Author Ann Leckie has written another tense and rich adventure, and interstellar political drama, that is carefully detailed, while exploring relevant themes in our culture today. Leckie’s fan base for previous works will love diving into the Radchi framework from the Imperial Radch trilogy. Few authors can create novels like Leckie can. This novel was excellent, although readers may want to read her previous works to understand more. Themes of belonging, rebellion and family dynamics were beautifully written. As a follow up, I rate it five of five stars. Thank you to Orbit via NetGalley for this arc. I read it voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This was great even though it's more of a side-story to the Radch. Very well written and we see some neat areas of the universe that we hadn't seen before. Leckie is great at getting into the heads of some very alien characters.

This is a delightful book, set in the same world as the the Imperial Radch series but not a continuation of that storyline. This book focuses on Presger translators, and some non-Radch humans. Leckie does a great job of presenting something very "other" in Qven and the other Presger translators. These are humans modified in some subtle way undetectable in DNA but with some dramatic behavior and physical differences. They represent and speak for the Presger, which we don't yet encounter directly, but even the translators are not easily understood by humans. A single translator personality can encompass multiple bodies, and live indefinitely by incorporating additional bodies over time. Even though they are indistinguishable from humans genetically, their upbringing is shockingly brutal in a survival of the fittest, cannibalistic kind of way, but all perfectly normal and acceptable within the translator community. There's a definite disconnect of comprehension and integration into human culture, humorously portrayed with endless tea parties featuring tiny cakes made by one's self. Throw in some other aliens, gender fluidity and gender lacking culture and language, self determining AI, and various human cultures and cults, and it all turns into a fascinating, incredibly imaginative exploration of the possibilities of the universe.

<i>Translation State</i> takes place 10 years after the events in <i>Ancillary Mercy</i>. We're introduced to a trio of characters outside of Radch space, but nevertheless impacted by its politics. In particular, the events in <i>Translation State</i> are influenced by the Presger conclave initiated by Justice of Toren/Breq and the other AIs declaring themselves Significant.

Enae Athtur sie/hir, Saeniss polity

Hir controlling grandmaman finally dies. Yay! But grandmaman did not name Enae as her heir. She instead sold her assets and name to Zemil Athtur nee Igoeto. Zemil in turn gently kicks Enae out and arranges for hir to work under the Office of Diplomacy. Sie is going on a trip looking for a missing Presger Translator on the lam for 200+ years. It's not clear why Enae is given hir task, other than to get hir out of the way of any touchy social or political problems that come with being a member of the original family. Sie doesn’t seem to have any particular experience or skills that will help hir out, but nevertheless sie goes forth.

Reet Hluid he/him, Rurusk Station, Sovereign Territory of Zeosen.

Reet is an orphan who makes a living doing maintenance on pipes and pipebots. Approached by Heroth Nadkal, a Hipiki person on Rurusk Station, he hopes to find what he’s always been missing: a place to belong. Three hundred years ago Lovehate Station, home of the Hipiki, was destroyed. The Hipiki ruling family, the Schan, vanished a thousand years prior. It turns out Reet might be a Schan. He had odd genes and violent, impulsive thoughts that unsettle him and distance him from others.

Qven is a juvenile Presger <s>Diplomatic Operative</s> Translator. The Translators are still eerie, still with alien morals and motivations. Qven faces an existential threat, and following a failed escape attempt is separated from their peers and given a new task.

Then their paths converge!

I did read the ARC, so there are some typographic errors (periods instead of commas, lack of capitalization) and mix-ups with the pronouns (<i>eir</i> instead of <i>hir</i>, her instead of </i>hir</i>). This happens quite a few times and hopefully will be fixed. It's pretty jarring to get used to the rhythm of sie/hir then get hit with she/her. The diversity of pronouns is great, but somewhat undermined by the frequency of the narrative confusing them.

Ex. "Translator Dlar frowned thunderously, looked for a moment as though <b>they</b> would say something angry and bitter, and then subsided with a frustrated wave of <b>her</b> white-gloved hands."

It's not always clear which language everyone is speaking. Qven only speaks Radchaai and has adopted the additional pronouns found in dialects outside of Radchaai space. But people from Radchaai space sometimes <i>also</i> use those additional pronouns. Perhaps they are being polite, but from the <i>Imperial Radch</i> trilogy we know that Radchaai, and the AIs, find identifying genders difficult if not impossible.

I enjoyed references to the trilogy, such as the split of Anaander Mianaai, and including a forbidden fish pond in the Translator training area (they eat the fish anyway). We also see some old characters (though no Justice of Toren, sadly)

We see more ethnocentrism and ethnic unrest, similar to that which undergirded the colonial Radch, though it doesn’t motivate the plot so much as happened in <i>Ancillary Justice</i>.

There is a lot of bureaucracy, and I would say it was more of a focus here than in <i>Ancillary Sword</i> and <i>Ancillary Mercy</i>. I am the kind of person who watches city council meetings in their spare time, so maybe I have an inordinate interest in this sort of thing. I think, though, what makes it really intriguing is the various non-human people with their competing interests, interests that don't always translate well, if at all. There are a ton of characters in these parts, but they are all unique enough that it wasn't too hard to keep track of them. I did make a list, though. A pronunciation guide would have been nice (like Keroxane. Is it Ke-rocks-ain? Ke-rox-ah-ne? Ke-ro-ha-ne?). There are a few Radchaai characters, but it's not clear <i>which</i> part of the Radch they're from (which part Anaander Mianaai they’re working for).

One issue I have with the plot is that a character makes a choice that didn't have to be made, seemingly only to move the plot forward despite other viable, and perhaps preferable, options. There is a sort of inevitability to it all, which is depressing, but the characters seem happy with it.

I also wish <spoiler>we had met some actual Presger. The snippets we get aren't really enough. Maybe the idea is that they are beyond human comprehension?</spoiler>

This was a great addition, and I hope we get more. I don’t think the story is finished yet.

I have loved everything written by Ann Leckie, and this is no exception. The universe introduced by the Ancillary series, which is then revisited in Provenance and Translation State, feels complex, interesting, and fully lived in. I loved getting to go back to the same universe and hear stories from people outside the Radch, while also learning more about the impact of what happened in the previous books. Leckie strikes a perfect balance between including information that readers of her other books will enjoy, while also keeping her standalone books understandable to new readers. This book in particular deepened our understanding of Presger translators, while also showing the impact of the creation of the Republic of Two Systems on the treaty. Sphene, a character I enjoyed in the Ancillary series, also makes an appearance!

Even if I hadn't read Leckie's other books, I would have enjoyed this one. Dealing with the tricky question of self-determination and the balance between security and freedom, this book reminded me of a Star Trek trial episode, in the best of ways. The conflict is both personal and deeply political, and you care because you care deeply about the three POV characters, who are all interesting and flawed in their own ways. I particularly enjoyed Qven, the Presger translator.

Another thing I liked that I think is of note - the decision in the Ancillary series to have "she" as the default Radchaai pronoun was interesting and effective, and I really liked it. While those books had less variety than we're perhaps used to, this one has more, and I still think it's an effective decision. Not only does the use of various pronouns (and the matter of fact way in which characters talk about them, state their preferences, and easily accept those of others) feel realistic to the kind of diversity you'd find in a far-flung spacefaring society, it emphasizes the difference between Radchaai and non-Radchaai. These kinds of details may turn some readers off of Leckie's novels, but I'd hazard ad guess that anyone offended or scared by pronouns that are not limited to he or she probably won't seek out Leckie's books in the first place. I thought the use of pronouns like sie/hir and e/eir was both appropriate for the world building, and was something I enjoyed reading in a normalizing way.

There are many other positive things I could say about this book, but suffice to say that fans of Leckie and thoughtful sci-fi should be excited about this book!

I could not put this book down! I was fascinated by the Presger Translators and couldn't wait to see what happened. I have already been yelling that everyone needs to put this on their preorder list.

Translation State is a standalone story in the (beloved) universe of the Ancillary Justice series. You don’t need to have read those first, but they are wonderful, so if you haven’t — do so now! Leckie’s universe is populated by any number of richly delineated alien species along with numerous human based cultures, far flung across the universe.

In this story, three completely unrelated characters are drawn together through a bizarre set of circumstances and manage to have an impact on the way things have always been done. Enae — the reluctant diplomat tasked with tracking down a fugitive from 200 years ago; Reet, an adopted mechanic who struggles with intense (and definitely unacceptable) urges that he doesn’t understand; and Qven, a juvenile form of a manufactured species designed to translate between humans and the mysterious Presgers — absolutely necessary to preserving the fragile peace between the two races.

I love the way Leckie writes rich interior (alien) lives while simultaneously illustrating the complexity of multiple, variegated, worlds. I loved her description of the process for “raising” the translators — as alien as you can get and described from Qven’s very nuanced and real perspective. This story includes a fully fleshed out description of how to challenge cultural expectations when some aspects of the problem are (currently) immutable while others are simply rigidly accepted ways of doing things. The teasing apart of the situation and dawning awareness of what solutions are possible is brilliant and a skill that I wish would be more developed in us all.

As an aside, Leckie has a great time playing with pronouns. While occasionally single characters are referred to as “they” (which I hate), there are several other labels (sie, e, he, she) which I admit I couldn’t always differentiate but were meaningful to the characters — more importantly though, there was a wide range of pronouns which people sometimes had to correct but never got strident about.

Ann Leckie may well be my favorite current science fiction writer — in addition to writing engaging stories populated with realistic and diverse characters, she doesn’t insist on dwelling in constant dystopia and darkness as so many of today’s SF writers do.

Translation State explores social and cultural factors that shape individual's identities. It is also a book that celebrates those who are different, and who choose to define themselves by their own standards. A very enjoyable book.

As always, what greater joy is there than to read a new Ann Leckie book? I was transfixed the entire time. Reading the politics unfold and intertwine with the lives of the three main characters, Enae, Reet, and Qven, was so engaging and seeing how it culminates in the end blew me away. The three leads were also such compelling and unique characters, each bringing a fresh and honest and truly human perspective to such a political nightmare no one ever wants to be in: proving your right to exist how you want to exist.

I cannot recommend this book enough. An easy 5 stars.

Ahoy there me mateys!  First of all let me start with saying that this book is not the place to start the series.  It has spoilers for the other four books.  When I read the other books, I wanted to know more about the translators.  Now that I have answers, I am not sure I like them.  This may be me and not the book judging by the number of five star ratings.

Basically this book has three POVs that come together.  Enae is a middle age human whose not-so-nice grandmother died.  She is sent off-world on a task to be out of the way.  No one expects her to be part of an inadvertent political disaster.  Qven is a Presger Translator in training.  I did love how the training works.  It is super weird and fun.  Reet is an adopted refugee that just wants a sense of his unknown ancestors and where he came from.  I loved the set-up for this book but once the narratives combine was where I had problems.

The major problem I had with the book is where Reet and Qven's stories converge and how they resolve.  It was too filled with angst.  I didn't like the backstory or mystery of Reet at all.  I didn't want relationship drama. I wanted more of Enae and more of inter-galactic politics.  The (limited) politics, relationships, and mystery elements all seemed resolved too quickly and easily.  I enjoyed the legal questions of the novel but it branches off in the last part of the book into an exploration of Presger abilities that I didn't really care for.  The ending in particular was unsatisfying.

Given how fully I love the other four books of the series, this novel did not live up to them.  The elements that I do love are there but overall this one did not come together for me.  That said, I would read more set in this world.  Arrrr!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel, releasing in June 2023!

SO excited for a new Ann Leckie book set in the Imperial Radch universe. You don't need to have read the Ancillary series to enjoy this one (I haven't read them in five years or so, so my recall wasn't great when I started this, although more came back to me as the story went on), but you'll probably feel comfortable in the universe more quickly and understand a few more of the references (and recognize at least one familiar face from that series) if you have. Also, the Ancillary trilogy in particular is great, so I'd honestly recommend reading them anyway. This book gives a more in-depth look at the Presger Translators through the viewpoints of three extremely likable characters whose lives end up intersecting in a dramatic way with possible far-reaching implications for the whole of this narrative universe.

This book, like the other Imperial Radch books, has a lot to say about a lot of topics, including gender, identities we claim vs. genetic identities, prejudice, coming of age, belonging, the extended way trauma can affect us, the ability of one or two people to effect change on a systemic level, etc. The book is extremely well-written, with an engaging if occasionally far-flung narrative. There is quite a bit of descriptive body horror in here, so do be aware of that. Also there's a fair amount of humor! Things do occur and wrap up a bit too smoothly sometimes, but I was so engaged and had so much fun reading this one that I forgive it that flaw. Whether a fan of the Imperial Radch series or not, definitely recommend this one!

A smart, funny, and very human novel from Leckie, set in the same universe as her Ancillary novels and Provenance. Here, the secrets of the Presger Translators are revealed, and they are many and fascinating. While a few of the protagonists didn't ever really get off the ground as full-fledged characters--Enae is a missed opportunity--most of the characters are thoughtfully created, and the plot dazzles with complexity and the role of language.

I read this entire book last night, completely by accident. Which is always a good sign.

So. For me, your stereotypical obsessed "Ancillary Justice" fan who hasn't read "Provenance" yet, this book has one question to answer: Can I care about this universe WITHOUT involving Justice of Toren One Esk Nineteen?

The answer was unequivocally yes, but that answer was not immediate.

What we have here is a weird "forced marriage" trope, plus "mate or die" trope, plus a whole lot of galactic politics in which the Radchaai struggle to hold their empire together and the AIs petition for recognition as politically independent sentients. Also there's zero marriage and zero mating and zero romance - it's to do with Presger Translators, so it's weirder than that.

But we start out at home, with the browbeaten middle-aged daughter of a wealthy old house whose rich grandmother has just died. At first, Enae's problems and mission did not particularly interest me. She's a great character, though, so it was easy enough to keep reading.

Then there's Reet, a guy who works a menial job and doesn't get a lot out of life. Except he has a really great adoptive family, and these people think his mysterious past might mean he's their long-lost king. Okay. That's interesting if not enthralling, necessarily. Easy enough to keep reading.

Qven's chapters start out weird and progress from weird to - what? WHAT. WHAT IS HAPPENING? level really quickly.

At that point, I had to keep reading. There was no alternative. By 25% of the book I was irrevocably hooked, completely invested as the three threads of perspective began to come together. Qven is great. Both Reet and Enae transcend the cookie-cutter roles they've been thrust into and became extremely important to me.

The politics is lovely. I have always loved the politics in these books, and still do. Something about people drinking tea and arguing... Excellent. We find out a lot more about Presger Translators, and not a lot more about the Presger. Reet's family is great. I love how his mom and grandma are vital players in what goes down. Sphene is there. I love Sphene and how much he enjoys being an obnoxious sociopath.

Wholly enjoyable. Adored it. I would devour a sequel immediately if I were offered one.

Some notes:

• There is so much body horror and gore in this book. Please be warned. There are people eating other people, vivisecting them, people's bodies melting to goo... some really gross physical urges... By the end of the book it seems weirdly wholesome but it's still a LOT.

• The alternate pronouns at the beginning were jarring and off-putting. I would much rather everyone be called "she" the whole time. I got it by the end of the book, though, and was barely noticing it then. Just takes some getting used to.

• WHY DOES IT END UP FEELING SO WHOLESOME??? Truly I walked away feeling like this book was almost verging on the edge of sappily wholesome. Then I look back at the content of what I was reading and?? I don't understand how this emotional effect was created. I'm so impressed and baffled.

While the Imperial Radch trilogy is on my to read list, I jumped at the chance of reading Translation State, having heard great things about the author.

Translation State is told from three points of view. Enae is a human who’d been a long term caregiver for her grandmother, Reet an orphan raised in a human family but questioning his origins, and Qven, a Presger translator who is on the cusp of adulthood. Their stories eventually intersect, and this is achieved in a masterful way. From there, however, for me the story started to go downhill, though it does have its moments.

One of Ms. Leckie’s themes is that of identity, especially when delving into the question of what makes a human being human. This is an important question when dealing with the Presger translators, one of the most unique alien species I’ve encountered in my many years of reading science fiction. But when it comes to gender, all I can say is that the multiple pronouns were flying all over the page. While I get it in this day and age, it was a distraction when reading Translation State.

Plot wise, there’s a crisis towards the end of the book that all of a sudden is resolved without any clear explanation.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the book.

So few of my usual tags make sense here. Main character of color? Check, only of course in Ann Leckie's future worlds the category hardly applies since most humans are some variety of brown and many persons are not even human. Humor? Check, except for how the existence of baby Presger Translators is Hobbesian and then some. Child abuse? See the preceding. Trans characters? Ehhh ... kind of? Only, like race, the category barely applies since in the Radch everybody is denominated female and in the other polities there are multiple gender designations none of which seem to be connected to anyone's genitals (I bet Ann Leckie would have a thing or two to say to any TERF she happened on). Come to think of it, we never learn anything about anyone's genitals even though, as Qven -- the Presger Translator who's one of the three protagonists -- puts it, several of the characters do sex.

Anyway, like Leckie's other books, Translation State functions on the level of political meditation -- who is a person? what does "human" mean? how, if at all, do genetics and identity match up? how much does our genetic inheritance affect our actions? what choices do the seemingly powerless have, and how can they influence or change the structures of power? But God, nobody enjoys political tracts disguised as novels, so it's fortunate that Leckie's protagonists and their friends and family are so appealing, that her plots are twisty and suspenseful, and that her future worlds are so imaginative. I loved Enae, Reet, and Qven (if you don't laugh at Qven's body count during a crucial meeting, you're made of stronger stuff than I) and I stayed up way too late two nights in a row biting my nails over what would become of them. (Psst: Sphene shows up late in the action, wearing a kilt and NO GLOVES OMG!)

Leckie leaves intact certain conventions with which we're familiar: Mr., Ms., and Mx. as terms of address; coffee (and of course tea); long lines at checkpoints for incoming travelers. Some of these, especially the terms of address, surprised me, but I think she's made an authorial choice to locate the strangeness and disorientation of her world in more fundamental places. Besides, you know if anything's going to be a human constant even hundreds of thousands of years from now, it'll be bureaucracy. Look out, by the way, for a nifty subversion of the arranged-marriage romance trope.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC. I can't wait for the audiobook, and I'm crossing my fingers that Adjoa Andoh narrates it as she did Leckie's other works.

A whole bunch of other cultures exist besides the Radchhai, including the descended-from-altered-humans Presger Translators. This book—which really feels influenced both by Murderbot and by The Goblin Emperor—focuses on three people (ish): a middle-aged person who gets sent on a seemingly impossible mission to find a Translator who escaped to human space 200 years ago; a young man who’s always felt out of place with his adopted family, but not sure how to handle the people who insists he’s actually descended from the rulers of a destroyed space station; and a Translator juvenile who, after an attack, doesn’t want the role reserved for them. Bad things happen, but there’s also a lot of kindness. I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm so delighted to return to this story universe! I loved the Ancillary series and Provenance, so it was amazing to see the Presger explored more (and to see Sphene again!). This works of course as a standalone I think, but it's more fun having read some of the other works in the Imperial Radch universe first. I really enjoyed the characters, and everything clicked for me at the 25% mark. It's so exciting to see a protagonist like Enae, someone who is starting life again in a surprising way. I found myself really moved at some of the search for belonging/identity that Reet and Qven went through, what family means, what chosen family means, and the contrast with the way Enae's biological family behaved at the beginning of the story, versus Reet's family adopting Qven. Qven's terror at matching hit very close to home for me, in a potentially ace-coded way.

The story itself was paced well, such skillful storytelling and this author has such a distinct writing style that I so much enjoy, although if I had to say anything I could say I got a bit lost with my footing a bit in the last quarter of the story on the ship, but not in any major way I'd say detracted from my overall experience (and really could have been me struggling with abstract ideas). I couldn't be more thrilled to read an advanced copy of this and I'm so grateful to the publisher and Netgalley. I'll definitely post a more thorough review closer to the publishing date on Goodreads the my book review blog.

Translation State, set in the Radch Empire series, gives a deeper look at Presger Translators. Beings who were once human but who’ve been changed by the fearsome and mysterious Presger aliens to serve as their spokespeople with humans.

Ann Leckie is a genius at creating a complex and complicated universe inhabited by humans, alien allies, bio mechs, sentient AIs, and alien threats. She’s added to the rich details of her Radch Empire - giving us political/ethnic factions who’ve been at odds for centuries, multiple political players, each with an agenda. Where one misstep could dissolve the carefully crafted peace of the treaty and plunge everyone into a devastating war.

Against this enormously intricate backdrop, she’s created three main characters whose stories and lives weave together. Exploring the definition of family and humanity. And she does it in what feels like a very intimate way, despite the high stakes of the story.

She even manages to add touches of humor. I loved when Ree introduces Qven to his favorite show about pirates - it had hints of Murderbot and its love for Sanctuary Moon.

this was a great concept for a scifi novel, it had what I was expecting from the description. I was hooked from the first page and didn't let go until the end. Ann Leckie has a great writing style that I was looking for in this type of book. I had enjoyed previous books by Ann Leckie and glad I got to read this.

"And on the one hand it was refreshing. Sie’d always had some sort of work to do at home, and even when sie rested there was the prospect of more work when sie got up. Not particularly strenuous work, not usually, but still, sie’d always thought it would be delightful to just sit around, watching entertainments or going shopping or sipping coffee with the whole day ahead of hir, and now sie had it and...well, it was delightful."