Unexpectedly magnificent, Ancillary Justice promises a seamless blend of literary and genre fiction. Unapologetically scifi, the sprawling world is kept in check by tight narration, ruthlessly efficient prose, and a plot that, once it gets rolling, refuses to stop for anything. The twists and turns are genuinely surprising, and that's no small praise for a book taking place in an entirely constructed world, where every plot movement is dictated entirely from the imagination of the author. Yet the rules never seem arbitrary, and the stakes never seem tacked on.

The immediate comparison that springs to mind is The Left Hand of Darkness, and the book serves as a compelling answer to the questions posed in LeGuin's classic. While it's no heir-- surely, we're all mature enough not to believe that every shock of modern brilliance is just some inheritance carried down from the ages-- it's certainly a thought provoking and modern update. It asks similar questions, but in new and inventive ways, and gets fascinating new answers.

What does it mean to be human? And what is the point of fate? If everything is per-ordained, what is the point of working toward a goal? If people are bred to their roles, do their choices truly matter, or is that fate as well? And if people can be made as well as born, what hand do they have in fate? And what does gender mean to any of this?

If you want to stew in that philosophical soup, read Ancillary Justice. Or if you just want a fascinating trip through a wonderful world with interesting characters, read it.

The only word of criticism I can offer is that the narrative conceit, that every other chapter takes place in another time, can take a while to get used to. This is largely due to the fact that the modern chapters have a much stronger plot than the chapters detailing the main character's past. Still, if one can get through that, the reward is more than worth it.