I’m making such good time with this series!

In Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers, the third standalone installment in the Wayfarers series, we follow a group of humans living on a spaceship. They’re from the Exodus Fleet, the descendants of the last humans to have left Earth after the planet’s environmental collapse. After another nearby ship suffers a catastrophic disaster, everyone is reeling. There’s a young man trying to decide upon his future, a mother grappling with her daughter’s trauma and growing up, an academic ferrying around an alien visitor, a caretaker for the deceased, and a traveler just arrived and seeking a fresh start. All of them ponder what will come next for them, especially after seeing the way that things can end too soon, out here in space.

I have to say, I enjoy when a series is actually several interconnected yet separate novels, in the same universe, but able to be read in any order. It’s fun when there are cameos from other characters we’ve met before, but also fun to meet new people.

As for this particular book, I think it’s my least favorite in the series. However, considering how much I enjoyed the first two, that still means I liked this one a lot. I just think that having so many characters’ storylines meant that we didn’t develop any of them as much as the characters in Long Way or Orbit. Still, I did like these characters and was interested to see how their lives unfolded. It’s sort of a slice of life narrative, with lots of introspection and gentle plot progression that Chambers seems to favor. It reminds me of the Monk and Robot series (also by Chambers) in that way.

This book is also probably the saddest of the series so far, since an accident on another ship led to the deaths of thousands. It’s a morbid backdrop, but also allows for characters to be pushed to try new things or to look at their lives in a different way. This demonstrates how grief can lead to growth, even though the situation is difficult.

On a lighter note, there are a couple characters I need to mention as being my favorites, even though as an audiobook listener, I have no idea how to spell their names. But I love Tamzin, the wife of Eyas the caretaker; she’s a sassy woman, full of spirit and wit even though her body is aging. I also love Sunny (or is it Sonny?), a charming sex worker who is one of the kindest, most lovely characters in this series—which is saying a lot.

In the end, while Record of a Spaceborn Few isn’t my favorite Wayfarers book, it’s still excellent. The themes about cultural exchange, personal growth, and grief are well explored through a dynamic and interesting cast. The existential questions posed throughout aren’t full of dread so much as curiosity, and that’s nice to see. This book is definitely less plot-centric as the previous one, but for readers who prefer character-driven tales, it works. And it’s a great addition to the series, exploring a part of space we haven’t directly seen yet. Further, I’m really looking forward to the fourth and final book, because my friend said it’s her favorite one!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and I hope that everyone has a good holiday season! (I’ll have a couple more posts before the end of the year, but wanted to send out well wishes here, since this post goes live on Christmas Eve.)