Radiant Star
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4.2 • 81 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Space opera's sharpest mind returns to the world of the Imperial Radch in this brilliant standalone from award-winning author Ann Leckie.
The Temporal Location of the Radiant Star has always been a source of both conflict and hope for the people of Ooioiaa. However, the imperial Radch see it only as an inconvenience, an antiquated religious site soon to be absorbed into their own, superior culture. But local politics is complicated, and the Radch have made a final concession: One last man will be allowed to join the mummified bodies in the temporal location to become a “living saint”.
But this decision will ripple out to affect every part of the city. Amidst a slowly worsening food shortage, riots, and a communication blackout from the rest of the Radch Empire, a religious savant will entertain visions of his own sainthood, a socialite will discover hir comfortable life upended, and a young man sold into servitude will find unlikely escape.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Politics, religion, and the impacts of colonialism all create a thought-provoking symphony of disaster in this absorbing science fiction novel. On the small, isolated planet of Ooioiaa, a worldwide religion is devoted to the practice of selecting living saints, who are then kept in an almost cryogenic state to await their anticipated grand salvation event in the faraway future. But the crumbling Radch interplanetary empire nearby has decided to annex Ooioiaa, and the new overlords have little patience for the Ooioiaans’ long-ossified beliefs. A fascinating domino effect kicks off when the Radch reluctantly agree to let the tiny planet select one final living saint. Author Ann Leckie brilliantly captures the blatant political power grabs and underhanded betrayals as both Radch and Ooioiaa descend toward chaos. It’s all wryly funny and filled with clever, pointed insights into the flawed systems people create. Radiant Star is an incisive read in the tradition of greats like Ursula K. Le Guin.
Customer Reviews
A Stand Alone Novel in the Imperial Radch Universe
“Radiant Star” is a stand-alone novel in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch Universe, which takes place on an insignificant rouge planet known as Aaa, that has only one city, Ooioiaa. This planet is a frozen world that does not orbit a star, but has a limited biosphere beneath the ice that is maintained by geothermal energy. This novel takes place during the Radchaai Civil War.
In this interesting setting, there is a civilization and a religion that revers the Radiant Star which apparently appeared far in the past. This Star is worshipped in its Temporal Location by two remaining sects (once there were three). This seemingly insignificant world has been taken over by the Imperial Radch, who see that at some point in its future it will move into a position that may have military importance. There is a Radchaai Governor that is somewhat disliked by the local authorities, but there is little they can do against the military might of Radchaai Ancillaries. So there is an uneasy situation, but mostly stable. That is until the gates that connect systems begin to fail.
Left to its own devices, the situation on the Planet Aaa begins to degenerate. When Sea Blight causes significant disruption of the food supply, things get significantly worse. The various factions struggle to survive and to gain advantage. We follow various Citizens who live through these turbulent times.
These various characters are interesting, as are the different cultures and classes they represent. Each of these threads weave together a story that seems like more than the sum of its parts. It’s a remarkable setting and the culture of the residents of Ooioiaa is different and unique. It’s an interesting story that occurs on the periphery of the Radch Empire.
Very different, in many ways.
I would like to know more about the narrator – for this is a story told *by* someone, not just "head hopping" – and also more about what happened to a couple of characters later. Fascinating how few outright villains, really. ...and now I've stayed up way past bedtime and should sleep. Oops.
Unreadable
Gender dystopian with intentional pronoun switching and pronoun misspelling make this book literally unreadable. I really enjoyed the Ancillary trilogy and am very disappointed this is where the author chose to take it.