Review: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, by Becky Chambers
by
Stuart Holland
While this was still very good, it wasn’t quite the ending to this series I was hoping for. Given how the series has departed from expected structure thus far though, I feel like I probably should have expected that. The ending of this book did pull a lot together that I was worried was going to just peter out.
As always, Becky Chambers’s characters hit hard, and the emotions really shine through. They’re great communicators, with each other and the reader (without going out of their way for solely the reader’s benefit). They also vehemently take points of view, sometimes at odds with each other. Pei strikes a great balance that I largely agree with in her morality. Speaker makes a great point about the cruelty of slow-grinding organizational mechanisms specifically caused by their lack of alacrity and clarity, even when they act out of good intentions. (Something that certainly rings true in the world today.)
But let’s step back. This whole book takes place in a single location, with a small cast of characters who are completely stuck there. That so much happens without anything happening to them is great storytelling. They all learn and grow with each other, despite disagreeing. They are all connected, despite being so very different. And they all really like sweet treats.
Wayfarers has been a great series. I wish there was more.
