Ancillary Justice

Pros: Main character has depth and complexity, well developed and challenging. Plot was complex with sweeping conspiracies mirrored with detailed intimate intrigues. Themes are highly reflective on significant moral and human issues.

Cons: The prose is highly stylized and requires patience to extrude the story. The visuals, while vivid, can distract from the cultural alienation. The complexity of the plot development can labor a quick read.

Summary: The threads of social commentary are woven into classic justice and fidelity tale from a counter-conspiracy activist (near apolgetic for terrorism) perspective. The mechanism of an all female cast of characters (with some exceptions and notable confusions) presents a less than sublte challenge to the limitations of the language, but plays in imporant literary subtext to the overall message. The literary techniques pay homage to the Le Guin legacy, quite effectively.