So nice to return to the Imperial Radch, and this time, gasp!, we have coffee drinkers. We also get a better look at the Presger translators, though the Presger themselves remain off scene.

This can be read a lot of ways in our current debate about identity, but I see it mostly as three people trying to figure out if who they are is who they want to be, and taking that choice.

Structurally, there is a neat trick with three independent storylines, so the stories are moving forward at 1/3 speed, then the storylines start joining and the pace increases at just the right time. It is like having a great drummer in your band.

One thing that often fascinates me about SFF books is how regularly they replicate our own societal structures, whether that relates to class or gender, or anything else. Understandably, it’s hard to conceive of a whole lot else when you spend your life indoctrinated by a certain system, but that makes the books that imagine societies truly different from our own all the more valuable.

Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series is one such set of books: the original trilogy introduced us to the Radchaai, all of whom use she/her pronouns. It also, towards the end, introduced us to the Presger, who have a different understanding of gender entirely (that is, they don’t believe in it. Their society as a whole is agender, if you will). Translation State, the newest entry in the series, puts us squarely in amongst both the Presger, and another set of humans, who are not affiliated with the Radchaai. All of whom have different understandings of gender and different value systems in their societies.

As I said, it’s fascinating how often SFF books simply reproduce our own concepts of society, particularly with regards to gender. Sci fi books that do so are especially interesting to me. I think that they do says more about gender in our own society than it does about anything else. If these are futuristic societies, does it really feel realistic that the concept of gender has not morphed and changed in that time? You only need to look back just over a century to see that, even for us now, gender is not a static concept. We may not think vastly differently about it now as then, but we do think differently.

And that’s why Ann Leckie’s books always stand above the rest. There’s always so much thought gone into constructing as many different societies as needed. From the Presger to the Geck, in amongst which are human societies who, themselves, differ: sci fi as a window to looking at political and philosophical questions is, I think, sci fi at its best.

Here, too, Ann Leckie excels. The original trilogy did start to prod at the idea of humanity and personhood, with the ancillaries, but Translation State takes it a step further. Much of the book is dedicated to the discussion of Reet’s humanity. He’s brought up as a human, but he is from an alien species (I won’t say which, but it’s probably reasonably obvious once you start reading). Is it a matter of nature or nurture then? If he calls himself human, is he human? Clearly, there are several other sci fi books that have wrestled with this question (usually regarding A.I.), and Ann Leckie’s is an accomplished addition to that oeuvre.

So, there’s not much left for me to do besides ask that you read this one. Hell, I’ll ask that you read the entire series, if you’ll let me. Translation State is a good starting point to be sure, and it’s a great introduction to Ann Leckie’s work. You don’t need a familiarity with the original trilogy at all in order to read this one (although I will admit that still holds first place in my heart). What are you waiting for, then? Get preordering!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Orbit books for an advance copy of this science fiction about acceptance, family, interstellar treaties, love and being who you are, no matter what you are.

As I have gotten older my love of science fiction hasn't changed, but I have a lot more doubts about it than I once did. Going as a child thinking about rocket cars, and vacationing on the moon, realizing that I will never have the money for either of these things, possibly not even shelter against the rising flood waters and raging climates that will be our future. No my biggest problem is with not only communicating with alien creatures, but understanding them. People on this planet can't seem to understand different ways of loving others and even loving ourselves. One could almost see wars starting over shaming an alien race for what they have always done. And being caught up in our own pettiness that violence always seem to be the proper answer. These are some of the that Ann Leckie looks at in Translation State, a science fiction novel about identity, war, secrets, family, a person's place in life, and love.

The book is told from the viewpoint of three characters, Enae, Reet and Qven. Enae has spent most of her life at home caring for her Grandmaman, an unpleasant creature who uses money to control the family, with never a kind word for Enae, or a push for Enae to find a life away from them. Upon Grandmaman's death Enae is told there is no fortune, but there is a job offer. Two hundred years earlier a fugitive disappeared leaving many questions, and Enae has been chosen to answer them. Something Enae finds liberating, exciting, and full of purpose. Reet is a civil servant in charge of cleaning pipes. Reet has not idea about his past, being found on a refugee ship and taken in by a foster family, that has done their best to raise Reet. Feeling lost Reet comes in contact with a sect of people who believe Reet is the heir of their political leader, long thought lost. Qven is a translator, the best hope of her clade, until Qven tries to escape with horrible consequences. Consequences that could lead to treaties being broken or even much worse.

Ann Leckie is a fantastic author, with huge ideas and an ability to tell a huge story through the eyes of only three characters. This is set in the same universe as Leckie's previous trilogy, but one doesn't have to have read it to understand it, thought familiarity has its own rewards. The overall theme at least to me is finding a purpose in life. There three never really had one, nor knew how to find it, Qven raised since birth to obey, Enae not really needing to, and Reet confused by his background, his foster family, and wanting to belong, but not knowing how. Family is also something that is raised and discussed. Enae having a biological family that abused her, Reet having a good relationships with his foster family, but not realizing it till it almost to late, and Qven, who is the tool their Clade will use to get ahead. The story is really good, as is the writing, thought it might take a few chapters to get into the flow of the way the story is told. There is a slow revealing of plot, not a hey this is what is going on, but the characters are all great, all different, and in some cases alien, and make sense. This could be a stand alone, or it could go on, the ending is strong enough to end, and open enough to continue. Personally I would like to know more.

This is a good book to start with Ann Leckie if new. The writing style, the universe the way the characters act, and talk. All great and unique. This is science fiction that makes people want to see the future, and know that humanity might be ok. I can't wait to read more by Ann Leckie.

Did I like it? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes
Will I buy a copy of this story after it releases? Yes

Positives
With Translation State, we get the signature Leckie world-building, diverse cultures and languages, and how these impact galactic politics. I enjoyed the characters more here than in Provenance, though I may be biased because I was a fan of the Presger Translators in the original Ancillary Justice trilogy.

Some of the central themes are identity, family, and belonging. These weave throughout all three narrative characters' arcs. I think the narrators' personal conflicts were relatively well balanced, though we could have spent more time with Enae.

I felt that the Presger Translators' perspectives about corporeal forms, namely the body horror and violence, highlighted their alien status in a way distinct from the other cultures that Leckie has introduced into the Imperial Radch universe. (However, these elements might not be suitable for some readers.)

There were a lot of Easter eggs alluding to events from the original trilogy and Provenance. I really enjoyed seeing all of the moving parts, familiar faces, and the general sense of interconnectedness. (I would suggest reading at least the original Ancillary Justice trilogy before Translation State.)

Negatives
Near the end, there was a lot of running back and forth and it felt like things were tied up a little *too* neatly. It felt like the start to something else rather than an end. I wish we'd gotten a little more time with the characters.

Ann Leckie returns to the Imperial Radch universe in Translation State, a complex tale of identity with surprisingly high stakes. Each of the three characters has to wrestle with who they are. Enae wonders what sie is supposed to do with hir life now that hir grandmother has passed away. Orphan Reet thinks he might have figured out who his people are. Finally, Qvin fights for independence in a society that had everything planned for e before e was even born. Will any of them find answers?

We meet Enae first, on a very strange day. Sie has been taking care of hir cantankerous grandmother for most of hir life. When that grandmother dies, the entire family is shocked to discover that the imagined riches had been spent long ago. Everything the family owned was sold off. The only beneficial thing for any of the family members are instructions that Enae should receive an allowance and be taken care of for the rest of hir life; no one else gets a cent (or whatever they use on Enae’s world). The new heir interprets this as securing a sinecure for Enae with the diplomatic service: hir task? To find someone who disappeared two hundred years ago. It’s a cushy job no one expects anyone to complete.

Next, we meet Reet, a crotchety mechanic. Reet knows that he’s different from everyone else but he doesn’t know why. He was found as an infant on a spaceship and no relatives were ever found. His adoptive parents give him a home, though they can’t answer any of his questions about why he finds it so hard to get along with others and why he has the occasional urge to bite people. As an adult, he is approached by a group of people who believe that he might be the long-lost heir to an ancient ruling class. Reet knows that he’s not and that these weirdos are probably just using him. It’s just so tempting to think that he might, at last, have found who he came from.

Lastly, we meet the most unusual narrator, a young nonhuman named Qvin. Qvin’s people have a habit, when young, of eating each other. What puzzles Qvin more than this Darwinian state of affairs is the way that e and eir fellow younglings are drilled in human language, manners, and behavior. E grows up with endless rounds of tea and gardening and talking about the weather and no one will explain why any of this is necessary.

Once the characters are established, the plot brings them together in a series of accidents and chance encounters. Reet gets a new job escorting newcomers to his planet, courtesy of his maybe relatives, and meets Enae when sie arrives to chase a possibility that hir quarry might have stopped there. Once sie learns about Reet’s lack of history, sie starts to ask some troubling questions. Meanwhile, Qvin is attacked by another youngling so severely that eir original lifepath is no longer possible.

Once Enae started asking questions, I started to piece together where Translation State was going. I don’t mean to say that this book is predictable. Rather, I found it very satisfying to see how Leckie would tie together three very different characters on three different planets. The plot starts to get very interesting once all three intersect, especially when once more catastrophe strikes and forces the entire trio to get their acts together before irreparably fatal things can happen. Along the way, we get to ponder with Enae, Reet, and Qvin what it means to be independent people (human or otherwise), the limits of self-sacrifice, and what I can only describe as a good kind of selfishness.

Readers who love speculative fiction blended with hard science fiction will enjoy Translation State, as will readers who love to accompany characters along their journeys to become their own person.

The first thing I need to say is that this is a somewhat standalone book taking place after the Imperial Radch trilogy. The second thing that I need to say is that I loved this SO MUCH MORE than the original trilogy.

This is the story of an alien who got lost, and the ramifications of it on people hundreds of years later. We follow a woman tasked with investigating this cold-case disappearance, and a human & an alien that get mixed up in the politics of the investigation. The aliens in question are everyone's favorite Presger Translators!

I loved this more than the first trilogy because it was such a well-contained tale. Every protagonist got a nice arc wrapped up by the end. The plot made sense and had a wonderful high-stakes conclusion. Every step of the story felt very deliberate and fun.

A video review including this book with be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

A meditative novel, Translation State is a poignant and contemplative look at how governments and society attempt to regulate identity.

Tied to but not requiring knowledge of the Imperial Radch trilogy, Translation State is far less military-minded and focuses more on two people who just want to define for themselves who they are. It is a thinly-veiled commentary on multi-facets of our human existence, from gender to race to nationality to sex - I think everyone at some point in time has been told to be someone they aren’t, that they have to comply with everyone else’s idea of who they are. And where the novel really shines is how it brings government into this, showing how governments attempt to define and limit people to keep things easier or to appeal to a specific group. The book lauds the idea that no governmental body should be allowed to tell others how to live, who to be with, or what to do with their bodies. That being said, the book also suggests that these freedoms come with accepting that we are part of a society, that our choices must reflect respect for others’ well-being as well.

It’s a brilliantly-executed novel in this regard, as while the general message is pretty blatant, the way it gets there is interesting and entertaining. It’s a mystery in a way, but also a deep look at alien cultures and physiology and how interacting with disparate species could potentially work today (should aliens arrive).

The story unravels slowly with a great deal of dialogue and internal thoughts. Yet, there are moments of intensity, specifically in the last quarter of the novel. It also keeps you interested as it jumps between the three characters in a way where you’re not entirely sure how they will link up, and when you do, the tension adapts and builds in different ways. The climax is utterly fantastic.

As usual with Leckie, the cast is diverse and well-wrought, with likeable characters. Qven was my favourite, as their bubbly naivete was refreshing amidst the serious other characters. Reet was a little bland, to be honest, but Enae and the supporting characters made up for it.

There are some characters from the main trilogy, though you don’t need to know who they are to understand this story. I forgot all of them but one, to be honest. I also read the trilogy so long ago, and I read a lot of sci-fi, so how do you expect me to remember everything about every series?

Yet, that being said, while the stakes are high for those particular characters, it does have a feeling of being an offshoot of the main series in that it doesn’t have galactic repercussions, at least not in the way war does. Then again, perhaps that’s the point, that small events that involve a few people can have large ripples.

Overall, while a bit slow and definitely requires you to pay attention while reading (in that if you’re drowsy and drift off and wake up, you’ll need to go back and re-read), it’s a fascinating and complex novel that I do recommend.

[book:Translation State] is a sequel to [author:Ann Leckie]’s [book:Ancillary Justice] trilogy, taking place some time after the conclusion of [book:Ancillary Mercy]. Those who’ve read the Imperial Radch books will be familiar with the universe, but instead of focusing on the (human) Raadchi empire and the AI-piloted ships that dominated the trilogy, it delves into the complexities of the Presger aliens, or more specifically, the Presger translators and their strange biology and societal customs. There’s Qven, a young translator-to-be; Reet, an orphaned human whose origins are a mystery, and Enae, a sheltered human woman set out on a mission to discover the fate of a fugitive who may or may not be Presger that disappeared two centuries prior.

To share more about [book:Translation State] is to give away its delights (but anyway, it would be a challenge to describe its plot with any brevity). Though it’s book-length, and sprawling questions of autonomy, gender, empire, and more, in some ways, it feels more like a novella. It feels intimate, but not small. Even sweet, at times.

If you’ve read the Imperial Radch books, this will be an enjoyable return to that universe, even if it lacks the sweep, ambition, and sheer original brilliance of the trilogy. (Probably best not to read this until after reading the trilogy, both because of the chronology and also because of major spoilers.)

[book:Translation State] by [author:Ann Leckie]
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🌶️ Not zero, but the characters never do “do sex” (at least not explicitly)
👽👯‍♂️🕷️ What does it mean to be human, anyway?
☕️🍵 Serious hot beverage politics happening
🍫🌀 Good thing Enae carries snacks

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Ann Leckie is one of the most interesting writers working in science fiction today. She’s on my auto-buy list--I don’t ask questions, I just buy her books whenever they come out. She’s on a short list of authors where I’d buy her next five books today. So when I heard that her next book was going to be about Translators, and the weird and sort of gross aliens from her main space opera universe, I was basically beside myself with excitement. I may have actually screamed when I got the book on my ereader. So, what I’m trying to say is you’re not going to get an unbiased review from me. In any case, I was not disappointed by Translation State.

If you’re new to Ann Leckie, this is not the best book to start with. If you’re down with second person and experimental literature, start with Raven Tower, and if you’re more of a classic sci-fi buff, start with Ancillary Justice. In any case, you should read the main trilogy of Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Mercy, and Ancillary Sword before you start this book because there are pretty major spoilers for the plot of that trilogy in it. It’s a great trilogy, so you won’t regret it, and this book will be here when you’re done.

Ann Leckie is doing some very interesting work and thinking about family, identity, gender, and power in this book, which should surprise no one who is familiar with her work. In particular this book feels very salient in light of the horrific attack on trans- and other gender non-conforming individuals. Leckie never forgets that gender and sexuality are always political and this drama takes place on the very private arena of personal discovery and the interplanetary negotiations of a massive treaty.

This book is a complete package--if you want science fiction that really makes you think about aliens with a capital A; science fiction that takes you to topologically impossible space stations and biologically impossible creatures; and a good story that will keep you up past your bedtime as you race to find out what happens next (I’ve never been this engrossed by intergovernmental committee meetings), pick up this book. It might do the wonderful and dangerous things books can do--it might change your mind.

I was provided with an advance copy of this book in exchange for this honest review. I would have bought it anyway. I would have loved it anyway.

(will update with links once it is published on May 6th as per request for no more than 30 days out) UPDATE NOW POSTED.

I loved the Imperial Radch series and was happy to see another story from this universe. I was not disappointed. I so enjoyed reading this book!

I just reviewed Translation State by Ann Leckie. #TranslationState #NetGalley

New Ann Leckie, set in the world of the Ancillary trilogy, but focuses on the Presger, and is primarily actually a legal drama? LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. We get three POV characters, and honestly, we probably only really needed two, but the third person allows us to flesh out more of the larger picture and weaves more of the legal drama. Again, there are times you definitely feel just how much Ann Leckie has shaped some of the sci-fi scene of today, but you can also just tell that she's having so much fun exploring these corners and not feeling like she has to go back to the characters of the original trilogy. If you know the original trilogy, Presger society will be your hook in, but you'll still be able to get into it if you haven't read any of the other books set in this universe. Pick this up when it comes out, you'll be in for a hell of a ride.

Translation State was exactly the book I wanted. Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies of all time, and one aspect I loved and desperately wanted to know more about was the entire concept of the Presgr Translators. This book gives that and they are just as alien-yet-also-human as I had hoped. The book follows three main characters, one human, one juvenile Translator, and one who grew up human but maybe isn't quite. Their three stories are set on a collision course when the human is given a busy work job that sie ends up taking seriously. This sets off events that could potentially endanger all of humanity.

The book is fast paced and engaging, and even when the different characters have to deal with the bureaucratic elements life in inter-species space requires it never gets bogged down. Qven, the juvenile Translator, is far and away my favorite character, but I loved the other two main characters as well.

I don't think it's necessary to have read the Imperial Radch trilogy before this (though I highly recommend it) as while it does take place in the same universe, it is in a different part of it with different characters. There is a very fun cameo by one of my favorite side characters from the original series, but I won't spoil who.

My only complaint is that I wanted the end to be longer. I feel like that's a sign of how good the book was and how much I loved it more than anything else though. I really have no other complaints.

I definitely recommend this book and I hope Ann Leckie continues to write in this world, I would love to know more about these characters and continue to see into the vast and fascinating universe she's created.

Ann Leckie returns to the world of the Imperial Radch series in Translation State, a novel set after the events of Ancillary Mercy that is otherwise stand-alone, with all-new characters and an unexplored setting. As the novel opens, the whole universe is on edge: the Treaty with the Presger (also known simply as the treaty) is being renegotiated. It is an uncomfortable reminder that the Presger, a powerful and destructive extraterrestrial collective, are held in check only by the treaty and by Presger Translators (part-human, part-Presger beings bred specifically by the Presger to communicate with humans).

The story is told from the perspective of three alternating point of view (POV) characters. Our first POV character, Enae, is given a largely ceremonial position in the Office of Diplomacy to get hir out of the way while hir household experiences a change in leadership. The renegotiation of the treaty makes a long-forgotten request from the Radchaai Translator’s Office relevant enough to be assigned to hir: a request to find an escaped Presger Translator. Against all odds, Enae finds Reet, our second POV character and a man who looks to be descended from the escaped Presger Translator.

Despite an ongoing civil war, the Radch (the intergalactic empire central to Leckie’s earlier books) still wields a lot of power when it comes to enforcing the treaty. Reet is kidnapped by Radchaai officials and taken to the Treaty Administration Facility, where he learns that he will need to “match” with another Presger Translator (a biological necessity for all Presger Translators). This “matching” is not a sexual or romantic relationship; instead, it is a kind of merging, where Reet and another translator would come together to become one person, one consciousness. Qven, our third POV character and a disgraced juvenile translator living at the facility, is his designated “match.”

At the Treaty Administration Facility, a conclave of human and extraterrestrial leaders is considering whether the Republic of Two Systems (the sentient AIs from Leckie’s earlier books) should be allowed to sign the treaty. Reet’s parents hear of his imprisonment and travel to the Treaty Administration Facility to pursue legal action and argue for his release. Enae, who feels responsible for Reet after alerting the Radchaai authorities about him, works to form a coalition to argue his case before the conclave. In the tense negotiation that follows, a few old friends (including Sphene and Translator Zeiat/Dlique) and many new ones guide these three protagonists in their pursuit of justice, friendship, love, and something more, something that is lost in translation.

Despite brief (and graphic) mentions of cannibalism and dissection, this is on the whole a light, funny, and wholesome book about three people who are (in human years) adults undergoing huge changes in their lives. It’s a coming-of-age novel for all who need a reminder that our ongoing quest to find where we belong doesn’t stop when we turn twenty, or thirty, or even fifty. It is also a story of characters taking care of themselves, physically and emotionally. If you were expecting, picking up an Ann Leckie novel, to encounter an overly rational machine consciousness, you will be surprised (pleasantly surprised, I hope) by the level of introspection and emotional sensitivity these characters achieve.

Young as they sometimes seem, these characters have trauma. As they pause to collect their thoughts, deal with emotional anxieties, and comfort their new-found friends and families, suspenseful scenes grind to a halt. Reet and Qven spend whole chapters in bed binge-watching TV while eating dumplings. If you are, by any chance, overwhelmed and overworked, I recommend this book as a chance to revel in characters who make and take time for themselves. Even as they argue for their humanity before a conclave of (predominantly) extraterrestrials, these characters are some of Leckie’s most human.

In a book full of irrational human characters, there’s also a brief examination of conspiracy theories: their dangers, and who is most vulnerable to believing them. It is timely, a reminder that our contemporary world has provided many new social issues that require fictional exploration.

Translation State promised to introduce us to the unexplained and glorious enigma that is the Presger Translator. And it does: Qven’s childhood, particularly the way they are taught language and the way they perceive language, is fascinating, delightful, and at times hilarious. Leckie does an excellent job of subtly hinting at the Translators’ bioengineered world and their unique relationship with nature. Presger Translators go through six stages of life (all capitalized in the novel): Tiny, Little, Small, Middle, Edge, and Adult. Qven, an Edge (or juvenile) for most of the novel, describes their childhood in gory detail and with childish glee. Their fresh perspective on human language is fascinating, explaining (to some extent) the eccentric way Presger Translators communicate. The adult life of a Presger Translator, however, remains mysterious. Throughout the novel, Adult Presger Translators periodically try to explain their unique perception of reality (their twinned or sometimes tripled existence, their power to rearrange space) and find themselves at a loss for words. The life of an Adult Presger Translator, and of the Presger themselves, is apparently something that can’t really be explained using English—or Radchaai. The ambiguity is in turns amusing and frustrating, a puzzle that we are not given the pieces to solve.

Language is an important backdrop to the novel, but the novel is not (as you might expect) really about the life of a translator. In painting more of the wider world outside the Radch, Leckie introduces us (briefly) to a host of new languages and cultures, including ethnic groups that live in diaspora or are descendants of refugees. In many situations, members of these groups experience systemic, individual, and even linguistic discrimination. However, once they reach the Treaty Administration Facility, our protagonists encounter a remarkably helpful and tolerant group of extraterrestrials and humans, many of whom have genuine (rather than ulterior) motives to stand up for their rights. Though fans of the series already know the Radch does not and should not represent all of humanity, this novel illustrates the plurality of cultures and interests that exist outside Radchaai space. Overall, it makes a strong case for the advantages of having a diverse group of representatives in power, particularly in the experiences and opportunities it can give people, young and old, looking for understanding and growth.

This host of new languages also includes a host of new pronouns and cultural perceptions of gender. Reet comes from a background where changing gender identity is accepted and expected, creating an affirming environment for Qven when they choose to try some new pronouns about halfway through the novel. If the Imperial Radch series so far has examined what happens when your language does not mark gender identity (the Radchaai language has only one pronoun, she/her) this novel demonstrates the way the boundaries of language can be broken. The Radchaai characters persist in using she/her pronouns for everyone, leading to some awkward misgenderings. However, non-Radchaai citizens effortlessly add new words for he/him, sie/hir, and e/em pronouns to their Radchaai speech to honor the chosen pronouns of their friends and family.

Reet and Qven’s match is a kind of subplot, much like romantic relationships are in other novels. Initially, it looks like Reet and Qven will be forced into a situation where they have no choice but to match. According to the Adult Presger Translators, if they don’t match with each other, they will eventually feel compelled to match with some random nearby human, or (in the worst case scenario) die a very painful death. There is an element of body horror to it, reminiscent of ‘evil hive minds’ like the Borg, but the relationship is generally considered a cooperative one. Rather than one personality dominating or absorbing the other, “matched pairs” share the skills and knowledge of both bodies. Thankfully, Sphene comes up with a possible alternative to Reet and Qven’s match, allowing Reet and Qven to choose to match with each other voluntarily in the end.

The concept of matching fits well with what we know of the Presger; it’s a way of creating a collective consciousness like the Presger seem to be. However, it’s hard to imagine what the real-world analog to matching could be: perhaps an arranged marriage? When they first meet, the Adult Presger Translators leave Reet and Qven alone to bond in a series of scenes that are generally really cute (Reet and Qven have a lot to teach each other) but have an uncomfortable subtext. Refreshingly, Reet and Qven themselves are very careful about consent and respecting each other's feelings, but the adults around them seem to consider matching normal, or even something to be celebrated. While their matching is ultimately a positive event, it could easily have been heartbreaking and disturbing if Reet and Qven were forced to match without being consenting and ready. That possibility isn’t directly addressed, and points to a darker side of Presger and Presger Translator culture that we haven’t yet seen.

The ending of the novel leaves a number of unexplained questions—the future of Enae, the life of Reet and Qven together, and the outcome of the conclave—which leads me to expect, if not a direct sequel, at least a return of these characters in the future. With the treaty and the Radch itself still in danger of falling apart, all three have a lot to contribute to a universe in crisis.

Translation State offers an exciting peek into a rapidly changing universe, tempting us with glimpses of the Presger’s true nature and grounding us with lovable, refreshing characters. No longer just for tea drinkers, this series now has something for everybody: power and politicking, friendship and found family, cannibalism and comfort food.

Filling in gaps from Leckie's main sci fi series, and released to coincide with the reprinting of her seminal series, this book was a gripping read. Now that her sci fi series is being reprinted, there's no excuse not to jump in. Perfect for the new generations of readers.

I was so excited about receiving this ARC, I immediately went and re-read the original trilogy to "prepare". Not sure if that was really necessary, as this book works well as a standalone.
Translation State takes on one of my favorite sci-fi tropes, which is that of "translator to aliens" (see: Native Tongue, Drunk on All Your Strange New Words, Axiom's End - and related: ambassadors to aliens). It was an interesting take, since the "translators" here are (if I read this correctly) kind of a sub-species of their own, biologically designed and trained from childhood specifically for their task. I will also say that the world building, as it involved the Translators' upbringing and their development into adults, was utterly novel as far as I have read (I've read a lot of recent SF but not all the classics, so I'm unsure if this all came completely from Leckie's own head). Because of this, I think it provided a good "sandbox" for looking at gender and sexuality, and diverse "bodyminds" in general, while resisting any neat parallels to our own society. Which is what I love best about good sci-fi! In this regard, it has me thinking back to all the wonderful weirdness of Octavia E. Butler's human/alien relationships.
I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of the series or to new fans. I would recommend that fans of the series keep a bit of an open mind, since this book doesn't feel as large in scale, and is also extremely weird in some ways that the original trilogy was not. However, when I re-read the trilogy, I realized that even within that, there are huge shifts in scale across the three books and plenty of domesticity/character-driven moments (I think it's book 2 especially that focused on a smaller "scale" story?).
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for sharing this ARC with me! :)

Ann Leckie has written a strange and compelling story in Translation State that is set in a part of her Imperial Radch universe different from what we know from the Ancillary novels. For all its trappings of space opera and bizarre species, it’s very much a captivating story about family, loneliness, friendship, and the need to feel a sense of purpose and belonging. The writing deftly probes the emotions of its characters, and no matter how far from human they may be, what they feel always rings true.

I realized as I got into it that the feeling of strangeness I had reminded me of Octavia E. Butler’s Dawn from the Xenogenesis trilogy in which aliens want to merge with humans to produce a new race to repopulate the Earth. Leckie shows us several species on the fringes of the Radchaai system but focuses mostly on the mysterious Presger. Humans and other species never actually see the Presger, only their Translators who have a human shape. And these Presger are raised from a young age to imitate human behavior in carefully scripted and very stilted ways to discipline their behavior so they can be trusted not to do anything wild. As they get close to adulthood, they have to “match” with a carefully selected partner. And though we never see a full matching process, it involves a merging of flesh, to some extent, but the result is a single Translator with more than one body. Definitely strange.

But let me back up. We are introduced to this universe through the perspectives of three characters. A middle-aged woman, Mx Enae Athtur, who has devoted hir whole life to meeting the needs of hir Grandmaman and who finds hirself suddenly turned out on hir own, though with support, after the elder’s death. Sie is assigned a job with the Diplomatic Service to try to track down a Presger Translator who disappeared some two hundred years ago. To prepare for her assignment, sie learns about a crucial treaty with the Presger that is the only thing preventing that alien species from tearing the human world apart.

Second is Reet Hluid, apparently a human who works in the pipeways of the Rurusk Station. He is an orphan from a foster family who has never felt quite right in the world. His foster family supports him, but his sense of his own strangeness stems from his fantasies of biting into people’s flesh, though he keeps that strictly under control. He loves nothing so much as to retire to his small room to eat dumplings and watch installments of his favorite series, Pirate Exiles of the Death Moons. He too finds his life abruptly changed when he meets representatives of a club of descendants of the Hikipi, a human ethnic group who had fled persecution by the Phen and whose original world was destroyed. They claim Reet as one of their own, in fact, a descendant of the once ruling family named Schan.

Third is Qven, who is an “Edge”, one of the Presger Translators-in-training undergoing his lessons in human deportment, but who harbors longings to escape the rigid confines of his upbringing. He also dreads the day when he will have to match with someone, having witnessed, he thinks, a match in progress which looked, well, pretty grim and made him feel sick, though his classmates seemed to want to chow down on the anomalous thing they observed. Qven seems destined to match with an important Translator until one day he is attacked and, in the eyes of the adults of his world, damaged. It’s no longer clear if he’ll ever be able to match, and if that is not possible, then he will simply be disposed of.

Even though Translation State is space opera, with its multiple star systems and species and rapid travel among stations and planets, it is one that takes place mostly in very narrow spaces. There are the confined rooms where Enae, Reet and Qven spend much of their time, corridors and pipeways in space stations, small meeting rooms and, above all, the room where much of the culminating action takes place and that undergoes a spectacular reality shift. And the action is not about saving the universe, although preservation of the Presger Treaty seems to be a life-and-death matter for the Imperial Radch.

............
The action turns instead on the choices that the three main characters have to make in order to survive. This is a novel without a wasted word and reads quickly as the characters get drawn more and more deeply into the politics of their worlds. Translation State also has the excitement of a mystery thriller as it moves rapidly toward a remarkable climax. There are a few scenes of body horror, but they never overwhelm the main story. It’s a fine reading experience.

Very good standalone novel in the Imperial Radch universe. On one level it's a cross between a mystery and a coming of age novel, but with extremely odd space biology issues thrown in. You might be waiting for it to become a courtroom drama, which it does become until it doesn't. There are twists and turns. And tea and cakes, of course.

But more to the point, as always with Leckie, the big ideas. Identity. Nature versus nurture. Whether we can blame violence on violent cultures or if it's ultimately about people making choices. The adaptability of people, and their ability to choose not to reinforce cycles of violence. The value of forgiveness. The importance of family. The value of fostering and adoption. And of course, language use affecting how we see the world, reflected once again through the gendering, ungendering, and misgendering of pronouns.

I wish the ending hadn't been quite so abrupt -- if this is the last we see of these characters, it feels like we are prevented from getting a satisfying resolution of at least two characters' journeys -- but this is a minor quibble in another rich, thought provoking, and delightfully weird Leckie novel.

The extended Radch universe is BACK! This novel serves as a great entry point for new readers and an intriguing extension for existing fans, diving into the society and culture of frightening and mysterious Presger Translators. Encountered by humans in the far future, the Presger are a strange and violent alien race who tore through humanity like a forest fire before abruptly deciding to establish a ceasefire and establish a peacekeeping treaty. In order to communicate this desire to humanity, they vat-grew a race of semi-human creatures known as Translators to serve as a communication of their will to the outside world. Translators have a deep confusion regarding human culture, and in previous series entries have existed as sources of alternating comedic relief and startling brutality as their strange customs and biological impossibilities belie their inhuman existence. Translation State sees two Translators from two vastly different worlds - one raised as human, and one raised in Translator space - connecting with one another and posing deep philosophical questions about what it means to be a person.

To my surprise, much of the story plays out in the form of a courtroom drama, as various political entities petition and filibuster and backstab one another to define the legal status of two of the three POV protagonists. This can lead to the story feeling slow at times, as people meet and argue and deceive one another in various featureless rooms. However, it also provides an interesting neutral background for various different alien cultures to assert themselves: the Geck, who appeared prominently in a previous novel, Provenance, the Presger Translators, the unaffiliated humans, and even the Radchaai, the imperialist society who was central to the main series. Having spent so much time among the Radchaai in the original Imperial Radch trilogy, it is always fun to see how they are perceived by the outside world. Bonus points for the brief appearance of two of my favorite side characters - pretty sure I yelled out loud when Sphene slouched onto the scene.

Because this is an Ann Leckie novel, there is also a brilliantly nuanced take on gender and human agency and beauty and pain of self-discovery. Similarly par for the course is the politically charged microcosm of the station she chose to set the story on, showing how prejudice and oppression will form in the most backwater of places. There's also enough humor to keep even the heaviest moments from becoming bleak, and ultimately a beautiful reflection on the nature of life, what it means to be human, and who has the ability to make the distinction.

In TRANSLATION STATE, downtrodden Enae is thrust into a previously unimaginable leap from being Grandmother's caretaker and companion into the role of interplanetary diplomat. Blue-collar worker Reet gains a glimmer of hope about his own self-worth as strangers embrace him as an eminence for the violent qualities he has meticulously worked to repress. And coming out of a savage adolescence, Qven discovers dangerous truths on the road to a carefully cultivated adulthood as a Presger Translator.

In the beginning, Enae was the only character I felt sympathy for, and I found myself wary of Reet and frankly repulsed by Qven. But Ann Leckie has a gift of re-framing what you know, or THINK you know, about characters as they come to life in her stories. Well-intentioned actions cause events to spiral out of control and these three disparate lives to intertwine as Enae, Reet, and Qven are forced to stretch beyond their understandings about how the universe works, I found myself reconsidering my own perspectives. Some of these questions started with Leckie's previous Imperial Radch series. Some were new issues arising from how the non-humanoid neighbors of Radch space interact with humans and their understanding of what "humanity" is.

I hope we see some of these characters , humanoid and otherwise, in future novels. Or that we get to see the fallout of these arguments and decisions,

I was given the opportunity to review an e-ARC of TRANSLATION STATE through NetGalley and Orbit Books.

Leckie continues to fruitfully explore the universe she has created beyond the bounds of the Imperial Radch. I put off starting this because I thought it was darker than I wanted at the time, but once I did begin, I was immediately swept away on a tide of "What happens next?" Excellent. I wanted more when I finished, which is rare for me.