Ancillary Mercy

Executive Summary: A nice conclusion to the trilogy, albeit a long way from what I expected after [b:Ancillary Justice 17333324 Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1) Ann Leckie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397215917s/17333324.jpg 24064628].Full ReviewI really enjoyed [b:Ancillary Justice 17333324 Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1) Ann Leckie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397215917s/17333324.jpg 24064628]. It was very different from most sci-fi I've read. I should note though, that I'm not nearly as well read in science fiction as I am in fantasy.I liked [b:Ancillary Sword 20706284 Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch, #2) Ann Leckie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413464739s/20706284.jpg 40026175] too, but not nearly as much. The larger galactic issues presented in Justice seemed to take a backseat to smaller issues of a single space station.This book was a bit of both, though more the latter than the former. I wondered how a book so short could wrap things up. The answer is, it can't. Not really. There are a ton of big issues largely ignored by this book, much like they were for the previous book.That doesn't mean I was unhappy with the conclusion though. It's all about expectations. I think Ancillary Sword helped to prepare me for a much smaller resolution than I originally hoped for. This books wraps up most of the issues of that book nicely, to the detriment of the larger issues presented in Ancillary Justice.If you're someone hoping for resolution of the galactic conflicts, you'll probably disappointed by this book. If like me however, you've come to love Breq as a protagonist, there is a lot to enjoy here. I think while not concluding her story by any means, it comes to a nice stopping place.Ms. Leckie hits on the idea of there being no such thing as a true ending in her final chapter, which while true, I personally felt like a bit of excuse making to the people hoping for resolution to the larger conflicts that never come.Still, after winning both the Hugo and the Nebula, there is a lot of expectations to live up to. You can't please everyone. For me personally I enjoy Breq enough and the way Ms. Leckie does other AI characters so much to not care so much. It was a fun book. I never expected I'd be cheering for a Space Station, but somehow I was. And that's to say nothing of Translator Zeiat who absolutely steals every scene they are in. All of the best quotes of the book can be attributed to them.I really hope that Ms. Leckie does more books with this universe. I hope it's not the last we see of Breq either. If it is however, I think that's OK. I'd like some kind of conclusion to the larger issues of Ancillary Justice, but I'm content with where Breq's personal story leaves off here.