Thursday, February 1, 2018

Thoughts on the Imperial Radch Trilogy: Review of Ancillary Sword & Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

About the books...

20706284Title: Ancillary Sword
Author: Ann Leckie
Series: Imperial Radch #2
Source/Format: Gift; paperback
More Details: Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Orbit; October 7, 2014

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

What if you once had thousands of bodies and near god-like technology at your disposal?

And what if all of it were ripped away?

The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go—to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn's sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six hundred years ago, and by now everyone is fully civilized—or should be. But everything is not as tranquil as it appears. Old divisions are still troublesome, Athoek Station's AI is unhappy with the situation, and it looks like the alien Presger might have taken an interest in what's going on. With no guarantees that interest is benevolent...

23533039
Title: Ancillary Mercy
Author: Ann Leckie
Series: Imperial Radch #3 
Source/Format: Gift; paperback
More Details: Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Orbit; October 6, 2015

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The conclusion to the trilogy that began with Ancillary Justice...

For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai - ruler of an empire at war with itself. Breq refuses to flee with her ship and crew, because that would leave the people of Athoek in terrible danger. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before...


Just a quick note: I will be discussing the second and third book of the trilogy. I will try to be as vague as possible, but there may be minor spoilers. So, if you haven’t read the first book, Ancillary Justice or Ancillary Sword, then stop reading now.

No, seriously, look away.

Well then, you've been warned.

Still here? Alright then, read on... 
During my break from blogging, I planned to get a lot of reading done. And while I didn’t read as much as I wanted to, I did binge the rest of the Imperial Radch trilogy—Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy—because I got the books as Christmas gifts.

As a whole, I enjoyed this series for its core themes and characters. In particular, my favorite part of the both books was the character Breq. I also enjoyed the politics—there was a lot of it—and other parts of Radachaai society outside of the palaces. And, I liked Leckie’s use of technology, and what she did with the AIs prominently featured throughout the trilogy.

Ancillary Sword…

I liked Ancillary Sword, but it was a little weaker than Ancillary Justice. I think the main issue I had was that some of the excitement of the first book was missing in the sequel. Sometimes, the stakes didn’t seem as high despite the danger posed to Breq and crew.

The political side of Radch has always been a focal point of the series, and it was one of the things I was looking forward to. In Ancillary Sword, Breq—former troop carrier, Justice of Torren, and current ancillary—is in a new role: fleet captain, a position given to her by one faction of Anaander Mianaai. However, while the civil war between the differing factions of Mianaai is made mention of, it seemed a little detached from the story because much of the fighting takes place off page rather than seeing parts of the conflict directly through the eyes of Breq—as was the case in Ancillary Justice. There was action in Ancillary sword, but not as much as in Ancillary Justice. But, I didn’t really expect it, given that from early on the narrative tended more toward Radch politics—although localized—and tea. And I mean lots and lots of tea.

But, it was kind of interesting to learn more about the AIs—ships and stations—as well as what different parts of the Radch was like. And Ancillary Sword was still a necessary read, because it set up the plot that continued into the next book.

Ancillary Mercy…


Now, by comparison, I enjoyed Ancillary Mercy more than Sword because the stakes were higher—the danger and conflict were more direct. During some parts, I was actually nervous for my favorite characters, and that only heightened how much of a page-turner Ancillary Mercy ended up being. It was an epic finish to the trilogy. It had all the elements I was missing from Ancillary Justice. There was a perfect blend of character development on all fronts—AI and people—politics, actions, mention of tea, and the conflict between Anaander Mianaai and herself.

One thing I enjoyed about Ancillary Mercy was how vivid the characters were—both familiar and new to the trilogy. Even the AIs had distinct personalities and habits despite being viewed by some as just equipment. I appreciated those little quirks.

The end, while not neat or overly happily ever after—and it certainly didn’t solve everything about the situation with Mianaai and Radch—was still a satisfying conclusion for the characters. And that made the whole series worth it.

Finally…

As a whole, the Imperial Radch trilogy was something else. I like to describe it simply as awesome. There were a lot of interesting ideas about technology, politics, justice, and the limits of an empire. And Leckie did a good job exploring them.
Would you read The Imperial Radch trilogy?

Monday, January 29, 2018

Music Monday (36): Miguel, Kehlani, Les Friction, and Shirley Bassey

   Rules:
  • Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I haven’t participated in Music Monday since December of last year. So, I figured that now was a good time to get back into the other weekly meme we participate in here on Our Thoughts Precisely. My first pick is Waves by Miguel. I haven’t listened to his music in a while. But while listening to google music, his song, Waves, came on, and instantly my thoughts were: “I love this song and it’s time to listen to it on repeat.”


My second pick is In My Feelings by Kehlani. Her album, Sweet Sexy Savage, was one of my favorites from 2017. So much so that I went out and bought the Target edition of the CD with the extra songs. Yeah. Anyway, In My Feelings is one of my favorite songs by Kehlani; although, I recommend giving the entire album a listen, because it’s so good.

Adri: My picks for Music Monday are both remakes of songs that I like. They are Kashmir by Les Friction –originally performed by Led Zeppelin, and Slave to the Rhythm by Shirley Bassey –originally sung by Grace Jones. 



What are you listening to?

Friday, January 26, 2018

The Friday 56 (122) & Book Beginnings: Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE
Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.
23533039Synopsis from Goodreads...

The conclusion to the trilogy that began with Ancillary Justice...

For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai - ruler of an empire at war with itself. Breq refuses to flee with her ship and crew, because that would leave the people of Athoek in terrible danger. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before.
Beginning: "One moment asleep. Awake the next, to the familiar small noises of someone making tea. But it was six minutes earlier than I'd intended. Why? I reached."

56: "And I was sure she wanted me to pass that on, to whatever contacts I might have in either of those places."
Comments: Ancillary Mercy was a fantastic conclusion to the Imperial Radch trilogy. What are you reading this week?


Friday, January 19, 2018

The Friday 56 (121) & Book Beginnings: Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE
Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.
20706284Synopsis from Goodreads...

What if you once had thousands of bodies and near god-like technology at your disposal? And what if all of it were ripped away?

The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go—to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn's sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six hundred years ago, and by now everyone is fully civilized—or should be. But everything is not as tranquil as it appears. Old divisions are still troublesome, Athoek Station's AI is unhappy with the situation, and it looks like the alien Presger might have taken an interest in what's going on. With no guarantees that interest is benevolent
Beginnings: "Considering the circumstances, you could use another lieutenant." Anaander Mianaai, ruler (for the moment) of all the vast reaches of Radchaai space, sat in a wide chair cushioned with embroidered silk."

56: "In my quarters, Kalr Five, disquieted by the day's events but of course expressionless, had my supper waiting for me--a bowl of skel and a flask of water, common soldier's mess."
Comments: Ancillary Sword wasn't as good as Justice or Mercy. But I still enjoyed it. A lot of vital things happened, and set up the conflict for the third book. So, it was definitely worth the read. What are you reading this week?


Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Most Anticipated 2018 Books

Hi, hello, how is everyone doing today? I'm here to share my list of most anticipated 2018 book releases. Of course, this isn’t a comprehensive list and I’m not going to break it down into segments to cover every last book I want to read in 2018. There’s no point, and I like to leave room for books I’ll inevitably come across later in the year. Adri is also joining me today with the sole book she's waiting for...

Breana's picks...
  • The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de BodardI have an ARC from netgalley for this one and have already read and loved it. I’m not going to say anything else about it now since the review will be on the blog closer to the release date. But just know that this story was amazing and entirely too short.
  • Spinning Silver by Naomi NovikI read Uprooted and liked the story. I didn’t really care for the Dragon, but I loved everything about the forest and the setting. So, I am very excited that Spinning Silver is going to be a thing. 
  • A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinneyALICE IN WONDERLAND RETELLING WITH A BLACK PROTAGONIST! I am a sucker for Alice retellings and am looking forward to A Blade So Black.  
  • The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton—There’s a lot of hype surrounding The Belles, but that hasn’t stopped me from being overly excited for it. This is the kind of book I’ve been waiting for.
  • The Heart Forager by Rin ChupecoThe Bone Witch was a book that surprised me in 2017. I’d read some mixed reviews for it, but in the end, I loved the story. The end of The Bone Witch left a lot of loose ends that I’m hoping the sequel, The Heart Forager, will clarify.
  • Dread Nation by Justina Ireland—I’m looking forward to this one because I’m interesting in what Ireland can do with the premise hinted at in the synopsis. 
  • Space Opera by Catherynne M. ValenteThe synopsis literally says “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Eurovision in an over-the-top science fiction spectacle”. Listen, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite novels. So, obviously Space Opera made it onto this list. 
  • Bruja Born by Zoraida CordovaI almost forgot about this book. I loved Labyrinth Lost, and let me tell you, I'm so freaking excited for Bruja Born.
  • The Winter of the Witch by Katherine ArdenI’m not ready for the Winternight Trilogy to be over, but the end is coming. And I’m excited to see how Arden plans to end the trilogy. 

Adri's pick...
  • Raven: Daughter of DarknessI was excited when this comic was announced because not only are there going to be twelve issues this time (the last one was six), but aldo an increase in conflict. The hardest part for me is that I've decided to wait for the trade paperback, if there is one.

What 2018 books are you looking forward to?

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