I'm impressed how much story is packed into this small package. It's more political than the first book but thats generally the case in sequels. The description for this one is a little misleading. It's less about the sister and more about seeing an other part of the Radch and the consequences of the culture they impose on annexed civilizations. Poverty, corruption, slavery, and a mystery space gate. I just wish there had been more of a climax at the end.