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mauricekofi's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Leckie, in my opinion, is at the level of those such as Frank Herbert and N.K. Jemisin, using sci-fi to communicate elements of the human condition that we often ignore, with the implications of how they shape or societies and define our decisions. Ann Leckie deserves the accolades she has received. My only regret is that it took me so long to pick up this book, despite having heard about it years ago.
Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Drug abuse, Genocide, and Medical content
shottel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Sci-fi has a mold, sets of well-worn tropes that make it comforting and familiar. Leckie is very comfortable with taking you well outside that mold. It somewhat resembles Star Wars in that it presents a world so far off, in time and space, from our own that it has morphed into something with science we simply couldn’t recognize. But while Star Wars smuggles fantasy into sci-fi, Ancillary Justice trades in exotic political systems and societies.
What happens when one person can be many people? When an AI can control numerous bodies? When time begins to become less and less meaningful with medical and technological advancements? Things definitely begin to look a little sideways.
It’s in this world full of unfamiliar, society-defining technologies that Leckie explores several big themes: What does it mean to be civilized, or to exist in civilization? What makes a person? What makes a political system legitimate? What does gender or sex mean when technologically-assisted reproduction is commonplace? Is the self a coherent unity or is it just a useful fiction? Taking on these big questions in less than 400 pages of fiction is a huge ask, one that Leckie handles mostly well; my sole critique of Ancillary Justice is that sometimes it does get a bit in-your-face about its philosophical questions. I love thoughtful fiction, but Leckie does get a little unsubtle at times.
Nevertheless, this is an absolutely genre-defining piece of fiction, innovative and engaging as it comes. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi or philosophically-minded fiction.
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
kitkathy24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Colonisation, and Classism
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
szuum's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
lbelow's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rystonlentil43's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation and Classism
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction
violerwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, and Alcohol
This whole book is about imperialism and colonialism and all of the horror that comes with that. The writing isn’t super vivid for a lot of these, but the book doesn’t shy away from discussing these topics. I’d like to say another TW for loss of control/bodily autonomy.mes0pelagic_fan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit