 | Ancillary Justice is set in a far future universe where modified captive humans are merged with a ship’s AI to create a multi-body conglomerate sharing a single consciousness. The story unfolds in alternating timelines: one nineteen years in the past following a unit of these so-called ancillaries joined with the spaceship Justice of Toren; the other in the present following a traveler named Breq on a quest for vengeance. The story is expertly told, revealing just enough of this fascinating world to keep the reader engaged: intelligent spaceships and their human-ancillary extensions, the endless and brutal colonization of neighboring worlds, and the pervasive caste politics within the Radch Empire. |
In the opening chapter we meet Breq, who recognizes an unconscious addict tossed out into the street and chooses to rescue her, at risk of their all-important mission. Of this choice, Breq says, “Sometimes I don’t know why I do the things I do. Even after all this time it’s still a new thing for me not to know, not to have orders to follow from one moment to the next.”
 | Breq is on a wintry planet where the natives routinely take advantage of interlopers. Breq is aware she’s being cheated at every turn, but it’s irrelevant to her: she’s only interested in completing her mission. We learn that the Radch Empire doesn’t distinguish by gender and has no gender pronouns, which makes it difficult for Breq to determine the correct pronouns to use on this planet (she generally defaults to “she”). Also, the addict she rescues quickly becomes a liability, further complicating her situation. |
It’s in the other timeline that we learn about the ancillaries and come to understand the motivation for Breq’s solo mission. Here we are in the Justice of Toren’s point of view, and more specifically a unit of ancillaries called One Esk on the planet’s surface under command of Lieutenant Awn. The planet has been recently and brutally “annexed” by the empire; Lieutenant Awn and the One Esk ancillaries are there to keep order until the indigenous population is fully assimilated.
 | The author does a fabulous job conveying the multi-layered consciousness of One Esk: accompanying Lieutenant Esk to visit the head priest of the local temple while simultaneously keeping watch over the village and taking complaints from petitioners in the local office, all of these experiences sensed by different bodies but shared by one singular awareness. Lieutenant Awn is dedicated to the ideals of the empire and One Esk is devoted to the lieutenant. This group awareness is catastrophically interrupted at one point in the story and the confusion and pain One Esk experiences is palpable. And because one of the One Esk units is destroyed during the same event, we get to see a fresh human prepared to become an ancillary in a harrowing scene that brings home the human cost of creating ancillaries. |
The social politics and hierarchy of the empire are also revealed in this timeline. The entire Radch Empire is ruled by Anaander Mianaai, who has cloned herself into thousands of ancillary-like bodies. Once Anaander Mianaai appearsin the story, things change quickly for Lieutenant Awn and One Esk.
About two-thirds of the way through the novel, the two timelines converge as Breq attempts to take her revenge. Characters from the past timeline intrude on the present, vastly complicating Breq’s mission. The suspense ratchets higher when Breq realizes she has underestimated her opponent and must scramble throughout the exciting climax of the story.
The novel gathers momentum as the story unfolds until I literally couldn’t stop reading. It won the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clark awards the year it was published, and for good reason: it’s a fascinating and compelling read. Although the first of a trilogy, Ancillary Justice is a complete story with a satisfying arc and a great read for any science fiction fan.
About two-thirds of the way through the novel, the two timelines converge as Breq attempts to take her revenge. Characters from the past timeline intrude on the present, vastly complicating Breq’s mission. The suspense ratchets higher when Breq realizes she has underestimated her opponent and must scramble throughout the exciting climax of the story.
The novel gathers momentum as the story unfolds until I literally couldn’t stop reading. It won the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clark awards the year it was published, and for good reason: it’s a fascinating and compelling read. Although the first of a trilogy, Ancillary Justice is a complete story with a satisfying arc and a great read for any science fiction fan.
Other science fiction novels to try:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet; A Closed and Common Orbit;
All Systems Red; Artificial Condition; Rogue Protocol; Exit Strategy
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet; A Closed and Common Orbit;
All Systems Red; Artificial Condition; Rogue Protocol; Exit Strategy
