Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice is a science fiction masterpiece, deserving its rewards. It launched the Imperial Radch trilogy, set in a clever universe with interesting characters and wicked cool technology.
Provenance (2017) is set in the same universe. The novel stars Ingray Aughskold, a young woman from a minor noble family on the planet Hwae. In an effort to gain favor with her adopted mother, Ingray plans to steal a valuable artifact and return it to her home planet.
However, her plan misfires when she discovers that the artifact she has stolen is not what she thought it was. Leckie introduces complex political machinations that Ingray and her friends must decipher. Basically, it’s a mess.
Ingray eventally must confront her own identity and the secrets of her planet’s past. This cannot be done without also learning about the various other species that populate the universe.
As with the previous novels set in this universe, the worlds and the varied societies are intriguing. Leckie once again deploys interesting pronouns that leave readers wondering how diverse gender might be alongside the species.
Unfortunately, Provenance is a mere shadow of the masterful Ancillary Justice. I found myself drifting away from the story and often confused by the aforementioned political machinations. To enjoy Provenance, you must enjoy complicated logic on a par with what you might see and hear on The West Wing. Better seen on TV than read in a book.
I also found my level of care about what happened to Ingray waning as the story slowly progressed. Leckie succeeds in creating an interesting world for her story but then leaves the fate of the story in a boring person.
Link to Provenance on Powells.com
Posted by Pablo 3/3/2023
It’s kind of disappointing when a follow up to a great work leaves you gasping for more.
And just to be clear, all three books in the Ancillary Justice trilogy are incredible.