Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn't "optimal behavior". I's the type of behavior that results in elimination.
But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.
As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the …
Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn't "optimal behavior". I's the type of behavior that results in elimination.
But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.
As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line—the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.
Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, and a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, Translation State is a triumphant new standalone story set in the celebrated Imperial Radch universe.
This is entirely as interesting and fun as all of Ann Leckie's previous books and it goes in directions that I'd never have expected from the others.
She is also gifted at writing aliens that are truly alien - just about incomprehensible to humans - and not just creatures that are basically like us but maybe a little angrier or something. Similarly her humans think differently from each other.
What a lovely tale of identity, family, acceptance, and binge-watching Pirate Exiles under a blanket fort.
This follows the Imperial Radch Trilogy much more directly than Provenance did - I would definitely read those books first. But do. And then read this one.
Considerably more scattered but ultimately fascinating
4 stars
It feels like there must have been piles more POV characters in this book than the others but now trying to remember after the fact there were only three? Regardless, I sometimes had trouble tracking what was happening and integrating events into the core thread of the story.
Whereas I tend to classify the Ancillary trio as stories about consent that use gender and identity as world-building color, much of Translation State struck me as the inverse— a story fundamentally about identity where lack of consent is used to highlight or intensify the characters’ struggles to know themselves. The denouement however ties everything together: /informed/ consent, or gtfo.
Bonus brain-bending geometry puzzles and backstory for some of the weirder moments from translators in previous books.
CN for squick-inducing body horror (experienced by someone not expecting it), non-squick-inducing body horror (experienced by someone for whom it is normal), and neutral/normalized gore …
It feels like there must have been piles more POV characters in this book than the others but now trying to remember after the fact there were only three? Regardless, I sometimes had trouble tracking what was happening and integrating events into the core thread of the story.
Whereas I tend to classify the Ancillary trio as stories about consent that use gender and identity as world-building color, much of Translation State struck me as the inverse— a story fundamentally about identity where lack of consent is used to highlight or intensify the characters’ struggles to know themselves. The denouement however ties everything together: /informed/ consent, or gtfo.
Bonus brain-bending geometry puzzles and backstory for some of the weirder moments from translators in previous books.
CN for squick-inducing body horror (experienced by someone not expecting it), non-squick-inducing body horror (experienced by someone for whom it is normal), and neutral/normalized gore and violence. Brief analogue to sexual assault, sustained analogue to SA-induced PTSD.
Really dug this. Continues Leckie's exploration of gender and identity. Likewise attends to some interesting caregiving dynamics. I think the title nicely signals all of this: the work of transitioning across gender and identity and also phases of life. Plus, weird alien doors.
