For whatever reason I was a bit leary about reading the Ancillary novels, so I read the stand alone Provenance and it was... fine. Well enough writtenFor whatever reason I was a bit leary about reading the Ancillary novels, so I read the stand alone Provenance and it was... fine. Well enough written but the story didn't particularly grab me.
However, I heard very good things about Translation State, particularly from the Incomparable podcast so when I saw it in the 2-for-1 Audible sale I thought I'd give it a try.
My first pleasant surprise was to find it is read by Adjoa Andoh, who has long been one of my favourite actors - particularly her voice acting, as she has done a lot of drama on BBC Radio (including a fair bit of science fiction) - and is one of the very finest readers around.
And, at least partly due to the reading, I was gripped this time. We start with three narrative threads, two of which come together with the third, odder one, staying separate but hints of why it is connected becoming apparent.
The mystery is brilliantly executed, the setting unique, the politics and culture clashes well-drawn without being over done, and the characterisation (brought to life by Andoh's reading) exceptional. This is the second or third example I've come across of different cultures being voiced in distinct accents (Ben Allen also does it brilliantly in Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series). Here Andoh gives Reet's family West Indian accents, the Siblings (I think) Ghanaian accents and the Presger translators are Welsh (view spoiler)[(as is Reet himself) (hide spoiler)], with various other accents given to other cultures and aliens. I especially thought the Russian accent given to the alien who said "My people don't do small talk" very fitting. And, within each accent grouping, each character is distinct, to the extent you forget it is all from the same reader. My guess is that the US audiobook has a different reader; I suspect many Americans would struggle with the Welsh accent - though for me, it brings to mind Dylan Thomas and Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen.
There is a also a good level of low-key humour throughout, such as the Presger translator young being taught how to pass as human by basically playing at children's tea parties contrasted with their cannibalism - which, of course, isn't just cannibalism, as they absorb the "essence" of what they eat, not unlike the Alzabo in Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun.
There are clear references to events that I suspect occur in the Ancillary trilogy, and enjoying this book so much encourages me to go and explore them - especially if the audio is read by Adjoa Andoh,...more
