The galaxy, and the ground within

Review by Booklist Review

Some places in the galaxy are bright and exciting. Some are literally useless. The planet Gora, where Chambers' latest (after Record of a Spaceborn Few, 2018) takes place, is a way station. People stop on their way to their final destinations and move right on through. When a catastrophe hits Gora, five beings, each with their own past and goals for the future, have to figure out how to get along in an interstellar truck stop. Each alien culture is described vividly, and each character's motivation is affecting in its own way. Conflicts, both interpersonal and life-threatening, are met with grace and handled with understanding. Themes include parenthood, gender, finding commonalities, and forging one's path in the universe. This is the final book in the Wayfarers series (which started with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, 2014), and though it doesn't end with a titanic space battle, the way that these characters work to support and learn from each other is very satisfying. Recommended for fans of character-driven science fiction who are interested in how differences can be a source of strength, not weakness.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Chambers concludes her Wayfarers series (after Record of a Spaceborn Few) with this delightful, cozy novel of cross-species alien interaction. Ouloo, a furry Laru, conscientiously serves all her customers at the Five-Hop One Stop on the lifeless galactic way station of Gora while raising her moody adolescent child, Tupo. A satellite crash knocks out communication and delays departures just after three separate aliens arrive on Gora. Pei Tem, a scaled, cargo-running Aeluon, grows frustrated that she won't make her rendezvous with her secret human lover. Roveg, an exiled arthropodlike Quelin, frets about missing a mysterious but vital appointment. And Speaker, a methane-breathing Akarak, worries about her weak-lunged twin sister, Tracker, who is still on their ship in orbit. As official statements continually push off the all-clear, the stranded group gets to know each other in fascinating, mostly congenial conversations. But things take a turn for the worse when Pei enters her once-in-a-lifetime "shimmering" stage of fertility and picks a drunken fight with Speaker--and their argument distracts everybody from noticing a crisis. There are some real moments of anxiety to keep the pages turning, but the highlights are the characters' meaty debates and Chambers's delightful exploration of cultural difference. Devoted fans and newcomers alike will thrill to this imaginative sci-fi confection. (Apr.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

The planet Gora has no water, no breathable atmosphere, and no natural life, but its location at the hub of five other systems is ideal as a pit stop for space tourists. Many have taken advantage of this, including Ouloo, a Laru who sets up the Five-Hop One-Stop, a multispecies establishment to cater to the needs of weary travelers. When a technological error shuts down all travel in and out of Gora, Ouloo and her child end up with three strangers, all waiting for their chance to leave. As time passes and the group begins to interact, the trio have time to ponder who they are. Roveg, an exiled artist; Pei, a cargo hauler; and Speaker, a person of relatively unknown past, will find that previous decisions and future possibilities collide in conversation and reflection, revealing ignorance, anxiety, and hope. Throw in a determined hostess with a pubescent child, and you have a story filled with heart-warming characters and intriguing connections. VERDICT Chambers (To Be Taught if Fortunate) once again creates an epic space setting with a detailed, personal view of some of its inhabitants. Humor and heartache weave through her insightful prose and diverse characters.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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