Ann Leckie

Ann Leckie's latest, Translation State, takes place after the events of the Imperial Radch trilogy which focused on a ship's AI who becomes trapped in a human body, and her quest for revenge. The fall out of the treaties made in the award winning space opera series comes into place in this standalone work - but prior knowledge of the Imperial Radch trilogy isn't necessarily needed to enjoy this entry.

Translation State sees Leckie exploring her favorite themes: the meaning of family, humanity, and the right to one’s personhood (themes that were all explored through Breq's journey in the above mentioned trilogy). In this standalone story, we are introduced to three characters, who are not part of the powerful ritual bound Radch that was the focus of the Imperial Radch trilogy. In Translation State, we get an even broader picture of the universe Leckie has conjured through three main characters, and side ones. There's the Saeniss Polity, where a death in the family sends mild-mannered Enae out into the world in search of an answer to a 200-year old mystery. Her story ends up entwined with Reet, whose lineage isn’t what he thought it was (Is Reet the child of a Presger Translator, and thus biologically a Presger Translator himself?), and Qven, a Presger Translator on the verge of adulthood. (It is important to point out that the Presger are a species of alien who are technologically superior to humanity. They are established as a frightening and inhumane force, described as taking enjoyment in "pulling apart" ships, stations, and even humans. And they bred humans to act as translators since they cannot speak the Radchaai tongue themselves, and the humans that are bred to "translate" are considered Radchaai.) Without spoiling anything, these character's storylines intersect in intriguing ways and in ways you wouldn't expect them to. And in the end, Translation State is about these three characters finding their purpose and their true "personhood" amidst the dangerous political drama they are enveloped in.

Leckie asks big questions about trauma, power, and secrets in Translation State. And it's also a masterful exploration of what constitutes personhood and identity. It's a timely work of science fiction. I found the writing to be simultaneously compelling, challenging, and yet easy to read. I really enjoy how Leckie can make alien cultures -ones that feel truly foreign and often disorienting - human. It's really powerful stuff.

I expect this to be a nominee for many yearend awards and Translation State deserves them all.
… (mais)

The Raven Tower is the first epic fantasy from SF author Ann Leckie known for her Imperial Radch trilogy (in which the first novel, Ancillary Justice received critical praise and won the Hugo Award,Nebula Award, BSFA Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award and Locus Award). In this complex and absorbing and surprisingly short fantasy novel the best-laid plans of gods and mortals collide, throwing a nation into turmoil and setting the stage for a divine conflict that’s been brewing for centuries. In a twist on Shakespeare's Hamlet, the tale spins out in past and present (which can be hard to follow at first), narrated by the rockbound god known as the Strength and Patience of the Hill. The god is speaking to Eolo, a warrior in service to Mawat - the heir to the bench and rightful ruler of Iraden, whose uncle has usurped his role. As the god recounts its ancient history (the narrative is told in second person, a technical challenge that takes a while to get use to I must admit), it also relates Eolo’s attempts to determine what happened to Mawat’s supposedly vanished father and how this connects to their patron god, the Raven, whose power is waning. With foreign gods taking an active interest in the kingdom, political intrigue brewing, and Mawat taking ever-bolder actions, Eolo must uncover Iraden’s greatest secret. And although it is a common fantasy trope to suggest gods gain strength through faith and worshipers and that they can employ that strength to bend reality Leckie makes this trope her own as she explores what happens when multiple beings of power collide. The climax of this revengeful political fantasy is absolutely riveting and becomes quite the page turner. Leckie’s tale is bold and masterful and as always, deeply intelligent examining the details of power, politics, and the nature of a divinity. I can't wait to reread this novel.… (mais)

This book is a different beast than Ancillary Justice and while the pace of this book is startling at first, the story quickly engages the reader. It is second book in the Imperial Radch trilogy which follows the character Breq, a rogue ancillary. Ancillary Sword is indeed more character-focused and is less of a thrilling read. But Leckie's mediation on power and identity is breathtaking and her writing is superb. This is a book about human rights and issues of colonialism. As with Justice, the ending of Sword intriguing and complex, as the reader discovers that those who inhabit the Athoek Station aren't exactly what them seem to be.
… (mais)