Translation State
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $32.31
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Adjoa Andoh
-
Written by:
-
Ann Leckie
About this listen
The mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars in this powerful novel from a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author: "There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can" (John Scalzi).
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 worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn't "optimal behavior". I's the type of behavior that results in elimination.
But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.
As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line—the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.
Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, and a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, Translation State is a triumphant new standalone story set in Leckie's celebrated Imperial Radch universe.
©2023 Ann Leckie (P)2023 OrbitYou may also enjoy...
-
Provenance
- Written by: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though she knows her brother holds her mother's favor, Ingrid is determined to at least be considered as heir to the family name. She hatches an audacious plan—free a thief from a prison planet from which no one has ever returned, and use them to help steal back a priceless artifact. But Ingray and her charge return to her home to find their planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray's future and her world, before they are lost to her for good.
-
-
A must read for any sci-fi lover.
- By Julianna on 2018-01-29
Written by: Ann Leckie
-
The Raven Tower
- Written by: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes. But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts.
-
-
Not For Me
- By Listener on 2021-07-12
Written by: Ann Leckie
-
Witch King
- Written by: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Eric Mok
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.
-
-
Monotonous
- By Scott Fox on 2024-01-21
Written by: Martha Wells
-
Semiosis
- A Novel
- Written by: Sue Burke
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies, Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that mammals are more than tools. Forced to land on a planet they aren't prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape—trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect.
-
-
Fantastic!
- By Hayley on 2019-06-11
Written by: Sue Burke
-
The Saint of Bright Doors
- Written by: Vajra Chandrasekera
- Narrated by: Sid Sagar
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy. He walked among invisible powers: devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen.
-
-
Unique in a very good way
- By Christa on 2024-06-10
Written by: Vajra Chandrasekera
-
The Spear Cuts Through Water
- A Novel
- Written by: Simon Jimenez
- Narrated by: Joel de la Fuente
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.
-
-
I really didn’t like the writing style
- By Joe Abentung on 2024-07-09
Written by: Simon Jimenez
-
Provenance
- Written by: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though she knows her brother holds her mother's favor, Ingrid is determined to at least be considered as heir to the family name. She hatches an audacious plan—free a thief from a prison planet from which no one has ever returned, and use them to help steal back a priceless artifact. But Ingray and her charge return to her home to find their planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray's future and her world, before they are lost to her for good.
-
-
A must read for any sci-fi lover.
- By Julianna on 2018-01-29
Written by: Ann Leckie
-
The Raven Tower
- Written by: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes. But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts.
-
-
Not For Me
- By Listener on 2021-07-12
Written by: Ann Leckie
-
Witch King
- Written by: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Eric Mok
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.
-
-
Monotonous
- By Scott Fox on 2024-01-21
Written by: Martha Wells
-
Semiosis
- A Novel
- Written by: Sue Burke
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies, Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that mammals are more than tools. Forced to land on a planet they aren't prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape—trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect.
-
-
Fantastic!
- By Hayley on 2019-06-11
Written by: Sue Burke
-
The Saint of Bright Doors
- Written by: Vajra Chandrasekera
- Narrated by: Sid Sagar
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy. He walked among invisible powers: devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen.
-
-
Unique in a very good way
- By Christa on 2024-06-10
Written by: Vajra Chandrasekera
-
The Spear Cuts Through Water
- A Novel
- Written by: Simon Jimenez
- Narrated by: Joel de la Fuente
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.
-
-
I really didn’t like the writing style
- By Joe Abentung on 2024-07-09
Written by: Simon Jimenez
-
All Systems Red (Dramatized Adaptation)
- The Murderbot Diaries, Book 1
- Written by: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Alejandro Ruiz, Bradley Foster Smith, Holly Adams, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.”
-
-
to short
- By Ostap Doubas on 2023-10-07
Written by: Martha Wells
-
The Water Outlaws
- Written by: S. L. Huang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor's soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job. But then a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully built life away.
Written by: S. L. Huang
-
Dual Memory
- Written by: Sue Burke
- Narrated by: André Santana
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Antonio Moro lost everything to the Leviathan League, ruthless global pirates. Now he's alone in a city on an Arctic island fighting Freebooters with nothing but lies—and the mistaken idea that he's a spy. When things look bleak, he discovers an unusual ally. His new personal assistant program, Par Augustus, is a nascent A. I. He's also insolent, extroverted, moody, and not quite legal. Together, they forge an uneasy alliance and create a rebellion from unlikely recruits to defend the island city. The hitch? No one else can ever know. Especially the humans.
Written by: Sue Burke
-
Lake of Souls
- The Collected Short Fiction
- Written by: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 15 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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 collection of Leckie's short fiction, including a brand new novelette, “Lake of Souls.”
Written by: Ann Leckie
-
The Mars House
- A Novel
- Written by: Natasha Pulley
- Narrated by: Daniel de Bourg
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the wake of an environmental catastrophe, January, once a principal in London's Royal Ballet, has become a refugee in Tharsis, the terraformed colony on Mars. There, January’s life is dictated by his status as an Earthstronger—a person whose body is not adjusted to lower gravity and so poses a danger to those born on, or naturalized to, Mars. January’s job choices, housing, and even transportation are dictated by this second-class status, and now a xenophobic politician named Aubrey Gale is running on a platform that would make it all worse.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Jonathan Eaton on 2024-11-12
Written by: Natasha Pulley
-
City of Last Chances
- Written by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse. What will be the spark that lights the conflagration? Despite the city's refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood–that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.
-
-
Everyone is Scottish there?
- By J Brandon. on 2024-10-25
Written by: Adrian Tchaikovsky
-
The Blighted Stars
- Written by: Megan E. O'Keefe
- Narrated by: Ciaran Saward
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they're found and Naira Sharp thinks she knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity's expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.
-
-
Really enjoyed!
- By Talys on 2024-06-08
Written by: Megan E. O'Keefe
-
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
- Monk & Robot, Book 1
- Written by: Becky Chambers
- Narrated by: Em Grosland
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend. One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.
-
-
A warm and cozy read
- By Lindsay B. on 2021-11-02
Written by: Becky Chambers
-
Some Desperate Glory
- Written by: Emily Tesh
- Narrated by: Sena Bryer
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity. They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to Nursery to bear sons, she knows she must take humanity's revenge into her own hands.
-
-
Impressed by the author's creativity in both book structure and character development.
- By Aimee on 2024-04-25
Written by: Emily Tesh
-
Foundryside
- A Novel
- Written by: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Tara Sands
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic - the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience - have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine.
-
-
Fun Rogue story
- By marcus on 2021-03-19
Written by: Robert Jackson Bennett
-
The Space Between Worlds
- Written by: Micaiah Johnson
- Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total. On this dystopian Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands.
-
-
protagonist was true to herself
- By Aimee on 2024-08-23
Written by: Micaiah Johnson
-
Starter Villain
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
-
-
One of my favourite books this year
- By J. Bundock on 2023-10-06
Written by: John Scalzi
What the critics say
"Andoh expertly navigates the emotional depths of the three main characters, each of whom comes from a background in which they have not felt valued or part of their community. . . .As all three claim their identities and start to heal, Andoh’s performance resonates in profound way.”—AudioFile (Starred Review)
What listeners say about Translation State
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eugenia Pavlakos
- 2023-06-13
Science fiction with a unique perspective
Loved the story. I’m looking for more work by this author as I write this. The reader is extraordinary. The accents wonder to hear. You’ll love it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pam Sykes
- 2023-09-04
Reminds me what science fiction is capable of
I’m so happy I discovered Ann Leckie! I was beginning to despair of ever finding new sci-fi that wasn’t slightly dressed-up YA. If the Ancillary series was about slavery, autonomy and freedom, this one is about family, identity and what binds us together. Thought-provoking, fun, and a great narration performance by Adjoa Andoh.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-06-22
Excellent
Ann Leckie never disappoints. Also the narrator elevates this into something truly special. All around a wonder experience
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- aja g.
- 2024-08-20
Love this series
Possibly my favourite series ever, I love the exploration of identity and gender throughout. The nods to previous Ancillary books are fun in this one too, I recommend reading them first. Also stunning work by the narrator who brings a complex story to life with variety of voices.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AnneL
- 2023-10-12
Another great novel from Ann Leckie
A really interesting exploration of ideas, along with fun and adventure - what I want out of SF and have come to expect from Leckie. Also very creative aliens; no tall blue-skinned humanoids here. The Presgars are wild.
Overall, I really enjoy Leckie’s writing style and Adjoa Andoh’s performances bring the characters to life. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- D. Fogal
- 2024-02-14
Narrator was the best AND worst part of this book.
SPOILERS
The narrator is a talented performer. The desire to make distinct voices for characters led the narrator to creating some voices that were wonderful to listen to - unique and distinctive - and some voices that were so grating that they could not be listened to with headphones at all. The narrator was still the best thing about this book though.
Here’s the spoiler part - you’ve been warned.
The story could be best described as whiny, whiny, whiny characters having a bunch of meetings about self-identity followed by a brief puzzle in an escape room. That’s it. Seriously. You learn a bit about translator biology but I had to really press to complete listening to this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!