Translation State

By: Ann Leckie

Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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 novel from a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author: "There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can" (John Scalzi).

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.

©2023 Ann Leckie (P)2023 Orbit

Critic reviews

"Andoh expertly navigates the emotional depths of the three main characters, each of whom comes from a background in which they have not felt valued or part of their community. . . .As all three claim their identities and start to heal, Andoh’s performance resonates in profound way.”—AudioFile (Starred Review)

Not her best

I have grown to expect complicated sophisticated stories from Leckie. This story did not meet expectations.
I hope she returns to the depth of her Ancillary series.

Strange but good

This might have been better to read than listen to …. I got lost occasionally and I’m sure I missed some things just because there is so much going on and because some concepts are quite different. Trying to understand the alien culture and physiology while immersed in a story about beings who don’t quite fit that norm. Very creative. Very glad I listened to it and think I will revisit it in a few months.

Excellent book

The tone, methods, and overall story were perfect. The author can often be boring with nothing interesting happening for chapters/hours. This is not one of those books. Something interesting happens every chapter. This book should be fun to read for anyone truly interested in sci-fi from linguistics, biology, physics, philosophy, or just cool stories.

Marvelous!

What an excellent book this is. And the narrator is sublime. They did such great voices! Added immeasurably to this already wonderful book.
Highly recommend if you love sci-fi that scratches your itch for alien anthropology and NEW ideas. I loved it.

Another Homerun!

I could listen to the narrator and the author endlessly!! And I absolutely adore universe

Spectacular!

It's a great stand alond story, while giving us further insight into the world of the Ancillary series.

We have an excellent cast of characters.

The story explores themes of belonging. Identity, what that means to you, and what that means to the people around you. The importance if doing what you can, even when you can't do very much. And what it means to heal.

It could have been much better

This is a story that started out strong introducing the three main characters and their backstories. I was really interested in seeing where it would all go, but then it morphed into a Hallmark movie (you know, the one about the orphan who gets adopted but then the birth parents want them back) and suddenly there was a disaster (kinda) that required two of our protags to solve (for no particular reason). Situation resolved, it ends in typical Hallmark fashion.

I thought that Adjoa Andoh did a great job, narrating but the abundance and variety of unusual pronouns made it really difficult to follow conversations at times. It all kind of blended into a word soup.

Everything you wanted to know about translators

What an incredible novel that manages to tell you a lot of veeeery fascinating details about the translators by way of a great story with amazing characters, and even some characters we've met before make a guest appearance.

Yet another win

Everything that Ann Leckie writes is fire and Andoa delivers her words beautifully. This is the space opera that I've been looking for my whole life.

Beautiful and fascinating

What a lovely read. It felt so unique and compelling, but also made the alien feel familiar and the familiar feel alien.