This is a wonderful second excursion into the world of the Imperial Radch. The complication is that the pacing is somewhat changed from the first book. The story chases a particular subplot, which gives the setting and world some needed time to breathe. The thematic elements are similar to the first book, with some additional development and nuance. It does, however, lack the driving sense of grief present in the first novel. Breq here is no longer as immediately shaken by the events in the flashback arc of Ancillary Justice, and as a result she enjoys some management success over a larger cast. The themes therefore stick a bit more to the characters in the subplot arc than to Breq, and I wonder if her doing too well might fit a little awkwardly with what I perceive to be the series' central point. However with the final book out, I don't have to wait long to find out. See next review shortly.