thewildmageslibrary's review
4.0
Rating and review previously held during the HPCUnion strike.
This was an enjoyable story and intro to the Wayfayer crew. Already grabbed the sequel from the library! Also, Rosemary *cries*
CW: xenophobia, drugging, gun violence, violence, non-consensual medical procedure, grief, death, terminal illness
This was an enjoyable story and intro to the Wayfayer crew. Already grabbed the sequel from the library! Also, Rosemary *cries*
CW: xenophobia, drugging, gun violence, violence, non-consensual medical procedure, grief, death, terminal illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, and Death
charlotteschapter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, Terminal illness, and Chronic illness
Moderate: War, Racism, Medical content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Genocide
cnnr876's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Xenophobia, War, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
kirstym25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Xenophobia, Terminal illness, and Genocide
asleepyreader's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
razzberry_pi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.75
really great found family story with just enough tension to keep it interesting.
lots of interesting ethics and parallels to the real world in terms of religions, police brutality, xenophobia and more.
some of the ethical problems especially related to are not handled in the best way, but overall pretty good
lots of interesting ethics and parallels to the real world in terms of religions, police brutality, xenophobia and more.
some of the ethical problems especially related to
Spoiler
medical autonomy of a character
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Medical trauma
Minor: Sexual content
addie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Violence
Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Torture, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Vomit, and Gore
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
What a delightful, charming, and deeply emotional experience. Chambers does such a phenomenal job of writing imperfect, complex, and, most importantly, intensely lovable characters. This story is no exception. The pacing is comfortable, the universe—with all of its various forms of sentient life and their respective cultures—is introduced to the reader in a way that feels natural and easy to absorb. I don’t dish out 5 star ratings easily but this book is an instant favorite for me.
Spoiler
I will say, I went into this book thinking it was mostly a safe, cozy sci-if read but was surprised by the death of a main character towards the end, so be aware that it is very very sad at one point and if that’s something you prefer to avoid, this book isn’t for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, and Death
Moderate: War and Violence
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
adventurous
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
When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the ailing Wayfarer, she has low expectations. Even though the patched-up ship has seen better days, it nonetheless provides her with a bed, the opportunity to travel to distant parts of the galaxy, and most importantly, some separation from her past. She's never encountered anyone even quite like the ship's eclectic crew, which includes Ashby, their honorable captain, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks, who keep the ship operating, and Sissix, the exotic reptile pilot.
The hectic and crazy life on board the Wayfarer is just what Rosemary wants. The gang is going to be handed the opportunity of a lifetime, which will make things much more risky. They will live comfortably for years digging wormholes to faraway planets since it is profitable to do so. However, endangering her life wasn't in the agenda. The small Wayfarer crew will face a variety of unforeseen difficulties and exhilarating adventures in the great regions of deep space, forcing them to rely on one another. Rosemary must learn to rely on this diverse group of oddballs in order to survive, which teaches her about love and trust as well as the fact that having a family isn't necessarily the worst thing that could possibly happen.
What comes to mind when you hear the name "Becky Chambers"? I personally associate this book with found family, comfort, and space that I have discovered. Since the rumors are true—and I'm not even exaggerating—let me assure you that they are not in fact rumors. I'm thirty percent through the novel and already in tears from underdeveloped characters brought on by the discovered family. I felt like a hug after finishing this book, so I guess you could say that 2023 is off to a wonderful start.
Yes, there isn't much of a plot in this book, which is unusual for a sci-fi book. It's the definition of "no plots, only vibes," which might be quite off-putting at first. However, once you accept that there isn't a narrative, you'll be able to really enjoy this book. Becky Chambers is remarkable in that regard in terms of character. The characters are interesting, varied, and authentic. Funnily enough, they don’t seem like from another planet.
Literally, barely 10% of the book is devoted to the objective. I don't advise reading this if that offends you. The characters feel so authentic because, as has already noted, Becky Chambers spends more time developing them than she does on the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm excited for the upcoming installment in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Genocide and Drug use
cekennamer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
It's nice to read to a story, especially a sci-fi epic, where the are no Grand Prophecies or Evil Empires or Chosen Ones Handpicked By Destiny To Save The Universe From The Machinations Of Evil. The Long Way chooses to instead focus on the "little people", more specifically a multi-species found family whose main concern isn't overthrowing space tyrants, but of completing their next wormhole tunneling job. This story may be boring to some, with pages and pages of quiet yet intimate and endearing character development and visits to fascinating alien worlds, but to me it was a breath of fresh air in a sci fi landscape that seems to care more about cgi explosions than of crafting a story that will stick with you. Also I'm a sucker for tall reptilian ladies.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and War
Minor: Drug use, Slavery, Violence, and Vomit