Ancillary Justice

It took me a good while to really get into this book (In fact, I would say it took until about 3/4 when I started REALLY enjoying it, even if I was already enjoying it somewhat, but only then it truly “clicked”). Some aspects of it were tampering my enjoyment (the way it doesn't really hold your hand, the serviceable but not that impressive writing, the way it was quite hard to sympathize with or against the protagonist because of how vague their purpose was for most of the book, ...

But it really is an interesting work. At some point during the novel, these sentences are said: “All the years between young Lieutenant Seivarden and Captain Seivarden, they were made up of tiny moments. Minor things”. This is also a good description of the book. This is no exciting, flashy space opera: it's a book mainly consisting of small, intricate moments, and minor story decisions.

One aspect of the book that has drawn a lot of attention, but really is one of those small, mostly insignificant story decisions, is what the author decided to do with pronouns. Not like Le Guin in her The Left Hand of Darkness: a bold, deliberate statement, but just another detail, an aspect of worldbuilding.

It's a weird little story, but I heartily recommend it.