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Imperial Radch
Radiant Star
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26Ann Leckie returns to the world of the Imperial Radch in this standalone.
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 one last concession: One last man will be allowed to join the mummified bodies in the temporal location to become a "living saint".
But this one 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 zer comfortable life upended, and a young man sold into servitude will find unlikely escape.
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 one last concession: One last man will be allowed to join the mummified bodies in the temporal location to become a "living saint".
But this one 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 zer comfortable life upended, and a young man sold into servitude will find unlikely escape.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 12, 2026
2637 people want to read
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August 13, 2025A NEW ANN LECKIE BOOK AND IT IS SET IN THE UNIVERSE OF THE IMPERIAL RADCH????? MAY 2026 CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH
January 28, 2026
The latest book in the Imperial Radch series is an intriguing, thought provoking, and, at times, cheeky stand alone entry in this long standing series. This book is set just after the original trilogy (Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword & Ancillary Mercy) in the timeline, but focuses on the politics and religions of a small, isolated world that is almost entirely cut off from the rest of the Radch universe and, therefore, the plots of all the other books in this series. Despite this fact, however, this is a book best read after you’ve enjoyed the rest of the series.
As with all Ann Leckie novels, this book follows the stories of multiple characters through a series of politically heavy events. The characters grow throughout the tale and their stories eventually weave together through the narrative, even if some characters never meet. I find Ann Leckie’s books almost impossible to describe except to say that if you like your SciFi on the thinking side, you’re sure to enjoy her complex world building and examination of unique alien and planetary premises. No two books are alike and Ann Leckie is truly a master of creating alien beings and cultures that somehow are never alienating to the reader. These are the books to read when you want to see and feel the commonality and humanness even in the other. Radiant Star is no exception and any fan of Ann Leckie or thought provoking SciFi is sure to love both this series and this newest entry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Leckie for an ARC of this book.
As with all Ann Leckie novels, this book follows the stories of multiple characters through a series of politically heavy events. The characters grow throughout the tale and their stories eventually weave together through the narrative, even if some characters never meet. I find Ann Leckie’s books almost impossible to describe except to say that if you like your SciFi on the thinking side, you’re sure to enjoy her complex world building and examination of unique alien and planetary premises. No two books are alike and Ann Leckie is truly a master of creating alien beings and cultures that somehow are never alienating to the reader. These are the books to read when you want to see and feel the commonality and humanness even in the other. Radiant Star is no exception and any fan of Ann Leckie or thought provoking SciFi is sure to love both this series and this newest entry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Leckie for an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's an odd thing to suggest that a book that has as many things happen in it as Radiant Star does isn't plot driven, but more than anything this novel felt like a portrait of a city and a religion and an exploration of some of the themes that have defined the Imperial Radch books. Through a handful of interleaved perspectives, Leckie paints a nuanced picture of how personal ambition intersects with faith and family and how people deal with it when those things are at loggerheads. All of this dances around a fabulous setting that has been built with the sort of care characteristic of Leckie's work.
Ann Leckie's books are really good at showing characters that are limited in their ability to act for internal reasons. I really appreciate that the flaws and limitations characters have are fundamentally believable, and this has always made those characters feel really three-dimensional and fleshed out. Radiant Star stands apart from Leckie's other novels in the way that those character limitations are described: the narration here is arch and wry, offering details of characters' psyches and frank assessments of their limitations, and not infrequently addressing them directly to the reader. It's an omniscient third person narration that seems like it has been written hundreds of years after the events of the book, which makes for a very different voice to the first person narration of the original Imperial Radch trilogy or the first- and limited-third-person narration of the other sequels in the series. While I really like it, I also tend to prefer when I know who the narrator is, either because they're a character or because we eventually find out, and I missed that here.
I've also always appreciated the way Leckie portrays different relations to religion, from pragmatism to genuine devotion, without judgement or sense that one is inherently superior. It's an interesting and humane view, and the matter-of-fact tone that describes both divine visions and internal politics gives space for the characters to be worldly, self-motivated individuals while also being genuine devoted worshipers. The Radch Empire and it's agents are also given that treatment, and I was reminded of the recent A Drop of Corruption in the way the book talked about empires and how the political structures they replace aren't necessarily worth valorising.
The Imperial Radch books continue to be a heck of a lot of fun, and I continue to hope that the exploration of the aftermath of the original trilogy means that someday we'll get another entry returning to those characters. Wherever Ann Leckie takes me, I will go.
Ann Leckie's books are really good at showing characters that are limited in their ability to act for internal reasons. I really appreciate that the flaws and limitations characters have are fundamentally believable, and this has always made those characters feel really three-dimensional and fleshed out. Radiant Star stands apart from Leckie's other novels in the way that those character limitations are described: the narration here is arch and wry, offering details of characters' psyches and frank assessments of their limitations, and not infrequently addressing them directly to the reader. It's an omniscient third person narration that seems like it has been written hundreds of years after the events of the book, which makes for a very different voice to the first person narration of the original Imperial Radch trilogy or the first- and limited-third-person narration of the other sequels in the series. While I really like it, I also tend to prefer when I know who the narrator is, either because they're a character or because we eventually find out, and I missed that here.
I've also always appreciated the way Leckie portrays different relations to religion, from pragmatism to genuine devotion, without judgement or sense that one is inherently superior. It's an interesting and humane view, and the matter-of-fact tone that describes both divine visions and internal politics gives space for the characters to be worldly, self-motivated individuals while also being genuine devoted worshipers. The Radch Empire and it's agents are also given that treatment, and I was reminded of the recent A Drop of Corruption in the way the book talked about empires and how the political structures they replace aren't necessarily worth valorising.
The Imperial Radch books continue to be a heck of a lot of fun, and I continue to hope that the exploration of the aftermath of the original trilogy means that someday we'll get another entry returning to those characters. Wherever Ann Leckie takes me, I will go.
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January 27, 2026I was given a copy of Radiant Star in exchange for my honest review through NetGalley.
Set in the same universe as Leckie’s award-winning Imperial Radch series, Radiant Star leaves the imperial core for a more distant planet, cut off from Radch space, and the events that unfold there in the same time period. While it is quite different from Ancillary Justice and its sequels, it still showcases Leckie’s excellent prose, fantastic sense of both human understanding and alien society, while examining themes both familiar and new.
I am particular about the writing in books, so much so that it trumps plot in my estimation of the quality of a book. I have enjoyed all of the other entries in the Imperial Radch space opera universe, but Radiant Star has a specific quality in its writing that sets it apart from the rest. I won’t say it is better, because I do think that it is necessary to view it in relation to Ancillary Justice et al, but there is something special about the writing in this one. The book follows many characters as the story unfolds, as told by an admittedly non-omniscient narrator, but a narrator who knows much, and who often interjects with bits of history, opinions, and to address the reader directly. While I understand why more books are not written this way, it was extremely enjoyable and I do hope to see more of it. It makes the experience of reading like talking with a friend, and when the story is delightful as well? Well, it’s magnificent. That alone would give this book five stars.
On the remote and icy planet of Ooiaiaa, the people live underground, are prone to visions, and have been recently annexed by the Radch. They bristle against the new imperial forces in their singular city. The rule of the Radch clashes with the existing culture of Ooiaiaa, in ways of gender, religion, and most unfortunately, food. As the planet becomes cut off from the rest of Radch space, communication stops and starvation looms. Despite the grimness it contains, the book manages to be lighthearted and sincere, perhaps because of this loving narrator, checking in on the reader.
As always, Leckie manages to have something to say about the construction of gender in her books with the Radch. The commentary is not as present as it is in some earlier installments, but Radiant Star has the widest variety of pronouns in a novel that I have seen— which in itself, is a comment, isn’t it?
Overall, it is a fantastic read for fans of new and unique space operas. I believe Ann Leckie follows in the tradition of LeGuin’s Hainish Cycle, and it is always a delight to see where she will next take us.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
honestly this might be my favourite imperial radch book. where the others were intensely personal and character driven, this is more about telling the story of a major crisis through the eyes of a few key (and not-so-pivotal) players in said crisis. the alien, intensely (yet humanly) religious society of. uh. ooioiaa. feels alive with its politics and power plays and cuisine and religion, and while the radch itself takes a bit of a backseat (as does the associated commentary on imperialism), the events of this book are directly impacted by those of the original trilogy.
even though this book isn't as character driven as the others, i almost found myself connecting with its cast more. jonr is an unwanted (well. it's complicated) child who's never found a place in the world until, through a freak set of circumstances, he becomes the caretaker of the imperial governor's cousin. shtel is an underappreciated consort, while hir useless heir of a partner iono schemes fruitlessly with blinkers on. keemat is a rebellious monk who wants nothing more than the spotlight, as long as it comes by the will of the radiant star. the pov list goes on but they're all so interconnected that none of it is confusing.
the tone of this book is a bit didactic and old-fashioned, with the narrator breaking the fourth wall at times to allude not only to the reader but to the original trilogy. it fits, though, with a ersatz historical narrative. all in all, i really enjoyed this one!
thanks netgalley and orbit for the e-arc!
even though this book isn't as character driven as the others, i almost found myself connecting with its cast more. jonr is an unwanted (well. it's complicated) child who's never found a place in the world until, through a freak set of circumstances, he becomes the caretaker of the imperial governor's cousin. shtel is an underappreciated consort, while hir useless heir of a partner iono schemes fruitlessly with blinkers on. keemat is a rebellious monk who wants nothing more than the spotlight, as long as it comes by the will of the radiant star. the pov list goes on but they're all so interconnected that none of it is confusing.
the tone of this book is a bit didactic and old-fashioned, with the narrator breaking the fourth wall at times to allude not only to the reader but to the original trilogy. it fits, though, with a ersatz historical narrative. all in all, i really enjoyed this one!
thanks netgalley and orbit for the e-arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a standalone novel set in the Imperial Radch universe – if you have read the earlier books in the Ancillary series, you’ll feel at home in this small corner of the empire. If this is your first time, you’ll be perfectly fine; you really don’t need a deeper understanding of some of the Radch-related concepts, it’s not entirely central to story.
This book is a character-driven exploration of politics, religious yearnings, and social hierarchies in a small world circumscribed by the conditions of its existence as an icebound sunless planetoid drifting through space, colonized in the far past and now re-conquered by the expansionist Radchaai. Events in the wider empire leave the planetary governor cut off from re-supply and communications, and she is finds herself on her own trying to keep the remote colony alive while the citizens grapple with assimilation into the Empire and the upending of their society.
Leckie builds a web of well-developed characters with their own obsessions and motivations; the conflicts emerge naturally and inevitably. The tightly-written story moves along at a snappy pace that nonetheless leaves room for delving into the humanity of each individual. Leckie displays her greatest strength as a writer when creating people who seem to be very different from us, but in the end turn out to be as glorious and flawed as any other human.
This book is a character-driven exploration of politics, religious yearnings, and social hierarchies in a small world circumscribed by the conditions of its existence as an icebound sunless planetoid drifting through space, colonized in the far past and now re-conquered by the expansionist Radchaai. Events in the wider empire leave the planetary governor cut off from re-supply and communications, and she is finds herself on her own trying to keep the remote colony alive while the citizens grapple with assimilation into the Empire and the upending of their society.
Leckie builds a web of well-developed characters with their own obsessions and motivations; the conflicts emerge naturally and inevitably. The tightly-written story moves along at a snappy pace that nonetheless leaves room for delving into the humanity of each individual. Leckie displays her greatest strength as a writer when creating people who seem to be very different from us, but in the end turn out to be as glorious and flawed as any other human.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I am delighted by Leckie's apparent desire to explore every bizarre literary perspective trick she can get her hands on. This isn't as wild as (the parts I've read of) The Raven Tower being entirely in second person, addressed to the protagonist, but here she uses an unnamed narrator constructing the events of the story as if they were writing a history. It's cool! It's especially nice to see some of the fallout of the events of the Radchaai Civil War detailed in the first three books from the ground, though I still need to read the other two stand-alone Radch novels so there might be more of that that I haven't seen yet.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
High quality humanist science fiction set on an isolated planet at the edge of Radch space. Although the society is very alien, the people are not. Humanity is still humanity, even in the far future. When crisis erupts, they react in familiar ways.
This could be read without any knowledge of other Radch books, but knowing some of the background helps illuminate the action. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This could be read without any knowledge of other Radch books, but knowing some of the background helps illuminate the action. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I love Leckie's writing, but this was slow in a way that felt like a slog. I didn't like the narration, I felt like the story stayed too disconnected for too long, and over all I didn't get the richness from Radiant Star that I have from her other writing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love the author's ability to craft a wholly original and engaging world with its own rules and customs. I also appreciated the author's use of the story to convey a message about the value of service to others. There were some funny moments to add some levity and while the plot got a little meandering sometimes, it held my interest because I liked the characters.
ARC from NetGalley
ARC from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This was great as usual for this author. Smaller scale and a lot of it is politics, and it's kind of a side story to her big trilogy in the same universe (but this is a smaller part of that universe, a city under the ice of a frozen planet...).
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews