excessive and unnecessary expressions of gender, Leckie transcends tradition to create a new level of creative and fantastical science fiction that will have an impact for generations to come.

So, one more review due for this series. If all goes to plan, it will be up on Tuesday, since Monday's review will be a look at the newest episode of American Gods! See you later!