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Translation State

Imperial Radch #5 / 5 ✓
by Ann Leckie
Translation State (Imperial Radch #5) by Ann Leckie
  ★ 8.50 / 4
1★2★3★4★15★6★7★8★19★210★

The mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars in this powerful new novel by award-winning author Ann Leckie. 

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 Leckie's celebrated Imperial Radch universe.

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Updated 04/10/2025
Category: Science Fiction
Release date: June 6, 2023 (Orbit)

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Ann Leckie

Ann Leckie

Ann Leckie is a celebrated name in the realm of science fiction, known for her thought-provoking narratives that blur the lines between artificial intelligence, identity, and power. Her writing is an exploration of humanity through the lens of the far future, where complex social structures, gender, and even consciousness itself are redefined in ways that challenge readers to see the world—and themselves—differently.

Born in 1966 in the United States, Leckie spent much of her childhood devouring science fiction and fantasy, an obsession that would eventually shape her career. Her love for speculative fiction led her to study philosophy, and that academic background can be seen in her meticulous exploration of the philosophical and ethical implications of technology, politics, and society in her work. Leckie’s writing, at once cerebral and deeply emotional, invites readers to question the assumptions that underlie our understanding of the world.

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Her debut novel, Ancillary Justice, catapulted her into the science fiction spotlight, earning critical acclaim for its rich world-building, layered characters, and complex treatment of gender. The book introduces the reader to the Radch Empire and its AI-driven military, focusing on Breq, a former soldier seeking vengeance. The novel’s exploration of identity, as well as its groundbreaking use of gender-neutral pronouns, resonated with readers and critics alike, establishing Leckie as a unique voice in speculative fiction.

With Ancillary Justice and its sequels in the Imperial Radch trilogy, Leckie deftly tackles themes of empire, autonomy, and what it means to truly "be" something. Her ability to weave deeply philosophical questions into the framework of a gripping space opera has earned her numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. But beyond accolades, what truly sets Leckie apart is her capacity to create complex, often flawed characters who force us to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our world.

Leckie’s writing style is immersive and thought-provoking, balancing intricate world-building with rich character development. Her narratives are often driven by questions about power, memory, and justice, with a philosophical undertone that never feels forced or academic. Readers are swept into her universes not just by the sheer adventure of space battles or interstellar intrigue, but by the emotional and intellectual stakes of her stories.

As she continues to expand the boundaries of what science fiction can explore, Leckie remains one of the genre's most important and innovative voices. Her works invite readers to reimagine the future while holding up a mirror to the complexities of our present. Through her exploration of AI, gender, and identity, Leckie’s fiction serves as both a philosophical inquiry and a powerful narrative experience, one that lingers long after the last page is turned.

Imperial Radch

Imperial Radch consists of five books — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1)
  ★ 7.62 / 18
Ancillary Sword (Imperial Radch #2)
  ★ 7.86 / 14
Ancillary Mercy (Imperial Radch #3)
  ★ 8.16 / 12
Provenance (Imperial Radch #4)
  ★ 8.58 / 7
Translation State (Imperial Radch #5)
  ★ 8.50 / 4

Book Reviews

06/07/2023
Item202 avatar
Item202
266 books, 2 reviews
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5 / 10

Ann Leckie's latest novel is a standalone effort set in her award-winning Ancillary universe, though the term standalone should come with a caveat anytime it refers to a part of an already established canon. Translation State, like the previous standalone Provenance, offers an expanded understanding of the world Leckie established in her Radch trilogy, but probably shouldn't be thought of as an entry point to the universe. It is also, for me, the least successful of Leckie's novels, though seemingly still an essential one for her readers, as it delves into several aspects of the earlier novels that were left ambiguous or incomplete.

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The novel begins with three separate storylines that converge as the novel progresses. It kicks of with Enae, whose Grandmaman and sole benefactor has recently died. Enae finds hirself disinherited upon learning that Grandmaman had essentially been broke, and only managed to keep herself and Enae afloat by trading her estate and the family name to a nouveau riche upstart for a sizeable personal allowance. Luckily for Enae, Grandmaman had cooked up an agreement with this interloper to provide for hir (Enae) after her passing. So Enae is secured a position at the Office of Diplomacy, and sent on a errand to find out the whereabouts of, or to learn the ultimate fate of, a long missing Presger Translator. (For the uninitiated, the treaty with the alien Presger is the only thing keeping human civilization from crumbling, and the Translators - an engineered race of people separate from the Presger themselves - are essential to the treaty's continued health.) Enae quickly learns that sie is not expected to actually complete the assignment, but simply to travel about and report back hir lack of success in doing so. Sie decides to make a go of it, anyway.

The other two threads follow Reet, an orphan who gets caught up in the machinations of a political faction of displaced people known as the Hikipi, and Qven, an adolescent Presger Translator who is considered damaged goods after suffering a terrifying sexual assault. Explaining how the plot brings these disparate individuals together would spoil to much, though it quickly becomes clear that the confluence of circumstances has far-reaching implications for the upcoming Conclave, which was aggressively teased in Provenance and given even more weight here.

Translation State has many of the attributes that won Leckie her loyal fan base: the social and political maneuverings; her tart, sometimes goofy sense of humor; the imaginative perils and pitfalls she throws in her characters' paths. We get to learn more about the the Geck and the Rrrrrr, and especially the thoroughly fascinating Presger Translators, even if the Presger themselves are still shrouded in mystery.

Where Translation State falls short for me - and it's a pretty big fall - is in the three main characters themselves. Our introduction to Enae, who seemingly spent hir life up until Grandmaman's death showing no real initiative or assertiveness (at least, not that we are made aware of) does nothing but when the plot requires sie do so, with little indication of what might have brought about this sea change. That sie fades somewhat into the background as Reet and Qven take center stage is not surprising. Those two characters, whom the main action of the novel is visited upon, are impossibly earnest, cloying in their preciousness - much in the way adults idealize adolescence, rather than being believably adolescent (a common problem in many YA novels). Not to mention (sorry if this is too spoilery) a big chunk of the novel deals with their growing bond of friendship, which consists entirely of them lying in bed and binge-watching a streaming show. This is a growing trend in science fiction - the lionizing of modern-day consumerist habits in a far-future setting - and until now I would have hoped an author of Leckie's considerable gifts would steer clear of it, but here we are.

As a harbinger of things to come, Translation State gives readers plenty to look forward to, but for this reader, at least, less to hold onto right now.

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