Book Series Guide
Ann Leckie

Author guide

Ann Leckie Books in Order

Ann Leckie is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. Her debut novel, Ancillary Justice, began the Imperial Radch sequence and won the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, BSFA, and Locus awards. Her other fiction includes novels set in the Radch universe, the standalone fantasy novel The Raven Tower, and the collected short-fiction volume Lake of Souls.

science fictionfantasy

Catalog record updated .

Ann Leckie's Newest Book

Cover of Radiant Star

Radiant Star

novel · First published 2026

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 a final concession: One last man will be allowed to join the mummified bodies in the temporal location to become a “living saint”. But this 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 hir comfortable life upended, and a young man sold into servitude will find unlikely escape.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Ancillary Justice

Ancillary Justice

The first novel in the Imperial Radch trilogy and the primary entry point to the Radch universe.

Cover of The Raven Tower

The Raven Tower

A standalone fantasy novel and a complete entry point outside the Radch universe.

Read in order

Books by series

shared-universe · ongoing

Radch Universe

A shared science-fiction setting encompassing the Imperial Radch trilogy and the standalone novels Provenance, Translation State, and Radiant Star.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Ancillary Justice

    Book 1 · novel · 2013

    On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was Justice of Toren–a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence…

  2. 2
    Ancillary Sword

    Book 2 · novel · 2014

    The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go — to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn’s sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six…

  3. 3
    Ancillary Mercy

    Book 3 · novel · 2015

    "For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as…

  4. 4
    Provenance

    Book 4 · novel · 2017

    A stand-alone adventure set in the world of Ancillary Justice. Ingray has just one chance to secure the status she craves and regain priceless lost artefacts prized by her people: she must free a thief from a prison planet from which no…

  5. 5
    Translation State

    Book 5 · novel · 2023

    Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human…

  6. 6
    Radiant Star

    Book 6 · novel · 2026

    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…

trilogy · complete

Imperial Radch

A complete space-opera trilogy about Breq, the surviving fragment of a starship intelligence, and the Radchaai empire.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Ancillary Justice

    Book 1 · novel · 2013

    On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was Justice of Toren–a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence…

  2. 2
    Ancillary Sword

    Book 2 · novel · 2014

    The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go — to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn’s sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six…

  3. 3
    Ancillary Mercy

    Book 3 · novel · 2015

    "For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as…

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (1)
  1. The Raven Tower

    novel · 2019

    Listen. A god is speaking. My voice echoes through the stone of your master's castle. The castle where he finds his uncle on his father's throne. You want to help him. You cannot. You are the only one who can hear me. You will change the…

Other (1)
  1. Lake of Souls: The Collected Short Fiction

    collection · 2024

    Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winner Ann Leckie is a modern master of the SFF genre, forever changing its landscape with her groundbreaking ideas and powerful voice. Now, available for the first time comes the complete…

Frequently asked questions about Ann Leckie

Who is Ann Leckie, and what kind of writer is she?

Ann Leckie is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for award-winning space opera.

Source: annleckie.com (opens in a new tab)

Where does Ann Leckie live, and what did she do before becoming an author?

She lives in St. Louis, Missouri. Before establishing her writing career, she worked as a waitress, receptionist, land-surveying crew member, and recording engineer.

Source: annleckie.com (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Ann Leckie’s treatment of gender and pronouns?

Leckie has cited Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness as an influence on her thinking about pronouns. She describes the use of “she” in her fiction as an English translation convention for a language in which gender is not relevant.

Sources: space.com (opens in a new tab)annleckie.com (opens in a new tab)

What major awards has Ann Leckie won?

Her debut novel won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the BSFA Award for Best Novel.

Sources: thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)nebulas.sfwa.org (opens in a new tab)bsfa.co.uk (opens in a new tab)annleckie.com (opens in a new tab)

What is Ann Leckie’s legacy in science fiction?

Leckie is especially associated with expanding how space opera explores gender, identity, and language. The combination of that formal experimentation and major award recognition made her work an influential landmark of contemporary science fiction.

Sources: annleckie.com (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)space.com (opens in a new tab)