An excellent ending to the series. As always I loved the characters and am sad to close the book on their story. I was especially delighted by the introductions of Sphene and Translator Zeiat. I would read a whole spinoff series of them interacting. Ann Leckie keeps the tensions high in this book from early on and maintains it until the end. I raced through the pages to see what was going to happen next.

I loved every moment of this conclusion to the Imperial Radch trilogy. Where the second book focused primarily on the political and cultural implications of colonialism, and, generally, felt more externally focused, this was deeply personal and intimate. After an entire book where Breq seemingly couldn't lose, she finally reaches the limits of her physical, mental and emotional abilities, and has to face difficult truths about herself, Ship, Seivarden, and her crew as a whole. I was levelled by the emotional conversations between Breq, Ship and Seivarden in particular.

I also felt like the pacing in this installment worked really well, making it a quick and compelling read. We pick up right where we left off at the end of book two, with significant action and emotional revelation before 50% and an extended resolution to the conflict that felt exactly right for the series and our characters.

And the Presger translator! The levity the Presger bring is excellent, and I was laughing out loud every time the translator entered the conversation.

Ultimately, this conclusion brought all the sentient ship moments I love - the developing self-awareness, the deep and unwavering loyalty, the stubborn insistence on respect, the passive aggressive rebuffs, the new emotional revelations. God I loved this.

"...And maybe it isn't that ships don't love other ships, it's that ships love people who could be Captains." 

I liked Mercy almost as much as Justice! The second book, Sword, was a little slow for me. I think that's mostly because Seivarden was my favorite character, and she took a backseat in the second book. But here she gets more time on the page, and her relationship with Breq develops. Their dynamic is what hooked me in the first place, so I was happy to see them finally interacting again and really digging into their emotions towards each other. Leckie did a great job bringing the trilogy to a close! I was on edge right up until the end. The twists and turns were great, and there was always *just* enough information to keep me guessing on what was coming next. Her writing style is still a challenge for me, but her characters are always worth it. Definitely recommend!