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sarrie's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is one of those situations where I am kicking myself for not picking up Ann Leckie previously. Her Imperial Radch series has been on my TBR shelves since possibly they came out, but I've never reached for them. In fact, my request of this on Netgalley was a him (I didn't think I'd get it!). Now that I've read it however I'm in a pickle. I have plenty to read and review but now all I want to do is return to this world. In short - I loved this.
We follow three points of view, starting with Enae as hir grandmaman's funeral. After this Enae is presented with a job opportunity that is cushy gig. Just travel the galaxy, occasionally talk to an official and ask 'Have you seen this person?' sign a report and travel some more. It's a gift, and meant to be a reprieve but sie decides sie is going to pursue it and solve it. We then meet Reet, who has no past that he's aware of. He was adopted as an infant after being found on a ship abandoned and he has always wondered, why is just a little different than everyone else? Finally Qven, a Presgr Translator who is ripped from the future laid out for them after an attack. The three eventually all come together, and their stories intermingle.
Our characters are engaging and wonderfully drawn. Each voice is unique and genuinely brought so much to the story. Enae gives us a cozy feeling, and a foundation to the story. Hir job takes hir out and really kickstarts the story, especially when sie meets Reet. Reet does start a bit dull but he develops into a stronger character once we see him get his feet and see a future. But Qven gives us the spice, the first few chapters of Qvens read like a horror novel. I'm not going to spoil them, but trust me. The story still manages to take a cannibalistic alien character and make them adorable, and force you to almost fall in love by the end.
I can't say how well this ties into the rest of the Radch, as I mentioned I've not read them. However, from context I can tell we're getting cameos and information on the world at large after the end of the first trilogy and rather than confuse me, this made me interested and invested in seeing more. The story is engaging, and moves fast (especially after the half way mark). I cannot recommend this one enough for hard SF fans or fans of her original trilogy as I feel like there is a lot to take away here.
And I honestly want to know, who else found this cozy feeling? It seems improbable but here we are. A fantastic read - give it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Ableism
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