lostyesterday's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
antonism's review against another edition
4.0
4 / 5
Ancillary Mercy is the final part of the Imperial Radch Trilogy. It concludes what is a really amazing, entertaining and at some points innovative trilogy by Ann Leckie. I enjoyed this book a lot though maybe not as much as the previous two. This book is all about resolutions, decisions and interpersonal relationships but with a twist! You see those are not necessarily among humans but also among AI as these entities play a major part in the novel and are in a way its major characters. I really really liked how Leckie handled the characterization of the AIs and the ways they perceived and reacted to various events. They grew on me immensely, even more than their human counterparts which I believe is exactly what Leckie intended for this conclusion. I really like how all 3 books are so different in perspective from each other and still complement each other so perfectly.
For negatives, I would have to mention 3 things. One is the rather uneven pacing, which is usually on the slow side, maybe a bit too slower that I would have liked. Sometimes, half a page is wasted on needless descriptions as that of a tea-set or something of the like. Another thing that really stood off in a bad way was a rather failed attempt at humor throughout the book, mainly through the actions of that visiting "alien" character (I won't say more to avoid possible spoilers). This character does not get that much time on "screen" (or rather page!) but half of the time he's on, he behaves rather comically; a thing which I found very off-tone and not really matching the impending and tense atmosphere of the book. Lastly, if you don't remember what happened in book 2 then you'll find yourselves a bit lost at the first quarter of Ancillary Mercy. I was expecting some type of catch-up but unfortunately Leckie is not forgiving and didn't help me much there. Oh and also, that last chapter felt a bit stupid and redundant.
Despite those minor hiccups however, this is a good conclusion of an amazing and innovative SF trilogy that is certainly worth your time! Highly recommended!
4 / 5
Ancillary Mercy is the final part of the Imperial Radch Trilogy. It concludes what is a really amazing, entertaining and at some points innovative trilogy by Ann Leckie. I enjoyed this book a lot though maybe not as much as the previous two. This book is all about resolutions, decisions and interpersonal relationships but with a twist! You see those are not necessarily among humans but also among AI as these entities play a major part in the novel and are in a way its major characters. I really really liked how Leckie handled the characterization of the AIs and the ways they perceived and reacted to various events. They grew on me immensely, even more than their human counterparts which I believe is exactly what Leckie intended for this conclusion. I really like how all 3 books are so different in perspective from each other and still complement each other so perfectly.
For negatives, I would have to mention 3 things. One is the rather uneven pacing, which is usually on the slow side, maybe a bit too slower that I would have liked. Sometimes, half a page is wasted on needless descriptions as that of a tea-set or something of the like. Another thing that really stood off in a bad way was a rather failed attempt at humor throughout the book, mainly through the actions of that visiting "alien" character (I won't say more to avoid possible spoilers). This character does not get that much time on "screen" (or rather page!) but half of the time he's on, he behaves rather comically; a thing which I found very off-tone and not really matching the impending and tense atmosphere of the book. Lastly, if you don't remember what happened in book 2 then you'll find yourselves a bit lost at the first quarter of Ancillary Mercy. I was expecting some type of catch-up but unfortunately Leckie is not forgiving and didn't help me much there. Oh and also, that last chapter felt a bit stupid and redundant.
Despite those minor hiccups however, this is a good conclusion of an amazing and innovative SF trilogy that is certainly worth your time! Highly recommended!
4 / 5
fauaad's review
3.0
Despite its flaws, the trilogy remains essential reading in the modern space opera genre
kearneykd's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
deb_entwistle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
antigonus's review against another edition
4.0
Solid finish to the trilogy. Enjoyed the journey with Breq & co.
arrik's review against another edition
3.0
What an absolutely bizarre book (and series)! But I think I mean that in a good way. Though, I am 100% certain that the author's deeper message and subtle meanings have flown completely over my head. This series seems vastly more complex and deeper than I was able to understand upon first reading. Perhaps I'll go through it a second time, perhaps not. I enjoyed the unique narrative of the main character and it was definitely a fast page turner. By this book, I was able to follow the changing perspectives mostly. I knew this series would have a different kind of ending and it didn't disappoint in that regard. I think I liked it overall at superficial value, I'm just not sure I got out of it what was intended.
glhensler87's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
I'll be honest --- the fact that this book has a lower rating than the previous volumes in this trilogy is partly due to the length of time I took between volumes. This novel is very much a continuation of Ancillary Sword with the same setting, a large overlap in the cast of characters, and the picking up of past plot lines. (It's as if the trilogy really has two books: Ancillary Justice and then one book broken into two parts.) And I had forgotten a lot of the stuff from Ancillary Sword. Combine that with Leckie's use of feminine pronouns for all characters and the series's penchant for doubling characters and it's a recipe for this reader getting easily confused.
Mind you, I still liked the read. This volume takes the drawing room feel of the second book and expands back out to more cosmic concerns while still keeping a strong emotional core. Moreover, two new characters (another ancillary and an alien) bring variety and a good bit of humor to the proceedings. The ending works well and makes sense with the whole series. But... between the confusion and the sense that the main character didn't have much personally to overcome, it all read a little flat for me.
Mind you, I still liked the read. This volume takes the drawing room feel of the second book and expands back out to more cosmic concerns while still keeping a strong emotional core. Moreover, two new characters (another ancillary and an alien) bring variety and a good bit of humor to the proceedings. The ending works well and makes sense with the whole series. But... between the confusion and the sense that the main character didn't have much personally to overcome, it all read a little flat for me.