Thoughts: I loved this book just as much as the last one. Where the last book really focuses on the humans that live in the Fleet, this book is more focused on other alien races. The book is set on Gora, a dull planet that's on a major travel route. Gora is pretty much an intergalactic truck stop. In particular we are introduced Ouloo who is Laru, her and her teen child (Tupo) who run the Five-Hop One-Stop travelers rest. It's a place for travelers to park their ships, re-fuel, have a snack and stretch their legs. When disaster strikes above Gora, Ouloo's visitors are forced to interact a lot more and have a much longer stay than they were expecting.
The premise is simple but this book was so rich in thoughtfulness and amazing characters. Ouloo and Tupo are fun characters all on their own. They are joined by Roveg a Quelin (who is a crustacean-like character), Speaker who is one of the Akarak (who as a species was denied entry into the GC because of their short lifespans), and Pei an Aeluon who is Ashby's (Ashby is human) love interest from the first book. Each character is dealing with their own trauma and has their very separate lifestyle but somehow they all ended up coming together and supporting each other.
I absolutely love Chambers' creativity in developing these different alien species and love how she brought them together. This is such a feel good book. The different species all have their different perceptions of the other species as a whole, but of course your perception of a species is not the reality of the individuals of that species. In this book the characters are constantly surprising each other, both with their differences and similarities. They may live different lifespans and breath different types of air but they might love the same music or enjoy the same types of activities. In the end, when a child is injured it doesn't matter what species that child is, they all put aside their differences to help in the best way they each individually can.
Chambers makes these species come alive and I loved all the individual characters as well. They felt so real and reading about them was completely engrossing and intriguing. I am still in awe at how Chambers can pull me completely into a story like this when there really isn't a strong plot driving anything forward. These are just aliens hanging out at a rest stop and the book was completely impossible to put down. I loved every minute of it. My only complaint is that this didn't feel like the end of the series and I feel like there must be a lot more stories that want to be told in the Wayfarers world.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book and really loved this series as a whole. The amazing alien races and the thoughtfulness with which they interact was fascinating. These characters are so easy to engage with and love and so fascinating to read about. If I have any complaints it is that I am super sad that this series is over and I would love to read more stories set in the Wayfarers universe. I would highly recommend this series if you are interested in the softer more introspective side of science fiction. All the Wayfarers books are thought-provoking, heart-warming and just flat out fascinating.
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You had to pause in the face of reflex, ask yourself if the narrative you attached to the knee-jerk was accurate.Highlighted by 445 Kindle readers- The cheap knick-knack in his hands now carried with it a sentiment of the present he would cherish, and a reminder of the past he would always loathe. Only the finest art could accomplish both those things at once.Highlighted by 375 Kindle readers
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The world building! The hope! The aliens!
“The Galaxy, and the Ground Within” (Wayfarers #5) by Becky Chambers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: SciFi Location: Planet Gora in the Tren System in an alternative universe. TIme: GC Standard 307-308THE SERIES:In a fictional universe full of alien races, humans are newcomers who fled a destroyed earth to make a life in space. With delightfully diverse world building, the 4 loosely connected novels and 1 novella are full of fascinating technology, imaginative planets and species, new ideas, and hope for the future. This series won the Hugo Award for best series.THIS BOOK: The sky is falling!Main characters:* Oolou, a Laru, owner of the Five-Hop One-Stop dome on Gora, and Tupo, her child. They walk on four legs, are covered with fluffy fur, and have long flexible necks. She wants Tupo to learn about many other species.* Speaker, an Akarak the size of a human infant, has a beak and long wrist-hooks to swing with instead of walking. She helps speak for other Akaraks.* Roveg, a Quelin exiled from his isolationist species, has a hard cobalt-colored shell and dozens of insectoid legs. He makes sims.* Pei Tem, an Aeluon, communicates through colors spread across her body scales. Her ship provides supplies to war zones.Gora is a barren planet. But its proximity to a space travel wormhole means stores and sleeping domes are scattered across the planet. When Gora’s travel control satellites explode and crash down onto the planet, the diverse travelers staying in the Five-Hop One-Stop dome are stranded. How they work through their situation and learn about each other is the heart of this book. I’ve read all the books in this series, and this is my favorite!We learn the backstories of Oolou, Roveg, Speaker, and Pei, and discover that each is an anomaly among their own species and culture. The book is full of cross-species discussions that resonate with current reality, such as reproductive rights, gender choices, disability, group hatred of those different than them, cultural norms regarding war, intermarriage, colonization, discrimination, etc. it’s also filled with hope and community and solidarity and caring for others.And the world building! It’s diverse and exciting and endearing and awesome, and it’s 5 stars from me! 🌵📚👩🏼🦳.”
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É um final glorioso para a série
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