The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: A Novel (Wayfarers, 4)

Several aliens from different corners of the galaxy cross paths at an interstellar layover and are forced to shelter in place during a catastrophic event. They have very little in common with each other, and the reputations of their species precede them. Those people are aggressive expansionists. Those people are warmongers. Those people are violent, unfeeling scavengers. But within the confines of a humble space station on lockdown, these diverse characters somehow manage to find common ground.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, the fourth (and ostensibly final) volume in Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer series, feels like her most subtle novel yet—and in my opinion, it’s also her best. That familiar, quiet pulse of fervent optimism is stronger here than ever before, but the emotions of the characters feel more natural, their struggles more real, more believable. The result is something evocative of The Breakfast Club set in deep space, where the curiosity of the small cast, combined with their desire to feel seen and understood, overpowers their preconceived notions about each other. I highly recommend this book, whether as an end to a heartwarming science fiction series or as a standalone novel.