The fourth (and final?) book in the Wayfarers series was one of my favorite reads in the series, second only to the opener, A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Like the previous books, this story brings together a diverse cast of characters from a variety of species and subtly tackles relevant societal issues.

We get to really delve into the characters, learning their quirks, likes, fears, hopes, and beliefs. And find out that while there are some major differences in their physiology, and in some cases their ideology, they have more in common than not.

Five individuals, who under normal circumstances would never have met, come to bond and form ties to each other. Ultimately, they all have lasting a impact on each other; even after the disaster is resolved and they all go their separate ways.

I loved the characters, and went on an emotional roller coaster with them throughout the journey.

Ouloo is a natural caretaker and is perfectly suited to her position as host. And her child, Tupo, is a riot! They are so earnest, inquisitive, and full of life. They are easily my favorite character.

Speaker is kind of the odd one out. Her species doesn’t interact with the others generally due to major physiological differences. She and her sister Tracker (who is not confined to the bubble, but orbiting the planet) are incredibly close and both worry and look out for each other.

We actually meet Pei in the first book, as she is Ashby’s significant other, but we get to look deeper at her motivations for her career, her feelings for Ashby, the expectations of her species, and her motivations. She bonds with Ouloo a bit more than with the others.

Finally is Roveg. Aside from Tupo, he is my other favorite character. He is used to being alone, but is the first to really connect with the others, especially Speaker and Tupo. He goes out of his way to learn about the others, is incredibly tolerant of Tupo’s inquisitiveness, and stands by his beliefs.

All in all, this was a fun, heartfelt read.

Disclaimer: I received a DRC through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Regrettably, I have to say this is the lesser of the series. It breaks my heart as I absolutely adored The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and enjoyed the sequel A Close and Common Orbit more, but this was.. tedious. Sometimes it is time to let a series go and sadly I think this is the final bow.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Another great read from Becky Chambers! Loved this one so much ❤ the story and characters were amazing!

A SF story with barely a human in sight - only mentioned in passing. The last in the Galactic Commons series.

While at a transit point on a planetside domed habitat run by an alien and her child, 4 ships crewed by 4 other different alien species have a longer than expected layover when an orbital disaster takes out the communications network. This how tensions between the races work out without spilling into violence.

A good story but I found it something of a difficult read; I found it hard to keep the species straight when each chapter is told from a different PoV, and all get more-or-less equal billing. I think I would have preferred more of a single PoV, like CJ Cherryh’s Chanur series. The differences in psychology and physiology made it hard to get into the story with the frequent switches.

A good story let down by the structure.

Becky Chambers delivered with another fantastic addition to the Wayfarer series! I absolutely adore her style of hopeful writing regardless of the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was just so lovely and soothing and everything I wanted in a book right now. I highly enjoy this series.

A great series from an author that has become an auto-buy for me. The writing will take you away to another galaxy, for sure!

I read this book but the PR person was unable to contact Becky in time for the agreed upon interview frame.
The novel was heartwarming and mild-mannered. I enjoyed it but it certainly wasn't a page-turner

Possibly my favorite in this series. The beginning is a little tricky with the introduction of so may different characters but all of them are fantastic and I really had a fun time reading this book.

I swear Becky Chambers can do no wrong. I love this world and these characters. My heart is bursting!

This book is deceptive. It seems like it has no plot but that is not true. The plot is just so beautifully done. It is about people getting along and working together to solve a problem. There is no enemy to defeat. It is just a day in the life of…and it is perfectly done. Seriously this is a series that everyone should read whether they are SCFI fans or not. It is all about basic kindness and treating people decently in a very diverse world. Something we all need to read about. The Science Fiction world building is very good and so is the character development. Nothing jars and knocks you out of this perfectly crafted world

What a beautiful way to wrap up this series. I loved each of the characters in this ensemble cast and still think about them often. Chambers has a wonderful way of taking something completely alien to us and making it as comfortable as a well-loved blanket.

I'm simultaneously glad I finally read this, and also sad that the series is over. This is such a nice, slice-of-life sci-fi. I loved meeting all the characters and getting to know Pei more. I need more cozy sci-fi like this in my life.

Set on an uninhabitable planet whose only value is as a stopover for other worlds, this story explores what happens when members of very different species and histories are forced into community when they are temporarily cut off from contact with the larger Galactic Commons. Three of these strangers are guests at the overwhelmingly hospitable Five-Hop One-Stop version of a spacer’s truck stop when a freak accident halts all traffic and communications. At first glance, they have little in common: an exiled artist with an urgent, perhaps redemptive appointment to keep, a cargo runner with a military history at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual who cannot leave her space suit but is doing her best to help those on the fringes. Add to this odd grouping, their host and her teenager, furred quadrupeds that reminded me repeatedly of space otters. Most of all, though, this book is about how people who are initially not only diverse but at odds with one another can bridge those differences through understanding and shared experiences to form friendships and, ultimately, community.

As always Becky Chambers knocks it out of the park. This book is a little more small scale and quiet than the others, but it gives the same level of joyful reflection of the spirit of all kinds of beings and shows how our differences are valuable.

If you have ever read a contemporary book with close quarters about complete strangers from different walks of life being forced to interact for a few days, that is this book in a sci Fi setting. It's so intimate and personal and such a fitting ending to a book that has brought me so much joy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's a bittersweet ending to a unique sci-fi series. I absolutely loved the first two books and these last two have been harder to get through. While I didn't hate this book, I also felt it was too easy to put down. This whole series is character driven and there's no action to speak of and while that's okay, the story has to be pretty compelling or interesting to keep the pages turning and this one had trouble.

The plot made me feel like Chambers wanted to take Ann Patchett's Bel Canto and mix it with the 80's movie Enemy Mine, because that's exactly the vibe I got. But unfortunately this book wasn't nearly as interesting as the media it reminded me of.

I do love how Becky Chambers is very inclusive and builds a world that's a dream of what our own could be with how everyone gets along and people aren't discriminated against for something like gender or sexual orientation. Pronouns are respected and cultural differences are celebrated and cared about. It's beautiful. For that reason I wanted to love this book, the the previous one, way more than I did. I actively want to love books that are inclusive like this, but this fell flatter than a crepe.

Just a note if you're thinking about the audiobook. One character uses xy/xyr pronouns instead of the more common they/them, and while that's perfectly fine it's a bit jarring listening to it when there's a sentence like "Xy picked up xyr phone and checked xyr messages." While I doubt this was the actual reason, I wondered if xy/xyr was chosen because it sounds more sci-fi than they/them.

Once again, Becky Chambers has written a compelling and adventurous space opera with a warm, compassionate heart. This one is somewhat of a bottle episode—the main characters are brought together on a way station planet and forced to interact when something happens to prevent their traveling onward to their next destinations. Chambers includes a wide variety of species and identities here, just like in the previous Wayfarers books, in a way that is gentle and welcoming, not preachy or performatively inclusive. It was such a pleasant surprise to get a fourth book in this series, and it absolutely did not disappoint.

I'm probably biased because I loved the other books in this series. It's like Chambers has created a new genre of cozy sci-fi with lovable characters who you want to root for and get deeply invested in. The world-building is also impressive. Great for fans of YA Sci-fi as well.

This was a phenomenal wrap-up to the Wayfarers series, and seeing it come full circle back to Pei and her character amidst others in this universe was perfect.