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Cover of Provenance by Ann LeckieProvenance
Modern · Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure

Provenance

by Ann Leckie
2017 · 448 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 11 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Ingray Aughskold, the adopted daughter of a powerful politician, is desperate to prove herself to her mother. She schemes to free a notorious thief from a prison planet, hoping he can lead her to stolen 'vestiges', heirlooms that her society treasures. Things go wrong from the start, and she's soon caught up in a murder and an interstellar political crisis.

Why it's worth reading

It was a Hugo finalist. It's a lighter, funnier story set in the universe of Ancillary Justice.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It stands alone. The culture uses three genders and invented pronouns.

By the numbers

56.7Must-Read Score
  • Readers15 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz7 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Hugo Award finalist (2018)

Reads as

Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Quick answers

Is Provenance worth reading?

Yes. It was a Hugo finalist. It ranks #2,629 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 56.7 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Provenance about?

Ingray Aughskold, the adopted daughter of a powerful politician, is desperate to prove herself to her mother. She schemes to free a notorious thief from a prison planet, hoping he can lead her to stolen 'vestiges', heirlooms that her society treasures. Things go wrong from the start, and she's soon caught up in a murder and an interstellar political crisis.

How long does it take to read Provenance?

About 11 hours (448 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Provenance?

If you liked it, try Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, Translation State by Ann Leckie or The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.