Provenance

Provenance by Ann Leckie, 439 pages

In an attempt to get her mother's attention and prove that she's a capable adult, Ingray makes the risky move of buying a political opponent's child out of prison, sure that she can maneuver this act into the recovery of stolen artifacts and ensure her mother's political prowess. Things don't exactly go to plan, however, and Ingray and the former prisoner find themselves mired in a controversy that involves murder and several species of angry aliens.

This was a much lighter book than I expected, given the weight of Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy. I very much enjoyed the characters, particularly Ingray, whose vulnerabilities and stubbornness rang incredibly true to me. I can't wait to discuss this next week for the Orcs & Aliens book group!