When a freak technological failure halts traffic to and from the planet Gora, three strangers are thrown together unexpectedly, with seemingly nothing to do but wait. Under the care of Ouloo, an enterprising alien, and Tupo, her occasionally helpful child, the trio are compelled to confront where they've been, where they might go, and what they might be to one another.

And so we come to the end of the remarkable Wayfarers series. It is a lovely conclusion - full of alien weirdness and bizarre practices. It is a bit of a "bottle episode". A bunch of random strangers find themselves stranded together - and have to make their own entertainment with no outside help.

It's a great book - but does have a small flaw; nothing happens. I was expecting there to be a unifying event. Perhaps a murder to solve, or a puzzle to work through, or an alien menace to fight against. Instead, it is a small and personal novel about trying to conquer inner-demons rather than outside peril. Towards the end there is an "event" - but it feels a little late.

It is a gorgeous wander through alien cultures, and a fitting end to the series.

Hundreds of years ago, the last humans left Earth. After centuries wandering empty space, humanity was welcomed – mostly – by the species that govern the Milky Way, and their generational journey came to an end.

But this is old history. Today, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who have not yet left for alien cities struggle to find their way in an uncertain future. Among them are a mother, a young apprentice, an alien academic, a caretaker for the dead, a man searching for a place to belong, and an archivist, who ensures no one’s story is forgotten. Each has their own voice, but all seek answers to inescapable questions:

Why remain among the stars when there are habitable worlds within reach? And what is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?

More of the same from the exquisite universe created by Becky Chambers. Unlike the previous book, which felt limited in scope, this is a set of interlinking stories from a diverse crew.

We're born alone, we die alone. While we're alive, we want to be anywhere other than where we are. We can't wait to grow up, but we fear growing old. And the only way we can understand our own culture is through the eyes of a stranger.

It's... Well, it is pretty bleak at times! The novel is tinged with hope - hope for individuals and for humanity. But it is suffused with a depressing longing for change.

I prefer my Sci-Fi to be slightly more expansive. There are some neat concepts here - but nothing particularly exciting. The first book gave such a wonderful array of cultures - so this feels a little pedestrian.

It is, like her previous books, an emotional roller-coaster rather than an action thriller. A good, rather than great, sequel.

Beginning during the final events of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, this standalone sequel branches out to explore new characters and new corners of the galaxy.

Once, Lovelace had eyes and ears everywhere. She was a ship’s artificial intelligence system, tasked with caring for the health and well-being of her crew, possessing a distinct personality and very human emotions. Now, reactivated and reset, Lovelace finds herself in a synthetic body. She’s gone from being virtually omniscient to a limited physical existence, in a community where her kind are illegal. She’s never felt so isolated.

But Lovelace is not alone. Pepper, one of the engineers who risked life and limb to reinstall her program, has remained by her side and is determined to help her adjust to her new world.

Because Pepper knows a thing or two about starting over.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - and this is... more of the same!

It's rather comfortable being back in the same universe. This is rather reduced in scope though. Rather than a galaxy wide adventure, this is more an exploration of two specific characters. So it feels a little claustrophobic. It also suffers from an over-abundance of exposition. Much like the previous book, it sometimes feels like you're watching someone play a video game and laboriously go through all the dialogue options.

I found the novel to be unexpectedly emotionally moving - in amongst the zeitgeisty discussion of gender, colonialism, human-rights, and coping with neurodiversity - is an incredibly sad and haunting story.

Without wishing to spoil things for you, it asks big questions about how far we're willing to change ourselves to fit into a cruel society.

A great book, and I'm looking forward to the sequels.

It is AMAZING! Absolutely everything a modern sci-fi novel should be. It has aliens who are alien! Not just because they have pointy ears, but because their cultural values are radically different from humans. And us humans, for once, aren't the founders of a mighty Empire - we're a small, obscure species tentatively trying to gain acceptance.

It holds inclusivity as a core concept. It isn't like Star Trek where it feels tacked on, there is a thread woven through the whole novel about the kindness we owe to other people. No matter how strange they may appear to us, they are valid and valued beings. The sex scenes aren't explicit - but there are a lot of hormones flying around (or whatever aliens have)! Love is a key theme. Not just emotional and sexual - but fraternal and cybernetical.

In terms of plot - it's a fairly standard video-game style mission with a bunch of side-quests. Each location is filled with a vivid depictions of weird and wonderful cultures mashed together. Sure, it covers all the standard sci-fi tropes, but it never once falls into cliché. Instead there's a rich galaxy brimming with possibilities.

Of course, every sci-fi book has to be part of an epic series these days. And this has spawned several sequels. But it is nice that this book has a satisfying ending.