Ancillary Sword

Oh, Ann Leckie. You are so very very good. Ancillary Justice was one of those mind-blowing books that changed the way I looked at the world around me. Ancillary Sword continues the tale, and while my brain is now better adapted to deal with the twists and turns it is forced to make, that doesn't make the style any less interesting to read. I loved being with Breq again and learning a little more about what life as an AI is like. Moving Breq into a position of power makes the book very different from A.J. and lets us see the character in a new light.

If I have any complaints, it's that we didn't get enough time with Breq and Seivarden together. Actually, not enough Seivarden at all. I really enjoyed Breq having to give Seivarden The Sex Talk concerning ancillaries as well as Seivarden's dashing Han Solo style rescue at the end. I could have used a lot more of the Buddy Drama dynamic and the humor it always provides in this book.

The actual plot is a political thriller, but not as interesting as the character exploration and cultural immersion which is really what I'm in this series for in the first place. The Radch really reminds me of my time in Japan with the emphasis on tradition, the necessity of having good tea sets to impress company, and the social stratification. It's an impressive world and one I just don't get tired of learning about through Breq's distinctly unimpressed eyes.

I can't wait for Ancillary Mercy to come out and will definitely be continuing this series. Fans of science fiction with a psychological bent should also get into this amazing soon to be trilogy.