A review by fireblend
Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin

3.5

This second novel (more of a novella) in the Hainish Cycle essentially depicts two communities struggling to get past their differences to endure a siege from a third, much larger one. The sci-fi elements are, once again, there mostly for flavor, as one of the communities is composed of far descendants from a marooned space-faring expedition and that's about it, though it does allow LeGuin to sprinkle the world and the human (alterran) characters' experience with great tidbits about the knowledge that has managed to survive since that expedition's arrival, the effort of trying to preserve a culture and laws that have lost relevance with time and the consequences of disrupting a planet and its peoples' natural development with their arrival. The plot itself is pretty straightforward, including a romance that I don't think really gets the time it needs, but LeGuin's prose is as good as ever and generally a joy to read.