Review: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie


I started Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie because it was on a list of books that were said to be similar to Star Wars: Andor.  The resemblance is interesting.


In a space fairing collection of civilizations, the Radch rules as an empire over others.  Power is gained by the "illbred" by colonizing land not already controlled by the Radch.

At some point, the technology to create ancillaries develops.  An ancillary is a human that is under AI control.  In this future, slave drivers directly control slaves without freewill creating conflict: an absolutely unrelatable concept that does not strike fear into my heart.

The protagonist, Breq, was once an AI that controlled a ship and many ancillaries.  Something caused the destruction of her ship and the deaths of all of her ancillaries but the one they inhabit now.  Breq is on a quest to kill the person who destroyed her ship, the Lord of the Radch, which doesn't sound at all like Lord of the Reich.

It is a fun space opera.  For me, the shear revolutionary joy of Andor that it might have is blurred by the strangeness of the Radchaai culture, which I did enjoy.

I am reading the Ancillary Sword now.  The space opera is an excellent diversion.

***

Cover description: on a red square are printed "New York Times Best Selling Series - Ancillary Justice - Symbolic Representation - Ann Leckie - Winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Arthur C. Clarke Awards"

The symbolic representation is a white weathered geometric arch with a black triangle containing a cockpit window at the peak of the arch.  Small yellow arches that look like thruster exhaust follow the triangle ship.

Author Description: The author headshot of Ann Leckie: a white, older, female-presenting person with short grey hair, a black v-cut shirt and a red cardigan looking into the camera with her hands folded.

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