4/5, would read again. 
 Ancillary Justice is a fairly quick and easy read, but it's solid from start to finish, and Ann Leckie doesn't shy from pulling unconventional tricks with her writing. 
 The author's choice of protagonist is decidedly unique--but also the only narrator that makes sense for this plot. (As usual, it comes down to 'who does this story affect the most?) At once, the audience is able to see inside the mind of the (narratively speaking) nearly omniscient Justice of Toren, or of the more limited One Esk, or of any single segment of One Esk, subverting the usual constraints of perspective in storytelling. This could have been jarring, but Leckie has a deft touch with perspective, and it manages to avoid feeling awkward. The use of two reference points in the time line is a somewhat older trick, but one that Leckie puts to good use. 
 And, of course, no one could discuss Ancillary Justice without referencing the Radchaai's unique non-perspective on gender. Others have explored it better than I, but let me at least say that I appreciated the challenge to my usual mode of thinking. 
 On a personal note, I rather liked the interactions between Seivarden and Breq, which added a much-needed human component. 
 It's a straightforward story. The major themes are old, uncomplicated, and accessible to a younger audience. By that mode of analysis, it rates 3-3.5 stars, but doesn't particularly stand out from the pack. Where this book shines is in the playful way that Leckie approaches her craft, challenging conventional narrative perspective with her choice of protagonist and--through her choice in pronouns--gender roles. And so, I bump my personal rating of Ancillary Justice to 4/5 stars, and I look forward to reading Ancillary Sword.