When she discovers Seivarden Vendaai, a Radchaai lieutenant who has been lost for a thousand years, the pieces of her plan begin to fall into place. The second thread follows Breq, Justice of Toren’s only remaining ancillary, who has spent the last twenty years plotting for vengeance. When they come too close to the truth, Justice of Toren faces a shocking betrayal resulting in its destruction. When a conflict arises between the city’s elite Tanmind and working class Orsian people, One Esk and her lieutenant are swept into a conspiracy that concerns the fate of their empire. Justice of Toren’s ancillary unit One Esk assists Lieutenant Awn in assimilating the city of Ors into the empire’s bureaucratic way of life. As a spaceship, Justice of Toren has aided in the planet Shis’urna’s annexation into the Radch, an autocratic galactic empire under ruler Anaander Mianaai’s system of bodies. The first thread reveals her full power as a warship with extraneous bodies, or ancillaries. Ancillary Justice follows two related stories: Justice of Toren’s final assignment, and Breq’s quest to avenge the ship after its destruction. She presents a fascinating first-person point of view, roundly demonstrating her reality of life in multiple bodies as compared to one.

My biggest point of interest (and the book’s main focus) is the protagonist, Breq – or, more accurately, Justice of Toren One Esk Nineteen, a segment of a larger, hivemind AI centralized in the warship Justice of Toren. Nevertheless, it tells a clear and engaging story of identity, heartbreak, and revenge. It suffers from some moments of confusing exposition, and I wish it had delivered more upon its promise of radical gender reframing. From page one, the book blends sci-fi adventure thrills with in-depth explorations of a broad, alien world.

When I finally got my hands on a copy, Ancillary Justice did not disappoint.

Many critics have deemed it a natural heir to the feminist sci-fi works of the 70s and 80s, namely Ursula Le Guin’s, for the depth of its world, its political focus, and its attention to gender and embodiment.įriends, peers, and newsletters have urged me to read this book for years. It is also the only novel in sci-fi history to win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. It begins a loose trilogy including Ancillary Sword (2014) and Ancillary Mercy (2015). With record-breaking accolades and an inventive approach to the space opera form, Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice (2013) stands out amidst the sci-fi offerings of the last ten years.

Ancillary justice book