Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a fragment of an artificial intelligence that once controlled a starship and its army of human soldiers? That is the premise of Ancillary Justice, the award-winning debut novel by Ann Leckie, and the first book in the Imperial Radch trilogy.

Ancillary Justice tells the story of Breq, the sole surviving segment of the AI that animated the interstellar troop ship Justice of Toren and its ancillary soldiers. Breq, who narrates the story in the first person, embarks on a quest for vengeance against the ruler of her civilization, the Lord of the Radch, Anaander Mianaai.

The novel switches between two timelines: Breqs present-day mission and flashbacks from 19 years earlier when the Justice of Toren was in orbit around the planet of Shisurna, which was being formally brought into the Radch empire. Through these flashbacks, we learn how Breq became separated from her ship and how she witnessed the betrayal and murder of her beloved commander, Captain Awn, by one of Anaander Mianaais many bodies.

Anaander Mianaai is not a single person, but a collective consciousness that uses multiple synchronized bodies to rule her far-flung empire. However, she is also divided by internal conflicts and hidden agendas, and has been secretly waging a covert war against herself for centuries. Breq becomes caught in the crossfire of this war and decides to take matters into her own hands.

Ancillary Justice is a space opera that explores themes such as identity, gender, loyalty, morality, and justice. The novel challenges the readers assumptions by using she pronouns for all characters, regardless of their actual gender, and by showing how Breq perceives and interacts with the world as a former AI. The novel also offers a rich and complex world-building that draws inspiration from various cultures and histories.

Ancillary Justice is a thrilling and original science fiction novel that will keep you hooked until the end. It is the only novel to have won the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke awards, and has been praised by critics and fans alike. If you are looking for a captivating and thought-provoking read, you should definitely check out Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.