Ancillary Justice

Ancillary Justice takes place during two different periods of our sentient starship protagonist Breq's existence. Created as a tool for the expansionist Radch Empire, one timeline focuses on her experiences as segment of twenty bodies (ancillaries) enforcing for the Empire on an annexed planet. In the second timeline, she has only a single body, and she is outside of Radch territory and on a mission of her own. What happened to Breq and what she is doing now are gradually revealed in an exciting and fantastic space opera, and possibly my new favourite book ever.

I love the structure of the book, which alternates chapters between the two timelines. The plot moves slowly but steadily, with each chapter answering a few more questions. You get the sense that the world is fully formed from the novel's beginning, but is only revealed to the reader piece by piece through the lens of Breq's thoughts and experiences. This slow buildup of information makes for an involved and engaging reading experience, as you put together the pieces to get a sense of the whole, as well as making those occasions where there is a big reveal much more exciting and dramatic.

(continued at Balanced Shelf)