#aetherbound

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Endorsement from submitter: "The modern space opera, includes gays in space, found family, and delightful discussions in the social customs of different species"

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Science fiction, adventure, space, series, adult

Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

Set on a family-run interstellar freighter called the Harland and a mysterious remote space station, E. K. Johnston's latest is story of survival and self-determination.

Pendt Harland's family sees her as a waste of food on their long-haul space cruiser when her genes reveal an undesirable mutation. But if she plays her cards right she might have a chance to do much more than survive. During a space-station layover, Pendt escapes and forms a lucky bond with the Brannick twins, the teenage heirs of the powerful family that owns the station. Against all odds, the trio hatches a long-shot scheme to take over the station and thwart the destinies they never wished for.

Plot: pacing was weird, but not bad. I  think it would have benefited from a bit more length in the second half, once they’re on Brannick station. It would have turned this into a book about healing from abuse (as opposed to a book where the abuse happens for the first half and the healing in the second, where it’s equally about both) and made the final action and developing relationships of the story feel less rushed.

Characters: Pendt is my girl. She’s practical and charming and deeply traumatized - it sounds callous to say it’s interesting, but it is. I’ve never read of a character quite like her. I want her to tell me about her day and to give her cake to eat. I liked Fisher as well, and thought that the villains were excellent. I wouldn’t have minded more time spent on the romance, but liked how quiet it was compared to the main focus on Pendt.

Setting: interesting. Johnston keeps us in such a small amount of this world, and Pendt’s own relative ignorance means we don’t find out much more. I’d be really interested to find out about the vast galactic empire just beyond the reach of the space stations, but still influencing their everyday lives.

Prose: nothing to report. The books is divided into parts and each uses a song lyric, though, which took me right out of the book. One second I’m reading a space opera and the next Johnston is quoting Panic! At the Disco.