Wayland Smith's Reviews > The Galaxy, and the Ground Within

I definitely enjoy Becky Chambers writing, although I'm not sure this book is part of the series. It seems to be off on its own to me. That said, this was a really good story.

Gora isn't much of a planet. Barely an atmosphere, no water, no native life. But it's conveniently located at a junction between various tunnels that allow for travel between systems, so an industry to care for assorted travelers has sprung up there. The Five-Hop One-Stop is a sort of interplanetary truck stop, whose host, Ouloo really does want to see to her guests' needs, helped (and occasionally hindered) by her adolescent child Tupo (I'm likely spelling these wrong, it was an audiobook).

A freak accident freezes all travel off the planet, temporarily marooning three very different travelers from different races and cultures. What happens is a big getting to know each other story, with the various characters forced to confront their beliefs and how they relate to other races.

It's a little light on plot but more than makes up for that with character development and ideas. I really enjoyed this a lot. A light, hopeful tale of the far-future.