Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie

My friend Shannon (who you might know from one of my reviews last year) recommended Ancillary Justice to me a long time ago, and it’s been on my TBR pile ever since. If you’ve been reading this since my instagram days, my TBR pile is huge and will probably never be empty. However, for whatever reason, I decided now was a good time to read a book about assassinating the insane and corrupt leader of a galactic empire.

…here’s the truth: luxury always comes at someone else’s expense. One of the many advantages of civilization is that one doesn’t generally have to see that, if one doesn’t wish. You’re free to enjoy its benefits without troubling your conscience.

–Ancillary Justice

The premise is: thousands of years in the future, the Radch Empire runs the show throughout the empire. This is partially done through the help of hugely powerful AIs who are in control of intergalactic spaceships, as well as dozens (if not hundreds) of human drones called Ancillaries. Rather than using unpredictable and possibly violent human troops, these armies of ancillaries can guarantee perfect discipline and ensure the annexation of new planets goes smoothly and peacefully.

However, through a series of plot events that I very much don’t want to spoil, one AI is reduced down to life in a single ancillary body. That AI, going by the name “Breq” sets out on a quest to right the wrongs that were done to both her and a human lieutenant she became close to. Along the way, she rescues another human lieutenant from certain death on an ice planet, and together they navigate complex Radch culture and etiquette in order to complete Breq’s quest.

“It’s easy to say that if you were there you would have refused, that you would rather die than participate in the slaughter, but it all looks very different when it’s real, when the moment comes to choose.”

If the last two paragraphs were confusing in any way, it’s because I’m being purposefully obtuse to avoid major spoilers. This is easily one of the most interesting sci-fi premises I’ve seen in some time, and it comes in so many layers. 1./ The main character is an AI. 2./ The main character used to basically be omniscient, and now is not. A sci-fi “God becomes human” story, basically. 3./ Radch culture doesn’t differentiate between genders, and so the language itself is more interesting than you might think at first glance. 4./ There’s galactic intrigue, interesting characters, and political subterfuge that would be a solid premise on its own. 5./…honestly, I could keep going, but I’ll stop.

“If you’re going to make a desperate, hopeless act of defiance you should make it a good one.”

There’s a lot to this book, and it may seem intimidating. But Breq’s POV keeps things grounded and tells the story in an easy to understand way that’s both emotionally gripping and sci-fi fascinating.  I definitely recommend this one. Even if you’re not into science fiction, now is the time to start reading this sort of thing.  It’ll make you feel better.