Provenance by Ann Leckie

Another unbeatable Leckie book. I love exploring the Imperial Radch universe more – and in this one, learning about the Geck, Hwae, and Omkem cultures. I was particularly interested in the descriptions of the mechs! And the politics! Wow there are always a lot of fascinating politics in Leckie’s works. & don’t forget the vestiges, which has me thinking of the Henry Ford museum.

But at its’ core Provenance is a story about finding your own desires, needs, and values. A story about friendship. A story about cultural identity. & family. Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about making our own families… How sometimes our friends can be our family. When a close friend has a burst appendix, family would drop everything to be there with them. So I think that makes us family.

I loved everything in Provenance. The food and setting descriptions were so lush; I imagined myself in Eswae parkland, the breeze in my hair, the sun on my cheeks, the babble of the stream. Ingray is a fascinating character: naive, brave, loving, and just a little scheming (as a treat!!). I too have a brother who I don’t always get along with, so it’s cathartic to read about similar relationships (Collin never schemes about politics though smh). I just can’t say enough how these books soothe my soul. Space! Mystery! Friendship! A little romance (wink wink).

Tic was an excellent character and a wonderful explanation of the human alien relationships. We learn what it is like to be a human in the Geck world: is there acceptance? Comradery? Classiscm? Pahlad/Garat was intriguing, charming, and betrayed in all the best ways. Nuncle was so sweet and only a little commandeering: an anchoring and parental force. Danach was Danach and there’s no other way to describe him.

I also really liked Leckie’s descriptions of the vestiges. As a stationary lover, I thought it was cool how invites and menus are of such cultural value! Everyone keeps cute little mementos of their visits that have personal meaning to them. But do the Hwae go too far when they may not be able to have an assembly without a particular vestige? It made me think of how fascinated we are with museums like the Smithsonian or Henry Ford - essentially full of vestiges from the past that have some kind of meaning to us. Why is it so cool to see the chair where Lincoln was shot? Would it change the nature of our society if the president didn’t live in the White House?

And I can’t forget the mechs! Provenance finally let us explore the ideas of mechs! I think it’s fascinating to learn more about how humans (not just Geck!) control them and the skill levels of different pilots. I’m hoping we will learn more in the future… (new book drops this year!)

I love Ann Leckie and her writing and her books. I can’t get enough!

Here’s my favorite quote:

“She was Ingray Aughskold, who had freed a wrongly convicted person from inescapable Compassionate Removal. Who had, completely unarmed, faced down Danach threatening her with a huge dirt mover. She’d had some help there, but she was also a person who sometimes had help from mysterious and unnerving aliens. She might have help here now.”