I enjoy science fiction, and while I've read (and re-read) many of the classics in the genre I was looking for something (and someone) new. Fortunately, I had the good luck to stumble across Ann Leckie and her debut novel Ancillary Justice. This is such a radical and complex novel, I don't think I can possibly review it without discussing some of the plots and events in the book, so I'll attach the standard caveat to this review: SPOILER ALERT.
I'll start with the protagonist, "Breq" who is truly a remarkable and unique character. I'm sure there's precedent, but I'm not sure I can think of another book with a SHIP as a protagonist, and not just any ship but an intelligent, sometimes conflicted one with multiple bodies (and even personalities, motives, and priorities). I thought Leckie did an admirable job utilizing Breq's multiple vantage points without descending into the realms of chaos or confusion (I realize it would be better to call her "Justice of Toren" at this point, but given the many identities she has, please bear with me and let me use "Breq" for simplicity's sake). For the first half or so of the book, chapters alternate between the past and the present, from the perspective of (potentially) two different characters. Doing so allows Leckie to gradually introduce and flesh out much of the history, culture, religion, politics, characters, and other key aspects of the novel's "universe." It also allows Leckie to slowly build the tension and drama in each story, which the reader knows are coming to a head, even if we don't know exactly what that moment of climax will entail. Along the way, Leckie forces the reader to question fundamental issues such as identity, gender, power, intelligence, and humanity in ways that are sometimes subtle and gentle while other times overt and shocking ... but never forced or preachy. I have read a few reviews that compare Leckie's writing to that of Ursula Le Guin's ... I think that is a very apt comparison, and quite the honor (but a deserved one). The pace does speed up as the novel goes on, and the book ends at a point that leaves the reader hungry for more.
The book is not perfect, however. No major flaws, but a few things that stuck out to me: although she tries to be a bit coy, Leckie left some pretty big hints as to who the present day narrator was ... at most, the biggest question was which part of Justice of Toren it was (and even at that, the idiosyncrasies made it relatively clear it was some part of One Esk). Also, toward the end of the story, once Breq survived her initial confrontation with the Mianaai, you kind of knew she probably wasn't going to be killed anytime soon (taking some of the suspense out of the events in the shuttle)--that's the only potential drawback of a more deliberate writing style ... if the reader has a pretty good idea of what's going to happen, the effect wears off. In contrast, when we don't know what exactly will happen on Shis'urna, or in the present day up to the point where Breq confronts Mianaai, this style works delectably well.
Finally, while I thought Leckie developed some interesting characters, there are times where I wished for a little bit more depth ... the "big brother" aspects of the Radchaai made for interesting drama and subtext, but it also prevented characters from really TALKING to each other openly. Much is left unsaid, or revealed only from Breq's point of view (the challenge of a first-person perspective) ... and once Justice of Toren is destroyed, it really does just become one person's perspective (this might be an unpopular opinion, but I thought that while Breq was a fabulous protagonist, she was a bit more interesting when she was still Justice of Toren precisely because you had one character with multiple perspectives and viewpoints ... I know that what happened to and on Justice of Toren is necessary for "Breq" to come into her own, but still ...). In some ways, part of the problem is that Breq is kind of without equal amongst the major characters--she knows more and is more capable in most ways compared to just about everyone else ... with the exception of Mianaai. As a result, Breq and Mianaai have a really interesting ... "relationship" (?) ... that I really hope Leckie develops in subsequent books. They have so much in common, and although Breq and Seivarden have some interesting exchanges, for me it was the interactions between Breq and Mianaai that generated the most sparks and were the most thought-provoking. If I may be so bold, I really think that how/whether Leckie develops Mianaai will tip the balance between whether this becomes an iconic, timeless series, or merely a so-so one ... every good story needs a good "villain" (I use the term someone ironically, as I'm not sure Mianaai is the villain Breq makes her out to be).
All in all, however, I really enjoyed this book. On its own, I'd probably give it 4.5 stars (I went back and forth between 4 and 5 stars, but eventually I rounded up to 5 because as a debut novel, this was a praiseworthy effort!) ... Leckie has the potential for a "5 star" series ... but there are so many SF and fantasy series where the first story ends up being the best ... I hope she takes care to make sure this one avoids that unlikely (but possible) fate.
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A little complicated to read, but worth the effort.
Ancillary Justice takes some work to read, but once you get used to the flow and the narration, it's a really cool ride. I first attempted to listen to the audiobook version of Ancillary Justice, but the weird way it is written made it entirely confusing, and I actually stopped reading it for a few years. What brought me back was the amount of interesting ideas involved, and preferring to read the soft cover this time around, I really enjoyed myself. For those wondering, Breq, our narrator, labels everyone with she/her pronouns no matter their preferred gender. This is actually a character flaw for Breq, being an Ancillary herself, she is an unreliable narrator and often confuses the correct gender pronouns. Once you get used to it its pretty cool. There is also a lot of Radch lingo takes a little bit of time to understand, but I have to admit, by the end of the book I felt really proud of how well I understood it. It was rewarding, in fact. As much as I enjoyed the story, and I do intend to read further, it loses one star for the confusing language that kept me away in the first place, but also some of the conflict feels a little "too easy." Especially toward the end of the book, I started to wonder about the pacing, it seemed to drift away from the plot into casual meanderings. It doesn't do it too terribly long, but just enough to knock it down a star for me. Ancillary Justice was a cool book worth the praise it received. I look forward to continuing it sometime soon.
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2014
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Top reviews from other countries
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frenchyReviewed in France on August 31, 2020
Un roman de science-fiction de grande qualité
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- Willy EckerslikeReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2014
Clever, complicated and coherent.
- GoldomarkReviewed in Canada on November 4, 2015
An extremely well built sci-fi novel
