Translation State by Ann Leckie

I would like to thank Nazia from Orbit for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Orbit

Published – Out Now

Price – £20 hardback £11.99 Kindle eBook

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.

Many tales in fantasy and science fiction asks the main character the question who are you? A future leader, warrior, war-ender, villain or powerful mage. In many ways the reader too gets to think about their own identity – who are they morally? What would they do in certain situations? Working out who we are is something we come back to not just growing up but throughout our lives. That question of Identity is a central theme in Ann Leckie’s elegant and thoughtful Translation State which returns to the Imperial Radch universe of the excellent Ancillary Justice trilogy with a powerful intimate tale of characters deciding who they wish to be.

There has been a treaty between the major powers of the galaxy for a thousand years which actually seems to be working well. Even the most alien of aliens the mysterious Presger obey it though no one really knows as they operate though seemingly human but very much not Translators. In a busy universe filled with the odd war, space battle and crises that two hundred years ago no one noticed that a Presger Translator appeared to have gone rogue and no one knows where they ended up.

A couple of centuries later the often put upon Enae buries hir Grandmaman and is the next day told her family is being taken over by a wealthy new relative who promptly sends hir on a mission to find the translator. Its Enae’s first real experience of life outside the family home but many skills dealings with difficult people and households end up being very useful. Reet has been a maintenance engineer and at 31 is surprised when suddenly this orphaned human who turned up in the middle of a war is being told he is actually the long-lost heir to a small empire known as Lovehate station and is asked to visit a planet to know more of his supposed Hikipu heritage. Reet finally gets the feeling of knowing who he is but finds himself more ambivalent as to whether this is really him.

Qven is a very young would be future Preger translator. They live within a Clade cut-off from everyone. They have survived the standard eating of other young ones by parts of their class and now the mysterious Teachers teach them the strange ways of being around humans. The future if going though a strange process known as Matching but what Qven sees of this process terrifies them. A fellow student offers a way out but then Qven finds themselves discovered and in disgrace. These three characters are going to cross paths and set about a conflict that brings in ambassadors, protests and even a ship’s AI together to decide what the future holds and ideally save the Treaty from collapsing.

This is a beautiful intricate and intimate science fiction story where Leckie blends truly alien groups together and yet brings the reader along the journey and it all serves as a study in what does identify mean and how people react to saying this is who I am. With Enae we have a character who fits the more classic science fiction narrative of someone finding their place in the universe and yet rather than traditional young rascal we have a middle-aged character very much an introvert suddenly thrust into the role of galactic investigator. Enae gets freedom after a rather controlling grandmaman dominated their lives – the act of buying an expensive scarf is the first time they’ve been allowed to act themselves. With Enae everyone doubts the case can be solved but Enae doesn’t give p and indeed finds Reet’s tale so strange that they trigger unexpectedly this entire next mini-conflict between all the major powers. Enae though takes ownership and tries to fix things because that is the right thing to do and no Ambassador, government or legal system is getting in their way. Enae’s tale is the gentle blossoming of someone finding their place at last.

With Reet we have someone with no idea of who they are being presented finally with an explanation, a culture and a history. Being the adopted human within a space station of aliens he has often felt lost. His only comfort watching episodes of a long-running science fiction drama (and who relates to that??). Here it’s the question initially does finding out where you’re from make you happy. Its more dangerous for Reet as he finds the Hikipu people have been suppressed in their sector of the galaxy by the majority government for many years and tensions on both sides are now running high and prone to violence. Here Leckie explore identity when your culture is viewed as the enemy and the way someone can lose rights, be treated as merely a pest to be controlled echoes many experiences of our own world. But Leckie has a splendid change in Reet’s tale which brings the same issues to the centre on a bigger scale – what is it to be human?

With the most alien of the character’s Qven they tell us their own perspective. How they grow us is powerfully alien. A school setting where eating students and Teachers is not unknown is a first and yet Leckie makes us see Qven as a person not a thing. We feel their hopes, fears and at times terror. Qven is someone for whom their identity has been planned for for a very long time – even as to whom their eventual match will be. They’re expected to obey and yet this doesn’t feel right. Here Leckie makes us feel the importance of not being who you’re not and having the power and choice to say no actually this is who I am and want to be.

In many ways Translation State is an evolution of the themes picked up in the first Imperial Raddch trilogy. Where there the core idea of gender was an issue raised – getting us to watch a society where the feminine pronoun was the key driver to language, here in this tale its contrasted with multiple groups and characters who use different terms and need to be respected for using them. If before the question was can an AI be really sentient? Leckie now pushes us to ask can anyone call themselves human? With Reet and Qven we move to powerful legal drama (that of course turns into a SF adventure) where we face the idea of people being able to swap species, genders and more. In a time where forces gather to say Identity cannot change or be questioned this story makes us feel exactly why that is so important a freedom and the consequences of not being allowed to know who you are and be allowed to live it are made very clear. This is a story of small victories, being loved by your family; sharing a TV show that you love but also taking on powerful Ambassadors who feel they can control the whole legal system and saying firmly no. But with added aliens with strange power s that can warp reality for good measure which creates a powerful solution as all the main characters face their lives on the line and need to find a solution to prevent a galactic war. Importantly the stakes were high and yet not too high to make us lose the character’s own stories.

Translation State is a powerful and persuasive tale of allowing us to explore and choose to be who we are. It reminds us those decisions are never fixed but also are important o our happiness and way of living. It’s the kind of story science fiction excels at and Leckie does it with a quiet focused storytelling ability that made this a beautiful, refreshing and heartwarming read. It is strongly recommended!