The Fated Sky

4.5 - I don't know why I let so much time pass between reading [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut Universe, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850192l/33080122.SY75.jpg 53735352] and [b:The Fated Sky 33081262 The Fated Sky (Lady Astronaut Universe, #2) Mary Robinette Kowal https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850563l/33081262.SY75.jpg 53736197]. This series is so immersive and book two was as good as the first. Now that the moon has been colonized, it's time to start preparing for Mars. Thanks to her fame as ‘The Lady Astronaut', Elma is assigned as a crew member on the first Mars flight. The journey isn't easy. Being away from her home, her husband, and her family for three years is a challenge in and of itself, never mind the number of failures that can occur and the tensions between the crew members from being cooped up for so long. The book doesn't mention the events of the first book in too much detail. It sticks to the continuation of this alternate time in history rather than reflecting. People on earth are beginning to forget about the meteor strike. If not forget, then letting it become commonplace and minimizing the repercussions it will likely have on the future of the earth. The pressure is on, especially when ‘Free-Earthers' start causing trouble. Though there are some bits and pieces in the narrative that tend to distract me from the main plot (I'm not entirely sure how to explain it without giving spoilers) and there are some things that feel unsettled or unfinished, I enjoy these books so much. Being set in the mid-20th century it has a nostalgic feel to it while also adding in modern-day elements. The characters are so darling, too. I'd forgotten how attached I'd gotten in the first book. Revisiting them and getting to meet some new ones made me even more invested this time around. I especially liked the dynamic between Elma and Parker this time around.