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awaywithforestfae 's review for:
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
by Becky Chambers
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My favourite Wayfarers book since the first one. I think I need to let this simmer a bit to see if I like it more than the first one or slightly less. Just like "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet", "The Galaxy and the Ground Within" bottles a cast of characters together, from many backgrounds and forces them to get to know each other, to get to know the nuances of both their cultures and the individuals behind this.
After a disaster leaves 3 travellers of different species at a homely ship stop-over point on Gora, the group get to know each other, confiding and sharing, amidst the madness.
This is a masterpiece of sapient connection, across boundaries and many walks of life. It was so beautiful to learn the individuals' stories, and see how they learn and grow from each other, forever changed. The ending and the care shown by the characters to each other made me so emotional!!
Additionally, I loved to get to know some more cultures across the massive array in the universe. I particularly loved getting to know Speaker, the Akarak, and Roveg, the Quelin. The science and biology behind the different species was interesting to me too, as well as the different food they eat.
Speaker's cultural story of colonialisation, her planet's resource stripping and the Harmagian's empty words and promises made me feel so deeply, so sorrowfully. While every issue is singular, it did make me think a lot of the genocide in Palestine at the moment. The othering leading to dismissal of a person's "humanity" left a raw feeling. The circumstances and similarities made me really dislike Pei after her encounter with Speaker. And I wasn't a big fan of her before...
However, I did like the themes of motherhood and the desire to not be a parent, discussed through Pei and Ouloo. I thought the nuances conversation was thought provoking and interesting.
Roveg's circumstances and his connections to his home also made me feel deeply, and I thought he was such a genuine and interesting character. I absolutely adored getting to know Quelin culture through him, balancing the good and the bad. The discussions on the nature of "home" through him and the other characters made me particularly reflective. And his job was just so cool!!
All in all, this is a beautiful novel of connection between people, transcending circumstances (not yours Pei...) and cultural boundaries. The little things one does for another, expecting nothing in return. A great one for those who like reflective and speculative sci fi!
After a disaster leaves 3 travellers of different species at a homely ship stop-over point on Gora, the group get to know each other, confiding and sharing, amidst the madness.
This is a masterpiece of sapient connection, across boundaries and many walks of life. It was so beautiful to learn the individuals' stories, and see how they learn and grow from each other, forever changed. The ending and the care shown by the characters to each other made me so emotional!!
Additionally, I loved to get to know some more cultures across the massive array in the universe. I particularly loved getting to know Speaker, the Akarak, and Roveg, the Quelin. The science and biology behind the different species was interesting to me too, as well as the different food they eat.
Speaker's cultural story of colonialisation, her planet's resource stripping and the Harmagian's empty words and promises made me feel so deeply, so sorrowfully. While every issue is singular, it did make me think a lot of the genocide in Palestine at the moment. The othering leading to dismissal of a person's "humanity" left a raw feeling. The circumstances and similarities made me really dislike Pei after her encounter with Speaker. And I wasn't a big fan of her before...
However, I did like the themes of motherhood and the desire to not be a parent, discussed through Pei and Ouloo. I thought the nuances conversation was thought provoking and interesting.
Roveg's circumstances and his connections to his home also made me feel deeply, and I thought he was such a genuine and interesting character. I absolutely adored getting to know Quelin culture through him, balancing the good and the bad. The discussions on the nature of "home" through him and the other characters made me particularly reflective. And his job was just so cool!!
All in all, this is a beautiful novel of connection between people, transcending circumstances (not yours Pei...) and cultural boundaries. The little things one does for another, expecting nothing in return. A great one for those who like reflective and speculative sci fi!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Confinement, Xenophobia, Medical content, Deportation
Minor: Alcohol