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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
The Wayfarers series with Record of a Spaceborn few has now given us a look at three distinctly different types of lifestyle since the humans left a decimated earth centuries ago. Each book also delves deeper into the culture of one of the alien civilizations and with this installment we get to see the Harmagians and learn a little of their culture, studies and also what it is like to come from the sea to be a creature that lives on land.
It seems that both the Harmagian’s and humans have more in common than they like to admit. As one of the Harmagian’s tours the Fleet of ships that left Earth so many years ago to learn about their lifestyle we also learn about how the humans on the ships live together in harmony for the most part. How everyone has a job and a purpose and how trade functions as currency. They are a community of thinkers and repurposers, leaving nothing to waste and making new and sometimes interesting ways of re-using resources.
Through the stories of a few on these ships we learn what is like to be a family with some children, a older couple who’ve lived their entire life with the fleet, a kid coming of age and trying to decided if he wants to stay with the fleet or venture out into the world and live on land. In the wake of one of the ships having a catastrophic failure and the loss of so many, more and more people are questioning if it is right to still live on these vessels orbiting a moon or if it is time to leave a home they’ve know for centuries, give up on some traditions and live a different kind of life.
The Wayfarer stories aren’t action packed or anything like that but delve into how people would live, what they would do for fun, how they’d get into trouble as kids, how they live their lives on a day to day basis and why they make certain choices. I enjoy these tales but it is a little like watching the discovery channel in some ways.
So if you are just looking to venture out into space and see how everyone is fairing this will be a great book for you. But if you were thinking space fights and constant action then you will be sorely disappointed. I’ve definitely enjoyed the books but I totally get the reviews that say there isn’t a lot of plot happening. It is more a character study than a plotted out story.
“We are the wealthiest species alive today. We want for nothing. Without us, there would be no tunnels, no ambi, no galactic map. But we achieved these things through subjugation. Violence. We destroyed entire worlds - entire species. It took a galactic war to stop us. We learned. We apologized. We changed. But we can't give back the things we took. We're still benefiting from them, and others are still suffering from actions centuries old. So, are we worthy? We, who give so much only because we took so much?”
It seems that both the Harmagian’s and humans have more in common than they like to admit. As one of the Harmagian’s tours the Fleet of ships that left Earth so many years ago to learn about their lifestyle we also learn about how the humans on the ships live together in harmony for the most part. How everyone has a job and a purpose and how trade functions as currency. They are a community of thinkers and repurposers, leaving nothing to waste and making new and sometimes interesting ways of re-using resources.
Through the stories of a few on these ships we learn what is like to be a family with some children, a older couple who’ve lived their entire life with the fleet, a kid coming of age and trying to decided if he wants to stay with the fleet or venture out into the world and live on land. In the wake of one of the ships having a catastrophic failure and the loss of so many, more and more people are questioning if it is right to still live on these vessels orbiting a moon or if it is time to leave a home they’ve know for centuries, give up on some traditions and live a different kind of life.
The Wayfarer stories aren’t action packed or anything like that but delve into how people would live, what they would do for fun, how they’d get into trouble as kids, how they live their lives on a day to day basis and why they make certain choices. I enjoy these tales but it is a little like watching the discovery channel in some ways.
So if you are just looking to venture out into space and see how everyone is fairing this will be a great book for you. But if you were thinking space fights and constant action then you will be sorely disappointed. I’ve definitely enjoyed the books but I totally get the reviews that say there isn’t a lot of plot happening. It is more a character study than a plotted out story.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Oh gosh. Ridiculously heartwarming, emotional, thoughtful. Adore it.
Loved this book. People and their stories - spacer and grounder, human and alien. Different from the first two Wayfarers books (the first being one of my top favorite books ever). I love space opera full of the thrills and action of voyaging and surviving, this book is like a quiet, thoughtful sibling to that. I found it very humanist, interesting, sad, compassionate, hopeful. One reason I love science fiction (beyond my love of stories of space and spaceships, alien cultures, strange planets, fantastic adventures, that is :) is getting what feels like a magical glimpse into a possible future.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death
Minor: War
I think this book was the weakest out of the Wayfarers series so far, but seeing as this book is by Becky Chambers -- even when it's the weakest out of the series, it's still incredible.
I think this book wasn't as up to par as the others because it felt very disjointed. There were so many points of view in this book that it took me a long time to even be able to tell them apart, let alone get attached to them as characters. Their narratives also didn't really seem to come together well. The only thing they had in common was that they were all Exodan and on the same ship, and wrestling with similar problems about living on said ship. I didn't really love any of their stories in particular, because there were just too many characters for me to really attach myself to any of them. I didn't dislike any of them, though Tessa's chapters were quite boring to me.
Having said all that, though, I really like Becky Chamber's universe. I like the lore expanded upon in this book. I just think there could've been a stronger overarching storyline to go along with the added lore.
Although I think this book could've been better, it was still really enjoyable. Becky Chambers' sci-fi is absolutely incredible, and I love the world she's created in the Wayfarers series.
I think this book wasn't as up to par as the others because it felt very disjointed. There were so many points of view in this book that it took me a long time to even be able to tell them apart, let alone get attached to them as characters. Their narratives also didn't really seem to come together well. The only thing they had in common was that they were all Exodan and on the same ship, and wrestling with similar problems about living on said ship. I didn't really love any of their stories in particular, because there were just too many characters for me to really attach myself to any of them. I didn't dislike any of them, though Tessa's chapters were quite boring to me.
Having said all that, though, I really like Becky Chamber's universe. I like the lore expanded upon in this book. I just think there could've been a stronger overarching storyline to go along with the added lore.
Although I think this book could've been better, it was still really enjoyable. Becky Chambers' sci-fi is absolutely incredible, and I love the world she's created in the Wayfarers series.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took me a lot longer to get into this book than the others. I got confused about which character was which a couple times, and also about why I should care about them. It takes longer in this book for the lines to connect, but it all came together and I was left with that cozycore feeling that these books always give me.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes