Paperback, 330 pages
English language
Published Dec. 26, 2015 by Orbit.
Paperback, 330 pages
English language
Published Dec. 26, 2015 by Orbit.
For just a moment, things seem to be under control for the soldier known as Breq.
Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist — someone who might be a refugee from a ship that's been hiding beyond the empire's reach for three thousand years.
In the meantime a messenger from the alien and mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai —ruler of an empire that's at war with itself.
Anaander is heavily armed and extremely unhappy with Breq. She could take her ship and crew and flee, but that would leave everyone at Athoek in terrible danger.
Breq has a desperate plan. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before.
“Every ending is an arbitrary one. Every ending is, from another angle, not really an ending.”
The third book in the trilogy, concluding the story of Fleet Captain Breq, formerly one of hundreds of co-connected ancillary slaves to the AI starship Justice of Toren. After supreme ruler of the Radch empire Anaander Mianaai fragments into civil war with herself, and murders Justice of Toren, the ancillary Breq is all that remains. Now commanding Mercy of Kalr, she spends the third book dealing with the problems of Atheok Station, itself an AI but caught up in the same civil war between Anaander Mianaai factions.
Breq has been attempting to get the station in order and resolve the already problematic unrest between the classes, when one of the Anaander Mianaai fragments arrives with three warships in tow, and suddenly Breq has to find a resolution before Anaander has everyone on the station …
“Every ending is an arbitrary one. Every ending is, from another angle, not really an ending.”
The third book in the trilogy, concluding the story of Fleet Captain Breq, formerly one of hundreds of co-connected ancillary slaves to the AI starship Justice of Toren. After supreme ruler of the Radch empire Anaander Mianaai fragments into civil war with herself, and murders Justice of Toren, the ancillary Breq is all that remains. Now commanding Mercy of Kalr, she spends the third book dealing with the problems of Atheok Station, itself an AI but caught up in the same civil war between Anaander Mianaai factions.
Breq has been attempting to get the station in order and resolve the already problematic unrest between the classes, when one of the Anaander Mianaai fragments arrives with three warships in tow, and suddenly Breq has to find a resolution before Anaander has everyone on the station killed (including Station itself). Complicating matters, a new and equally incoherent Translator from the alien Presger is observing all the goings on.
I would have liked a bit more character development from Ekalu in particular, and really all the secondary characters, but since it's all told from Breq's point of view we only see them through her eyes and don't really get a lot of their perspectives.
Overall, this wrapped the trilogy up well, although I think the second book was slightly stronger and more concerned with bigger philosophical issues. This book was more action, as the entire system and all the ships in it seem to be spiraling towards civil war and chaos and Breq and crew have to find a way to salvage the situation. Definitely read the other two books first though, or you'll be completely lost.
Fantastic resolution to a fantastic trilogy. This very quickly became one of my favorite Science Fiction series to date. Expert world building, enthralling story, and not-so-subtle political parallels. All of my faves.
I enjoy the Douglas Adams aliens very much.
This series really fell off a cliff.
Strong end to a fantastic trilogy. Along with developing everything that Sword set up, it does a fantastic job of deploying comedy. I can think of very few other writers who've managed to have real laugh-out-loud comic relief that not only doesn't detract from all the serious things in the book but actually develops the plot and builds the world further.
I really want to read more about the Presger, and to read a book or short story that looks at Breq through other characters' eyes.
Strong end to a fantastic trilogy. Along with developing everything that Sword set up, it does a fantastic job of deploying comedy. I can think of very few other writers who've managed to have real laugh-out-loud comic relief that not only doesn't detract from all the serious things in the book but actually develops the plot and builds the world further.
I really want to read more about the Presger, and to read a book or short story that looks at Breq through other characters' eyes.
Each time I sit down with one of Leckie's books this happens. About a chapter in, the prose makes me so happy I know I'm going to have to dole the pleasure out to myself gently. A few hours later, I find myself covered in cats at the end of the book going back to the first chapter and considering starting again.
I adore Leckie's writing, both in terms of the words themselves, their play on the page, and the characterization and construction throughout. This final book in the Ancillary series was both a logical progression from the first two, and an utterly satisfying completion of the series.
Easily the best science fiction / social construct stuff I've read in years, and likewise one of the very best stories I've read, period.
Excellent on re-read, too.
I blew through this book in just under a week, it was so good. The characters are coming into their own, there's humor, and Breq's manipulation of everyone is fun to read. The Presger translator may be my favorite supporting character in the book, but I also have lots of love for Kale Five and her tea sets.
Great conclusion to the trilogy.
Leckie has said that she's through with Breq's story, but I hope she has many others to tell in this universe.
A lot slower to start than the first two volumes.
It was fun, but I hope this is the last in the Justice of Toren series. [b:Ancillary Justice|17333324|Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)|Ann Leckie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397215917s/17333324.jpg|24064628] was groundbreaking, brilliant, exceptional, stunning, I could go on. But Leckie has painted herself into a corner with some of her initial world setup and I think she's just coasting now: Breq is now a Mary Sue, all-knowing and all-wise; her one too-brief moment of self-doubt resolved unsatisfyingly. The Lord of the Radch is a shallow and disappointing caricature; Tisawat starts off with some hope of growth but ultimately remains Breq's puppy. Seivarden flails. Nobody really develops.
Leckie is capable of much, much better. She clearly ponders deep ethical questions, and wants her readers to do so. I'm eagerly looking forward to more of that.
I'm looking forward to rereading these in a few years.
Good continuation and growth of the identity-exploring space adventure series.
This is the third - and final? - installment of this utterly fascinating space-opera trilogy. When I read [b: Ancillary Justice|17333324|Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)|Ann Leckie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397215917s/17333324.jpg|24064628] I was still new to the world and the characters, and the pronouns tended to confuse me. By the second and this third book I had no more of those troubles and could concentrate on the beautiful story, fascinating technology and the characters.
Despite what some people may say, the use of only female pronouns - at least while people talk in the language of the Radch - does not dominate this series. It's just one of the myriad choices Leckie made when creating the Radch culture around which this plot revolves. Much more fascinating to me is the concept of the ancillaries and how Anander Minaai is fighting with herself. The way AIs can see into people is scary, and how Breq uses …
This is the third - and final? - installment of this utterly fascinating space-opera trilogy. When I read [b: Ancillary Justice|17333324|Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)|Ann Leckie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397215917s/17333324.jpg|24064628] I was still new to the world and the characters, and the pronouns tended to confuse me. By the second and this third book I had no more of those troubles and could concentrate on the beautiful story, fascinating technology and the characters.
Despite what some people may say, the use of only female pronouns - at least while people talk in the language of the Radch - does not dominate this series. It's just one of the myriad choices Leckie made when creating the Radch culture around which this plot revolves. Much more fascinating to me is the concept of the ancillaries and how Anander Minaai is fighting with herself. The way AIs can see into people is scary, and how Breq uses this for quite some time in conjunction with both Ship and Station. In Mercy "Station" really comes into its own as a character.
If you enjoyed the first two, you are going to like this one. It's a quick read, and a beautiful return to the Radch. But why no 4 stars ... a minor spoiler: The ending is kind of sudden. One moment the fight goes on, then everything resolves into shiny happiness, at least for the local system, and they live happily ever after. But of course the war is not over ... it tastes wrong as if the author wanted it to be done and over with. But up to those last pages it's a very enjoyable story.
I have mixed feelings about the resolution. The psychological breaks, recovery, and climax. It was good but maybe I was tiring of everyone's melodrama. It was needed I suppose.
This was a neat series and I did enjoy it. I would have liked a little more pacing, a little less tea but otherwise it holds a unique place in all of the sci-fi I've ever read.