The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

The planet Gora is unremarkable in every way and, with no air, no water and no indigenous life, it would seem a strange place to settle. But its proximity to a number of popular planets makes Gora the perfect rest stop on long haul journeys across the Galaxy, especially when the place to stop is as welcoming as the Five-Hop One-Stop. Oulo, with her teenager Tupo, welcome three visitors to their Five-Hop One-Stop. Each intend to stay no longer than a few hours and all have important appointments to keep on other, far more interesting worlds, but they cannot fail to be charmed by their friendly hosts who provide as much cake as they can eat as well as wonderful baths. But the visitors are marooned by a fluke technological disaster, which halts all traffic on or off the planet for what might be days. The visitors and their hosts are thrown together and there is nothing to do but wait and rely on each other to help pass the time. And each of these visitors couldn’t be more different from each other and their hosts.

The premise of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within sounds simple, albeit enticing, and it hides the true nature of this absolutely gorgeous, enchanting novel, which presents us with four alien species all trying to get along on a world that isn’t so much hostile, although it is deadly, as entirely uncaring for life. This story is all about these five characters and anyone who has read any of the other books in Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series will know just how intoxicating this tale will be, how much we will fall in love with its people. This is so sadly the last of the four novels. Each stands alone, although there are references to characters from other books as there are here, but as a group of novels they are perfect in their creation and depiction of this universe called the Galactic Commons. You can definitely read this without having read the others first but you’ll certainly want to read them afterwards.

The four species represented here are so different from each other, in appearance, in nature, in their methods of communication and perception, in their relationships and in their desires. I don’t want to say much at all about these characters because it is such a joy learning about them but I must say that the Laru have to be the most loveable alien species I have ever encountered in fiction. Oolou and Turpo, the Laru owners of the pit stop, are furry, bendy, floppy four-legged people, very similar to alpacas and every bit as delightful in nature as you’d expect from such a fluffy alien. Turpo, still waiting to select a gender, is absolutely adorable and unites the novel and its characters. Nobody brings people together like Turpo. Because of Turpo, guests confide in each other about their worries and concerns, their past and their loves, while they play games or feast together or irritate each other.

Through these characters we learn so much about this fantastic universe that Becky Chambers has created – its wealth of traditions and customs, its hostilities and unions, its loneliness and its companionship. I adored every page of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, only wishing it were longer. This is such a good series, one of the very best in science fiction, but this book, its glorious finale, is my favourite. I now want to go back and read or listen to the others again. I’m not ready to let the Wayfarers go. A very definite contender for my top book of 2021.

I must also mention that I absolutely love the title of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. It speaks so well to the message and feeling of the novel.

Other reviews
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
A Closed and Common Orbit
Record of a Spaceborn Few
To Be Taught, If Fortunate (a stand alone novella)

Thank you to Negalley, the publisher and the author for the free advanced e-copy of this book.

This is the fourth and final book in the Wayfarers Series which I have been enjoying ever since they first came out. Becky Chambers has a created an incredibly believable and enjoyable galaxy for her friends to spend time in, and stars, its brilliant!

So Ms Chambers has created a range of different sapient creatures and in this novel she gives us a chance to get to know a range of these characters, just as she has in her previous books. This time though, there no humans to filter our impressions through, which works brilliantly. Throughout the series this has been her plan, introduce us to the concepts and then explore how they would work and what challenges these various creates would face together. This time we’re on a planet that seems to work a bit like a service station on the M4, everyone stops here but few really live here. This is a planet that has very little natural history and therefore is a blank canvas for Ms Chambers to people.

As a concept this works rather brilliantly, as we see these different creatures interact in a temporary environment that is neutral ground for them all. All these creatures are ones we’ve met before and one in particular, Pei, an Aeluon is a character briefly in the first novel, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet as the partner of the captain of the Wayfarer. Here Ms Chambers focuses on the species she hasn’t given much space to in the previous three novels. So as well as the Aeluon,(reptile with scales and four fingered hands) there is a Quelin (a giant cockroach?) two Larus (cross between orangutans/giraffes/teddy bears), and an Akarak (bird/sloth?) and how they approach each other.

There is very little internal conflict in any of Ms Chambers books and that is just fine, it tends to be the environment the characters find themselves in. In this novel it is how they react to a technological breakdown of sorts, when they are all thrown together. But it is also about how a colonised and abused people are surviving the prejudice they find out in the galaxy. As ever, the characters are loving, warm ‘people’ with only the best of intentions and that makes it a comforting read.

I would definitely recommend this novel, especially if you’ve read the others. This is pure escapism but it is on a massive scale. As a person who has never watched Star Wars or Trek meeting new sapient species is really interesting for me, and the fact they are mostly pretty fantastic makes it even more gripping. I seriously want to live in Ms Chambers’ future!

The only really sad point is that this is the last of the series. There is so much potential here and so many more stories left to tell that I am not sure why the author is leaving this ‘universe’ behind. I’m very much looking forward to what she writes next.

What’s great about Becky Chambers is that she upends scifi genre conventions, which can prioritise plot and world-building above characterisation and dialogue. Lots of the last two in this, the fourth in the Wayfarers universe series. She draws together a set of five aliens at the galactic equivalent of Watford Gap Services: three truckers pulling in for gas and food, the service station owner and her son. There’s some briefly-explained comms breakdown which strands the truckers on the station for a few days. That, and some very standard-engineered Personal Crises for the characters, is the plot. Other reviewers have mentioned The Breakfast Club and they’re not far wrong.

As before she explores alien mores - particularly sexual and reproductive - through a lot of dialogue. Fascinating though the idea of a novel without any human characters might be, Chambers doesn’t really go all in on exploring the other. There are egg layers, marsupials, communal child-rearing - but everyone is roughly humanoid with motivations and social contexts that are recognisably aspects of the human experience. The Akarak character Speaker is the only one really to escape this - and fascinating themes about size (they are really small) and lifespan (they don’t live long) are opened up without being as fully explored as they could be.

What’s not so great about Becky Chambers is that her prioritising character and dialogue can make her world-building appear a bit cheesy. A galactic truck-stop? A galactic parliament? Galactic traffic police? You get the idea. Hard SF this is not.

As the fourth in the series The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is not the place to start with this author. Grab debut A Long To A Small Angry Planet and if her snappy dialogue, sincere commitments to inclusivity and tolerance, and refreshingly light tone click with you then there’s a lot to enjoy here.

I’m so sad to see this series end, it’s a wonderful end to the series, it goes out on a high , although I’ve loved every single book equally and I couldn’t choose a favourite, it would be like choosing a favourite child ! The characters as always are so well written, I love Becky’s writing style it’s so beautiful and she has such a great way of covering the bigger issues but doing it seamlessly while still making a story that’s relatable and enjoyable. Just amazing

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is the final book in Becky Chambers' Wayfarer series. For a planet with no air, no water or native life, Gora is busy, due to it being a stopover for for ships travelling through wormholes to more popular destinations. The Five-Hop, One-Stop is one of many places for travellers to wait for their allotted space jump time and refuel, restock supplies or just relax. It is run by Ouloo, a Laru and her child, Tupo. The story takes space mainly over a few days, when an event leaves Pei, an Aeluon, Speaker, an Akarak, and Roveg, a Quelin, grounded at the Five-Hop, One-Stop. We see the aliens get to know each other and work through the event that happened, all the mean time challenging each others preconceived notions of the other species and their occupations.

This book is similar to the other books, wherein it's very character driven and quite a gentle sci-fi book. I love how Chambers has each character assess the biases they have towards the other characters due to what species they are and how to work through that to get to know each as an individual. There are some very sweet and touching moments throughout the book, which I would expect nothing less coming from Becky Chambers. She knows how to write very comforting novels and I am sad that this is the last in this universe. As I've thoroughly enjoyed the world that was built up and getting to know the different alien species throughout each book. If you've never really read sci-fi and feel intimidated by it, I really recommend starting with the first book in this series, A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and giving it a go

This wasn't my favourite of the Wayfarers series (that's Record of a Spaceborn Few, closely chased by To Be Taught, If Fortunate) but by the end of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within I was still predictably weepy. Once again, we have a standalone novel, though I think this one more than any of the others would benefit from having read at least the first book in the series - if only so you know who Ashby is when he comes up in one of the POVs. Still, the way that the worldbuilding is integrated feels comprehensive enough to be clear to a new reader without bogging down the story for anyone who has read the whole series. I listened to the audiobook of this, as I did with the rest, and I highly recommend the audio as a way to consume these stories. Patricia Rodriguez does a fantastic job with the narration, and each of the characters is as distinct in voice as they are in personality.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't completely sold on this one to start with. It started slow, and took me a while to get into properly. The characters are complete strangers, stranded together at a rest stop due to an accident and are forced into close quarters while they wait for it to be resolved. By the end I absolutely adored it, because I'd fallen in love with each and every one of them. Once again we have the light hearted interaction of different species and the mish-mash of cultures that makes Becky Chambers's books so endearing. They're comfort reads to the core, and I was teary eyed by the epilogues. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within felt like the most intimate of the series, just watching a handful of characters interact naturally over the course of a few days, and it worked really well.

I absolutely love the alien species throughout all of the Wayfarers books. None of them fall into the sci-fi trap of being human-lite, nor does the series hold humans up as some kind of bastion of power and goodness. They're all hugely different in biology, culture, personality and experience and it makes for a fascinating read as they interact from their totally different world-views. It also lets them delve into things that might not be natural for a group of the same species to discuss, and it's those conversations that are the heart of this book. One in particular, and I'm being vague to avoid spoilers, hit home with me and I wish everyone would read it because these 'alien' attitudes are incredibly applicable to even our boring human lives. I actually really liked that The Galaxy, and the Ground Within didn't have any human characters as part of the main cast. Humans were mentioned in passing, and that's all. It meant I could really bury myself in the Galactic Commons before having to say goodbye to the series.

This is a quiet novel in a quiet series, focusing on character driven fiction in a queer-normative, alien world. It's not action packed and busy, but instead you get to slowly fall in love with Chambers's writing and characters both. I know I'll come back to these audiobooks over and over again to rediscover these characters and worlds. If you like sci-fi and slice-of-life books, you'll find a perfect mesh of both in The Galaxy, and the Ground Within.

What a brilliant end to the series. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to smile. Although there are different characters through out the series, it’s all connected. The characters here are brilliantly written, each with their own unique culture and physiology. The way the characters interact and learn about eachother is lovely and natural. Can’t wait to read whatever Becky Chambers does next.

I’m a fan of Chambers last three novels, but Small and Angry Planet was by far her strongest. The other two were still good and enjoyable, but the fourth novel has to be her weakest. I’m still debating whether to drop it down from a three to a two.

While Chambers makes it clear that her novels are more about speculation and exploration than moving plots and action, I still believed that they had a point to them. They were to expand the universe and explore different races and ideologies, but I couldn’t figure out what the point was for this one. It felt like it was meandering, trying to find a way to justify its existence but not knowing what it wanted to say.

I liked Pei in her first introduction, and from how cool and interesting she seemed, but Chambers didn’t know what to do with her. She’s just hanging out with other characters, who aren’t that memorable, when a crisis occurs that didn’t have much of a resolve. It’s strange, since Chambers’ biggest strength are her character, and the fact I didn’t care for them felt strange to me.

To me, even when novels don’t have a plot, they should still have a story. A story on characters, on speculation, or anything to hold a narrative, but this didn’t feel like it had anything to keep me engaged. I was bored with a majority of it, hoping to be satisfied with a conclusion, but it didn’t even have that.

This is definitely Chambers’ weakest novel, and if you’re a fan of the Wayfarer universe, I wouldn’t advise having high expectations.

It was interesting to be back in Becky Chambers' Wayfarer universe. Can't believe this was the last book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've been a massive fan of the Wayfarer series since the first book was nominated for the Women's Prize, so I was really eager to read this, and I wasn't disappointed. Chambers writes with a scope and understanding that is desperately needed today, and the overriding message from her books is that tolerance and empathy are the most important components of a healthy society. It's always great to see the LGBTQ+ representation in her books, which first introduced me to gender neutral pronouns as a default. There's also an underlying message about colonialism and how Western society is quick to criticise other countries for behaviours we pioneered in previous centuries. I loved getting to explore the character of Pei in greater depth, and every single character was well-drawn and totally realistic. I've been evangelical about Chambers' work for a long time, and I'll recommend this one to everyone I know.

I was thrilled to get a preview of this book through NetGalley. I am a big fan of Becky Chambers' books and this formed a perfect follow up to the preceding 3 in the Wayfarers series.
Once again Chambers builds on a former minor character whilst completely fleshing out a wider world around them. In The Galaxy and the Ground Within we find Pei stranded whilst on a layover at the Five-Hop One-Stop on the planet Gora. We meet her hosts and the other guests, which represent a cross-section of the galaxy's inhabitants. The story is told through the perspectives of each of these 'alien' species.

Chambers is so expert at covering bigger topics such as family relations, sexuality and identity, gender fluidity, inter-cultural communication, maternity, conflict and even cultural colonialism (with just a couple of lines about not taking other beings' artefacts for a museum). All whilst writing a relatable and enjoyable story that you can just race through. She really exemplifies how to write conscious, kind and socially just science fiction.

I have to say I am a little disappointed that this is the last in the series, but certainly looking forward to what she's going to come up with next!

I don't know if I can find the words to properly describe why I love this book and this series and why everyone should read it, but I'm going to give it a try.

If you're a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek, the Wayfarer series basically combines all the best things from those series that have to do with exploring space and amplifies it 200%, while taking out all the battles, war, weapons and violence.

As is always the case with Becky Chambers, this book is all about the characters and the relationships. The plot is minor, although I do think more happens in this book than in the first two in the series (haven't read the third yet). But it's never boring. The characters are so fascinating, and each one of them is dealing with their own burdens. There are cultural clashes and frustrations due to differences in ideology, but when it comes down to it, they all band together to deal with the situation at hand.

This is the first time that there's no human character present, and one of my favourite parts is when the group discusses what cheese is and how gross humans are for eating it.

There is so much hope in this book, just as in the others, and that makes these stories some of my ultimate feel-good reads. I always love spending time in the worlds Chambers builds, love seeing how each book expands the universe without overwhelming you with information, always taking you by the hand through the eyes of new, fascinating characters to teach you something new about yourself, the world, the way we treat people and the prejudices we might subconsciously have. The writing is sharp and clever, the dialogue witty, and when I reached the climax in the book I actually got emotional.

I only needed to read the first book to know that I will buy anything Chambers puts out without even checking the synopsis, and I am grateful and happy that the series has stayed consistently excellent throughout. I can't wait for the next one.

Instagram link will be added later this week.

I adore Becky Chambers' Wayfarer series and have always wanted her to write more about the different life forms that encompass her galactic universe. 'The Galaxy, and the Ground Within' is that answer. Told in the point of view of different sapient forms, this narrates the story of these group of people who find themselves stranded in a transit planet after communication systems have gone awry and their travel completely halted. Each of the characters are facing their own set of dilemmas, and as the characters interact with each other, the reader gains more understanding of Chambers' sapient population.

I love that the characters were not human because this provides a deeper understanding to the world Chambers created, providing these characters with their own personalities, distinct description, and situations that may be unique to their kind. The story is still attached to themes we are familiar with: finding our place in society, family, loneliness, forging out our identity; not to mention the discourse that happens with the characters and outside their narrative bubble. While the setting of the story is confined in one location, Chambers' world building is still rich as ever, making the last installment of the Wayfarer series as enjoyable and delightful as the others.

Becky Chambers closes off the Wayfarers series with another gorgeous and interesting slice-of-life story.

To start off: I love the Wayfarer books. They are cozy, interesting, well-written and the perfect slice-of-life books for if you really don’t feel like reading a story with an epic quest to save the universe.

In The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, we follow several individuals of different sapient species. Roveg, Speaker and Pei (whom we already know from the first Wayfarers book) all land on Gora and have to stay with Ouloo and her kid, Tupo, for several hours before they can use one of the space tunnels to continue their journey.

Several hours turn into several days, and we follow these five individuals as they try to fill their days. Most of the book isn’t more than that - characters conversing, explaining their culture and species to each other, enjoying time together, or arguing amongst each other.

Eventually something does happen, but this being a Becky Chambers book, you already know the outcome will be a positive one. This accident isn’t about the outcome anyway, but the way the characters deal with this event in their own personal ways.

And that’s what I love so much about Becky Chambers’ books. She writes very well-written and well developed alien characters, but makes it extremely easy to understand them. Her books read like a brilliant slice-of-life anime, and always leave me feeling cozy.

I’m sad to see the ending to the Wayfarers-series. There are still so many characters I’d love to know more about. But I also know Becky Chambers isn’t done writing yet, and I’m looking forward to whatever she’ll write next.

⅗.

To date I have really, really enjoyed Chambers’ books, and the galaxy, and the ground within didn’t break away from this trend. It was, however, a somewhat disappointing end to the Wayfarers series and not as good as any of the other books. It is still a worthwhile read and a great space opera novel, but it kinda missed the high standards set by the others in the series.

The less than ideal:
My main gripe is that this felt too political and Chambers uses her characters as a mouthpiece for her own views. Now, all work is political. And I think that I agree with Chambers’ own politics to a large extent (based on her books and information available online). However, there is absolutely no subtlety here. Chambers throws very 21st century human-centric issues at a range of aliens (one could argue that these are meant to transcend humanity etc), and the characters without fail seem to reach the agreement that Chambers herself would reach. This is too simplistic, and I do not enjoy it when authors use their characters are mouthpieces. There are issues around fertility, relationships, self-confidence, conflict (very reminiscent of events in the Middle East), family ties etc - all of which are effectively concluded with a character deciding to do exactly what I think Chambers herself would do. This would be one thing if we were talking about human characters living on Earth in the 21st century, but these are alien species in the future. As above, I think I am closely aligned with Chambers’ own politics, but this was jarring and definitely took me out of the reading experience on multiple occasions.
Mixed in with this, I think that where there was scope for some arguments to become nuanced and given an individualistic treatment… it just doesn’t happen.
The stakes weren’t as high as they should have been. Around ⅔ of the way through the book the conclusion became largely clear to me (not entirely!), and it was disappointing to see things pan out as they did - the main ‘danger’ is meh, the later conflicts are a bit bland and the outcome predictable, and the final main event… well the result was never in doubt for me.
Very little plot.
Very little exploration of the world in a meaningful way.

The good:
The writing is incredibly accessible, and there is next to no technical jargon involved
The characters themselves are interesting and are all clearly unique
Following a small cast of characters over a condensed period of time with heightened emotions - well, it was an enjoyable experience overall. Yes they were all oddly similar (all of them seem to think in largely the same way) and their ideas/arguments were clearly human, but it was somehow still fun.
Good development of different alien histories, societies, and biologies.
The characters themselves are likeable - as they are meant to be. Stripping away the pretence of alienship? Alienhood? - I enjoyed spending a couple of hours with them all the same.



That’s enough for now - despite its flaws, I did still enjoy the galaxy, and the ground within, and I look forward to Chambers’ future works. I feel like there has been some common criticism for this novel that perhaps the earlier books did not receive - so hopefully the author will take this on board and craft a book with fewer easily-fixable problems.

Conclusion: if you have read and enjoyed the other Wayfarers books then you should absolutely read this one. If you have not read the Wayfarers books, do not let the fact that its conclusion is ‘only’ a ⅘ star read put you off.

This is a very character-driven book and I really enjoyed learning more about the different species in Becky Chambers' fictional universe. I particularly liked the POV from Pei, who is the partner of Ashby from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. A few people were bought together during a crisis as they were stuck for a few days with no chance to leave. The characters were all well-written and I loved the young Laru, Tupo, xe was a boisterous and amusing character who spread joy and was very inquisitive. I would love to read a short story or a novella from xyr point of view! I enjoyed this book and would love to read more from Becky Chambers.

When I think about space operas, I think about this series. This book, as its predecessors, was a quite, simple yet complex, tale about different individuals getting together and just being themselves, challenging their lives and how they view others.

The story takes place on a space "truck stop" after an accident forces three very different individuals to stay there for a while. We have aliens from different cultures, upbringings, and experiences, all together, knowing each other outside history books. They will learn more about themselves and how little they actually know about what's outside their civilization.

The characters stuck there, plus the mom and kid who run the Five-Hop, will form a bond like no other. Not without confrontation and learning opportunities. Each of them, very different, with a story to tell, places to go, decisions to make.

There's no way to explain this book and its simple complexities. This is a quiet space opera you have to experience for yourself. This series is one of the sweetest I've ever read and I will never stop recommending it.

Why are reviews for books you absolutely loved the most difficult to write? You all probably know by now that Becky Chambers is one of my absolute favourite authors of all time. I adore her cosy science fiction writing and a new book from her is always a big event in my reading life. I went into The Galaxy and the Ground Within knowing exactly how much I'd love it, and all my expectations were met.

If I had to put my finger on it, I'd say that the reason I connect so strongly with Becky Chambers' books is the 'human' element. Her books are about people just getting on with their lives -- there are no sweeping space epics, heroic destinies, or nefarious evils to be defeated. I'm sure that there are great heroes and space battles happening in the background -- in fact, Pei's storyline confirms it -- however I love that we focus on the average person living their life in the galaxy. I truly think that every person can see something of themselves in her characters for this reason. 

The strongest aspect of this novel is the characterisation -- it is the definition of a character driven book. There is a bit of a plot -- for readers familiar with her other books, there's more plot than Record of a Spaceborn Few but less than A Closed and Common Orbit -- and the focus is definitely on these strangers as their lives are put on hold on Gora. Through these characters and their backgrounds, Chambers gives us a greater glimpse at the galaxy we've come to know and the different hardships that every species faces. From political and social exile to war and the empty promises of the governing body, this book doesn't shy away from difficult subjects. Despite how cosy and lovely all of her books are, the world is not a perfect place and that makes them all the more readable and relatable.

Speaking of characters, there are five characters with four points of view, and I struggle to determine which of them is my favourite. We have: 

-Pei: a soldier at a crucial crossroads in her life. She's the only character we've seen in a previous book -- she is Ashby's lover in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.
-Roveg: an exile from his homeworld and an outcast among his people. He's a soulful artist with a very important appointment to keep.
-Speaker: a member of a misunderstood and mistrusted species. She is incredibly close with her sister, whom she is separated from after the disaster on Gora.
-Ouloo: a mother and businesswoman. She runs the Five Hop One Stop, where all the characters are grounded. She just wants everyone to be happy and comfortable (if I had to pick a favourite, it's probably her).
-Tupo: Ouloo's child, who has all the curiosity and bluntness of a prepubescent child and is the glue holding the group together.

All of these characters have different backgrounds, statuses, and political views, however The Galaxy and the Ground Within is all about setting aside preconceived notions and prejudices and learning from one another. The way that this group learns to respect each other and forms friendships is just wonderful to watch. 

The Galaxy and the Ground Within is a fine conclusion to one of the best modern science fiction series out there. It has so much heart and like all of her other books, is moving and impactful (it made me cry in the bath and I'm not ashamed to say it). If you're a fan of the previous books in the Wayfarer series, I really think you're going to love this one. I'm so sad to see this series coming to an end, but I am so excited to read whatever she writes next.

1. I’m so upset that this series of perfect heart-warming found family space opera goodness books is over and I’m never going to be okay.

2. As a standalone, The Galaxy and the Ground Within kind of makes sense but I 100% believe you should read these books in order so that you can a) witness the universe coming together and b) see more from the minor characters or previously mentioned sapients that Becky Chambers introduced before.

Anyway, now those two points are out of the way, I can focus on this review. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It’s not my favourite book in the series (there’s a whole blog post and video on that coming up in the near future), because Record of a Spaceborn Few is just too perfect. But The Galaxy and the Ground Within was also incredible.

I loved how Becky Chambers brought together some minor characters from previous books (mostly Pei, I mean Pei), and also reintroduced some sapient species that she had mentioned before and gave them actual storylines and personalities and backgrounds. I didn’t realise I was missing out on these until I read this book.

As always, there’s a little bit of a plot and the story moves along. There are dramatic moments, sure, but the main focus of this book is the characters. As always. I loved meeting them all and watching them all interact.

Being introduced to Speaker was wonderful and I think she was my favourite. The topic of disability, amongst others, was covered and I greatly appreciated how it was handed. I also loved all the other characters though, particularly Roveg and Tupo.

I’ve been struggling to get my thoughts on paper for days now, and I am still struggling. I was supposed to be doing a full video review of this book but I’m not sure I’m up for it. As always with books that are absolutely perfect to me, I am having a difficult time conveying my thoughts and finding things to talk about that aren’t just DFSFKHFK READ THIS BOOK.

This is my mess of a review, thank you for reading.

And so we come to, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, the final instalment of the excellent Wayfarers quartet. Once again we meet a number of interesting characters, different species all thrown headlong into a melting pot.

Gora is a planet that is a stopping off point for travellers. Gora had domes that contain everything the traveller might need - hotels, restaurants, refuelling facilities etc. One of these domes is the Five Hop One Stop where Ouloo, and her child Tupo, welcomes all the different species that land on Gora. When there is a problem with satellites a number of spacecraft find their stop on Gora is a bit longer than planned. We meet a number of different species; the exiled Roveg an artist from Quelin; Speaker an Akarak, struggling with being separated from her twin, and Pei a cargo runner.

The species all from different planets try their best to observe each other’s culture and differences, although there is an occasion where tension rises.

Many subjects are covered many of which could relate to our own planet; colonisation, species choosing their gender, wars over territory but who drew the map, accommodation only suiting certain species.

This is an excellent novel which with great characterisation. A terrific book in a terrific series.