Hard disagree on Ancillary Justice, I thought it was a standout book, and considering it won the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C Clarke, Locus First Novel, and tied for the BSFA award I wasn't the only one.
I agree, Ancillary Justice was one of my favorite books in recent years. I thought the world was really interesting, enjoyed the characters, and found the exploration of federated minds intriguing.
I think the first one, whilst not super special, was pretty good. Definitely a promising debut.
The whole gender neutral thing felt pretty awkward and like a gimmick though.
The second book felt rather pointless, however, and that incessant obsession with tea sets was baffling (and with risk of sounding sexist, not particularly gender neutral?).