Ancillary Justice cover art

Ancillary Justice

THE HUGO, NEBULA AND ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD WINNER

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About this listen
The record-breaking debut novel that won every major science fiction award in 2014, Ancillary Justice is the story of a warship trapped in a human body and her search for revenge.
Ann Leckie is the first author to win the Arthur C. Clarke, the Nebula and the Hugo Award for Best Novel in the same year.

They made me kill thousands, but I only have one target now.

The Radch are conquerors to be feared - resist and they'll turn you into a 'corpse soldier' - one of an army of dead prisoners animated by a warship's AI mind. Whole planets are conquered by their own people.
The colossal warship called The Justice of Toren has been destroyed - but one ship-possessed soldier has escaped the devastation. Used to controlling thousands of hands, thousands of mouths, The Justice now has only two hands, and one mouth with which to tell her tale.
But one fragile, human body might just be enough to take revenge against those who destroyed her.

'ENGAGING AND PROVOCATIVE'
SFX Magazine

'UNEXPECTED, COMPELLING AND VERY COOL'
John Scalzi

'HIGHLY RECOMMENDED'
Independent on Sunday

'MIND-BLOWING'
io9.com

'THRILLING, MOVING AND AWE-INSPIRING'
Guardian

'UTTER PERFECTION, 10/10'
The Book Smugglers

'ASTOUNDINGLY ASSURED AND GRACEFUL'
Strange Horizons

'ESTABLISHES LECKIE AS AN HEIR TO BANKS'
Elizabeth Bear

The Imperial Radch trilogy begins with Ancillary Justice, continues in Ancillary Sword and concludes with Ancillary Mercy.
Also available now: Provenance is a stunning standalone adventure set in the same world as Ancillary Justice. NPR calls it 'A fitting addition to the Ancillary world'.©2013 Ann Leckie Hard Science Fiction Military Science Fiction Space Opera Thriller & Suspense Adventure Fiction Suspense
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Great plot and characterisations. I suspect some of the twists would become insanely difficult to express in the hands of a lesser author. I enjoyed it immensely.

Excellent convoluted SF

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As a first novel in a series, the author establishes her universe well. Her tiresome constant gender clumsiness gets in the way, and the plot is slow to the point of treacle, but it wins out in ideas and development.

The narrator does an adequate job with the unnecessarily long names though has a poor grasp of accent.

There were unusually some slips in audio content quality.

Despite the frustrations, I will try book 2.

Wins through the tiresome gender correctness

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it's ok. My main problem with the book is that the main protagonist acts as a distanced observer of her own life. That makes it very hard to engage with the story. Especially since neither the world or the plot portrayed are strong enough to carry the book on its own.

The book is pleasantly read. Some voice dramatization, but nothing that grates too much. Apart from a short segment with a child towards the end.

One step removed

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Very well delivered by Adjoa Andoh. An enjoyable and engaging story. Well worth giving a go. If you're looking for an Iain Banks replacement, however, this probably won't do. In the Radch you're cast out if you don't wear gloves. In the Culture you can look like a bush and still still rise to the top. Banks make you smile, Leckie doesn't, much

Radch != Culture

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A very polished piece of writing, precisely crafted and full of detail. but at times overly long and dull... second half is best.

Eloquent, well written but at times dull

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