violetends's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I read this with someone while we lived 2000km away from each other. We send each other voice memos with the latest chapter as well as reading to each other over the phone. And we finally finished it in the first days of being in the same space again. This book was perfect for this little 2-people-bookclub and I am very happy to have done this.
Overall, I am astounded that this is Becky Chambers' debut. The way in which she crafts the world with its advanced technology, complex social and political structures and numerous distinct species is so complex and well done. The plot is simultaneously wholesome and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and I am a little sad to continue the second book away from the Wayfarer (if I understood correctly what the second book is about).
Overall, I am astounded that this is Becky Chambers' debut. The way in which she crafts the world with its advanced technology, complex social and political structures and numerous distinct species is so complex and well done. The plot is simultaneously wholesome and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and I am a little sad to continue the second book away from the Wayfarer (if I understood correctly what the second book is about).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness and War
sybersecurity's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use and Death
phillym00's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really enjoy Becky chambers writing. This was my second read of this book and I think unfortunately it lost a bit of the original magic it had for me on the first read through but I love her world building and characters so much. Found families are one of my fave tropes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
weareinheritors's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The plot was kinda lackluster and the pacing seemed a little off at times, but the CHARACTERS are where this book shone! Once the characters started interacting with one another, it was difficult to put the book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Sexual content
latida94's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Becky Chambers writes hope into these stories. She also writes things on an emotional level that absolutely wrecks me. Cuts you to the core with earnesty and accuracy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
withlivjones's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I am a sucker for the found family trope and this book does it PERFECTLY. I loved all the characters on the Wayfarer and while I’m normally more of a plot girlie I wasn’t mad about the fact that most of this book is focused on exploring the relationships between the crew on this long journey. This is a masterclass in character creation, as every crew member gets their moment in the spotlight to uncover their demons and by the end you feel attached to every one of them (even Corbin, who is objectively an asshole). I loved the diversity in appearance, language, ideologies and family dynamics amongst all the alien species, it felt realistic in terms of how different life that evolved outside of Earth would be to humanity, and I really like the sentiment of accepting people regardless of their differences, even if you don’t fully understand them. This book embodies cozy sci-fi, but that’s certainly not to say that it doesn’t have its tense moments - there were parts of this book that had me on the edge of my seat, gaping! - and there’s a good balance between the cozy bits and the action bits. I loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, War, and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Blood, and Death
kristinrdub's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Delightful cozy sci-fi unlike anything I’ve ever read. I love all of the characters very much!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Death
julieyael's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was a lovely comfort read.
The plot is quite light and you should not expect too many twists, but the main focus of the book are the characters and the general atmosphere.
I would definitely pick it up again to be amongst this crew. The sci-fi aspect is very interesting too, with good reflections on life and humanity.
Becky Chambers was already an author I liked, as I read and loved To be Taught if Fortunate, but now she is definitely one of my favorites.
The plot is quite light and you should not expect too many twists, but the main focus of the book are the characters and the general atmosphere.
I would definitely pick it up again to be amongst this crew. The sci-fi aspect is very interesting too, with good reflections on life and humanity.
Becky Chambers was already an author I liked, as I read and loved To be Taught if Fortunate, but now she is definitely one of my favorites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, War, Grief, and Death
decie's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: War
a_kt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was basically what would happen if Firefly and The Odyssey had a baby. Technically, the plot is about the ragtag crew of a wormhole-punching long haul ship on its way to a newly allied planet. However, what the book is actually about is found family. Every crewmember on the ship, from the friendly-yet-exasperated captain Ashby to the feathered reptilian pilot Sissix to the very polite AI Lovey has their own "thing" going on, and you will learn about it throughout the course of this book. Basically the chapters follow this structure: One of the crewmates has a "thing", something happens on the ship (or off the ship) that directly impacts that "thing" and forces said crewmember to acknowledge this "thing" and either deal with it (through the power of friendship) or learn to cope with it and move on (through the power of friendship). Now, I know it may sound like I'm being overly critical about this, but check the star rating. I really really enjoyed this book.
I have previously read Chambers' Monk and Robot series and found it be lovely, introspective, cozy sci-fi. I'm happy to say that Long Way follows a similar vein. There is definitely more at stake in this story, but at the end of the day, its a series of episodic character profiles that culminates in a mildly-tense conclusion where the crewmembers have to each use what they've learned or grown from along the journey. Chambers takes a very interesting look at the differences between species, cultures, and perspectives with each character and weaves them into very believable characters that each have their own stipulations and views about the universe and their place within it. Its progressive while still showing political and cultural strife, its wholesome while still being conflicted, and its optimistic while not shying away from the more difficult side of inter-species dynamics. If any of this sounds even remotely up your alley, I'd recommend giving it a try. While not as short as the Monk and Robot novellas, I was able to get through this book fairly quickly despite it not being what I would call a "page-turner". I do think I will try and read the rest of the books in the series but probably not concurrently, as I do feel like I need to read something with a bit more conflict after this.
I have previously read Chambers' Monk and Robot series and found it be lovely, introspective, cozy sci-fi. I'm happy to say that Long Way follows a similar vein. There is definitely more at stake in this story, but at the end of the day, its a series of episodic character profiles that culminates in a mildly-tense conclusion where the crewmembers have to each use what they've learned or grown from along the journey. Chambers takes a very interesting look at the differences between species, cultures, and perspectives with each character and weaves them into very believable characters that each have their own stipulations and views about the universe and their place within it. Its progressive while still showing political and cultural strife, its wholesome while still being conflicted, and its optimistic while not shying away from the more difficult side of inter-species dynamics. If any of this sounds even remotely up your alley, I'd recommend giving it a try. While not as short as the Monk and Robot novellas, I was able to get through this book fairly quickly despite it not being what I would call a "page-turner". I do think I will try and read the rest of the books in the series but probably not concurrently, as I do feel like I need to read something with a bit more conflict after this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
Minor: Racism and Xenophobia