“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.