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A review by tasharobinson
Stories of the Raksura, Volume Two: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below by Martha Wells
4.0
A really satisfying send-off for the series, particularly the final novella-length story, where Moon is terrified for his upcoming clutch, and something creepy and hard to understand is stalking the colony. At this point, seven books in, the Raksura books are basically a soap opera for me — I just want to check in and hang out with these characters and see how they live and follow their little day-to-day fusses and couplings and conflicts. There's enough of that here to make it feel clear that these characters will be fine now that their big dramas are over, and that they'll continue making little dramas of their own.
I continue to be so impressed with the way the Raksura are realized, both as relatable and familiar people, and as aliens with a lot in common with animals. Their sense of community, and the way these books are drawn as much about how they operate as a collective, rather than just around what individual protagonists, continues to be refreshing and satisfying, especially in a story as community-minded as the final one. What a satisfying experience this series has been overall.
I continue to be so impressed with the way the Raksura are realized, both as relatable and familiar people, and as aliens with a lot in common with animals. Their sense of community, and the way these books are drawn as much about how they operate as a collective, rather than just around what individual protagonists, continues to be refreshing and satisfying, especially in a story as community-minded as the final one. What a satisfying experience this series has been overall.