Breq is smart. Breq is capable and knowledgable. Breq is thoughtful, empathetic. Breq yearns for social justice. Breq mourns for lost love. Breq loves to sing, but has a bit of a temper.
Breq used to be a spaceship.
Well, if we’re going to get technical, Breq was the artificial intelligence who inhabited the spaceship Justice of Toren, and also thousands of ancillary human bodies (whose previous inhabitants had, um, vacated the premises). Now she only inhabits one, and almost everyone she has ever known is dead.
Ancillary Sword is the second book in the Imperial Radch series. Breq is the main character (obviously). The first book was split between flashbacks to her time as a ship and following her as she tracked down the person responsible for the destruction of her ship (and the death of someone she loved). This one didn’t have as clear-cut of a structure. It was more of a slow burn as Breq adjusts for the first time to really living and functioning in lone body among her people (you know, as opposed to hiding from them and/or trying murder them for revenge). She was made captain of her own ship at the end of the last book, and she now has her own crew. A lot of the book is focused on her navigating that new responsibility with a single body (as opposed to the way she used to do it when she was the ship). She feels responsible not only for the physical well-being of her crew, but their emotional stability as well.
A lot of the book is Breq dealing with stuff internally, but there’s also a bit of a mystery in there. They’ve brought the ship to a space station, and Breq takes it upon herself to keep things under control there (in preparation for the civil war that’s about to occur between the multiple factions of the emperor–uh, not as crazy as it sounds, or actually, yes it is, just as crazy as it sounds). There’s also some stuff with the different classes and religions down on the planet, and my favorite thing, Breq bringing her own personal brand of asskicking to all the racist/classist/whatever-ist a-holes who try get away with awful stuff. Breq is basically like a gender-neutral semi-psychic Batman.
Boy, I’m really selling the hell out of this book. Just . . . like, trust me or something. If you like sci-fi, this series is worth checking out. It gives you a good old sci-fi feeling, but also does a lot of cool stuff you don’t normally see in the genre. It’s basically like we get to watch Breq become a human. Except, a better human.
It was a bit slow to start, but I think Leckie is just one of those writers you have to trust will bring it all together, even if you can’t see where she’s going until the end. She’s definitely someone who writes books that reward re-reading. I actually think these books are going to become some of my all-time favorites the longer they’re around, and I can’t wait for book three next year.
[4.5 stars]
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