Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)

by Ann Leckie

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'.

• ISBN10: 1410475867
• ISBN13: 9781410475862
• Publish Date: 28 January 2015 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 16 June 2021
• Imprint: Thorndike Press
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 558
• Language: English

Reviews

[kerrydarkeyes]

In the beginning chapters I was a little concerned I wouldn't have the stamina to push through the initial worldbuilding but damnit, if this isn't what I wish all sci-fi would be ...

[teachergorman]

This was fantastic! The premise is original, the writing is top notch, and the exploration of how we might interact socially in a distant future is thought provoking. Highly recommend!

[viking2917]

OK book. But it won every major SF award in 2014. I don't get what all the fuss was about. All the things it explores seem to me to have been explored far more convincingly by others.

[adamfortuna]

It took a while to get into this one, but by halfway through I was hooked, and even impressed. I loved the idea of an AI that was limited by it's ability to control human subjects -- each of which still maintained a slightly unique brain, motivation and mindset. The concept of "I" starts to be a fuzzy concept once "I" becomes a group. The gender ambiguity was also interesting -- referring to each character as "she" throughout the book.

[sarahjay]

#ancilladies. This was so worth the read. It's definitely challenging and complex, but once you get to the end everything makes sense. Mostly. Breq is so awesome and I can't wait to read more about her.