Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.
As with every book by Becky Chambers that I have read, I struggled in the beginning. The pacing is different in each of her books, the characters have loose links to past storylines at best, and I always need time to ease myself into the new perspectives that slowly develop.
But this book! Yes, it starts slow. But when the story finally takes off, when things start to converge, the payoff is well worth it.
I was smitten with the worldbuilding that was even more intricate and well thought-out than in previous books of the series. I loved the characters, the way they explore facets of the society they inhabit. And in the end, I enjoyed the way the story develops.
Nice to be reminded that Chambers can weave her deeply attentive human and social reflections into compelling longer form, and live up to high expectations for unconventionally but quite comfortably answering what matters in a story or a culture.
Another wonderful installment in the Wayfarers series. This was an interesting change of pace which hyper focused on the human experience in this beautiful universe that Becky Chambers has constructed. The story follows a few different perspectives from a fleet of human ships that are largely self sustaining and permanently spacebound. This "Exoden" life is in contrast to the normal human experience of living on stations like most humans, independent colonies on terrestrial planets like pioneers, or back in the original Sol system like the wealthy and privileged. These stories are each an exploration of the unique culture of Exoden life, the challenges it brings, and the relationship to the greater galaxy.
Frankly I found some POVs to be more interesting than others, and I found the intersection of the POVs to take a while to get to. Related, the overarching "conflict" happened around 3/4ths of the way through the …
Another wonderful installment in the Wayfarers series. This was an interesting change of pace which hyper focused on the human experience in this beautiful universe that Becky Chambers has constructed. The story follows a few different perspectives from a fleet of human ships that are largely self sustaining and permanently spacebound. This "Exoden" life is in contrast to the normal human experience of living on stations like most humans, independent colonies on terrestrial planets like pioneers, or back in the original Sol system like the wealthy and privileged. These stories are each an exploration of the unique culture of Exoden life, the challenges it brings, and the relationship to the greater galaxy.
Frankly I found some POVs to be more interesting than others, and I found the intersection of the POVs to take a while to get to. Related, the overarching "conflict" happened around 3/4ths of the way through the book, and the last quarter felt like falling action, making the pacing feel a bit awkward. But with that being said, you can expect many of the same feelings in this book as you have had with the previous two. Heartbreak, love, respect, grief, and a permeating kindness are all present in this new setting. I really love how each of these books is its own insular story that serve as one paint stroke in the artful construction of this universe. The last book is in the mail, and I don't think I'm emotionally ready to be finished with this journey.
