The Wayfarer books have been some of my favorite blogosphere discoveries. The first one, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet surprised me by how much I loved it. When the second one (mind you, these are all “stand alone” books, so it’s just a second book set in the same universe) came out, I was pleasantly surprised when I loved it, too. Naturally, I was FREAKING STOKED about this one. This ended up being my least favorite of the three, but I would still recommend it to anyone who loved either of her other ones.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers Series: Wayfarers #3
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on July 24, 2018
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy from The Book Depository
Goodreads
From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope
The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the beloved The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.
Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.
Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.
Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.
When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question:
What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?
family, home, and outer space
Thoughts on Record of a Spaceborn Few:
Although this one was my least favorite of the three, it still has ALL of the sci-fi charm and warm fuzzy moments that the others have. Unlike the other books, this one really focused on the family unit and what “home” really is. Throughout the entire book, there were moments that I became teary-eyed, hopeful, happy, curious, and/or quite thoughtful about those very subjects.
Why did I like this one the least?
- It focuses a lot more on humans than the other two. (I ADORED the AI/alien aspect of the other two, so the fact that this had a lot less of it was bound to be something I didn’t enjoy as much).
- It really has only one setting. You get to know that setting quite well, but in the previous books I really enjoyed seeing the different worlds.
- For some reason this one took me quiet a while to get into. I think bouncing around all of the different perspectives (there were 5, I think?) made it a little harder to settle in and get comfy.
That being said…
Becky is a wizard at writing about space and making it SO RELATABLE to our life. I can’t emphasize this enough. She is incredible! I read these books and am repeatedly astounded by her skill. She is smart about the technology (enough so that you don’t feel skeptical about how things are working in the context of the worlds she is writing) and is sensitive to alien/foreigner cultures and feelings despite the face that they’re complete fiction. It’s so impressive.
If you enjoyed her other two, or even if you enjoyed one of them, I would highly recommend reading this one. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, I’d recommend starting here!
Do you enjoy sci-fi? What is one of your favorite sci-fi reads?
A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.
