A Closed and Common Orbit

Enjoyed this story - it had a lot of warmth.

I have to admit, I was fairly upset to realise that Wayfarers book 2 did not continue with the characters I'd grown to love so much from Wayfarers book 1. I'm still secretly hoping to find the crew from the Wayfarer again in another book.

This story however, picks up right after the closing events from book 1 - but instead follows Pepper and Lovelace back to Pepper's adopted world to find acceptance both within and without.

The story focuses on the two characters and bounces back and forth between the two (and along two different periods of time). I didn't find myself laughing in this book (I did in the first which is what spurred me to immediately read this and the third) but it was a touching story of individuals trying to find their place in the world and the loneliness that comes before.

In a way, I felt like the book was a pair of stories about mother and daughter - and whilst I'm neither, I found lots to relate to. And as with Chambers' first instalment of Wayfarers, I find myself wanting this future for our own humanity.

There's something both charming and utterly beautiful about the universe that Chambers has created for us. It was nice to travel to a new place and follow new characters (even though I still want to hear more about Kizzy and Jenks, and Dr Chef and Sissex - I suspect their on their own journey).

Good stuff. Very sweet. Very warm and loving story.

I love Becky Chambers for writing these cosy space adventures with her adorable characters and empathetic exploration of what it means being human. I was highly invested in Pepper's story, but I struggled with Lovelace's ??? perhaps because it's difficult to relate to an AI.

It's a good book, a delightful comfort read, but not excellent like the first book in the series.