Once, Lovelace had eyes and ears everywhere. She was a ship's artificial intelligence system - possessing a personality and very human emotions. But when her ship was badly damaged, Lovelace was forced to reboot and reset. Now housed in an illegal synthetic body, she's never felt so isolated.
But Lovelace is not alone. Pepper, an engineer who risked her life to reinstall Lovelace's program, has remained by her side and is determined to help her.
The dual stories, told in short, impactful chapters is such a powerful mechanism, and Becky Chambers wields it perfectly.
Both stories are riveting for their own, very different reasons. But both have to do with social justice, and personhood denied.
I found myself getting to the end of one chapter and being oh but I want to stay with this character! only to get embroiled in the other character's chapter immediately.
It's like an anti-cliffhanger. Rather than leaving you hanging, it pulls you in to the next segment, and then pulls you right back into the following.
If you liked The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - the previous entry by Becky Chambers, then I can super-recommend this.
Review of 'A Closed and Common Orbit' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Loved the concept, but the story kept hitting the same plot beats. I liked it overall, but it still felt a little disappointing coming off of the first Wayfarer book.
Thoroughly enjoyed the worldbuilding and the story, but I felt like I had to do the work to relate to the characters. They both start off at points in their lives that are unique, interesting - and hard to wrap my head around. The author does a great job giving them distinct voices and letting them grow over time, but I just found them too far removed to really get into the book.
The secondary characters, however! I really loved reading about them from the perspectives of the protagonists, and as always, the interactions are wonderfully crafted.
Der Fokus liegt hier auf den zwei Hauptprotagonistinnen, deren Charakterentwicklung und einen konsistenten Handlungsstrang mit merklich steigendem Spannungsbogen. Somit ist der ErzÀhlstil anders, als in Teil eins, dennoch ist das Buch mindestens genauso gut, wenn nicht sogar besser!
Die Story fand ich wunderschön und die Protagonistinnen und die drei Nebencharaktere durch und durch sympathisch und liebenswert. Auch dieses Mal habe ich wĂ€hrend des Lesens mehrfach in Emotionen geschwelgt. Wie sehr habe ich mit ihnen mitgefiebert, wie sehr mitgefĂŒhlt, wenn sie es schwer hatten, wie sehr ging mir das Herz auf, wenn sie schöne Dinge erlebt hatten.
Und letztere sind zum GlĂŒck auch in diesem Teil wieder in der Mehrzahl, auch wenn diesmal ein bisschen hĂ€ufiger auch etwas bedrĂŒckendere Momente stattfinden, was die Bindung an die Charaktere aber umso mehr verstĂ€rkt.
Besonders angetan hat es mir Protagonistin Sidra. Nicht nur, weil ich es interessant âŠ
Hach, was fĂŒr ein wunderbares Buch. đ„°
Der Fokus liegt hier auf den zwei Hauptprotagonistinnen, deren Charakterentwicklung und einen konsistenten Handlungsstrang mit merklich steigendem Spannungsbogen. Somit ist der ErzÀhlstil anders, als in Teil eins, dennoch ist das Buch mindestens genauso gut, wenn nicht sogar besser!
Die Story fand ich wunderschön und die Protagonistinnen und die drei Nebencharaktere durch und durch sympathisch und liebenswert. Auch dieses Mal habe ich wĂ€hrend des Lesens mehrfach in Emotionen geschwelgt. Wie sehr habe ich mit ihnen mitgefiebert, wie sehr mitgefĂŒhlt, wenn sie es schwer hatten, wie sehr ging mir das Herz auf, wenn sie schöne Dinge erlebt hatten.
Und letztere sind zum GlĂŒck auch in diesem Teil wieder in der Mehrzahl, auch wenn diesmal ein bisschen hĂ€ufiger auch etwas bedrĂŒckendere Momente stattfinden, was die Bindung an die Charaktere aber umso mehr verstĂ€rkt.
Besonders angetan hat es mir Protagonistin Sidra. Nicht nur, weil ich es interessant fand, einen GroĂteil der Handlung aus der Sicht einer KI zu erleben. Sondern auch, weil ihre Persönlichkeit einfach lieb und herzlich gezeichnet ist.
AuĂerdem fand ich es bewegend, mitzuerleben, wie sie sich als empfindungsfĂ€hige KI in einem Bodykit unter Organischen anfangs schwer tut, sich in der Situation entwickelt und dabei liebevolle Freundschaften schlieĂt.
Wie schon Band 1 ein wirklich optimistisches und wohltuendes Buch. đ
I absolutely adored this book. I realise that part of this is that it was a perfect little escape while I was stuck at home with covid, but I do also think it's really wonderful.
It has some similar strengths to the first in the series, in that it's mostly about the relationships between a few outcast characters that become a chosen family and just happen to be in space. But if anything I think it's better written (I guess Chambers getting into her stride with book 2), and benefits from being a more focussed story of a smaller number of characters. And has some weightier things to say about embodiment, the tension between fitting in and freedom, and loyalty & reciprocity.
Becky Chambers' approach to sci-fi has ruined me. No longer will I accept grungy and dystopian worlds that don't have redeeming character arcs filled with friendship, love, and care. This book is just so good.
I found this much more emotional of a read than I expected. The questions about what makes a person a person, and a home a home, and a family a family, not to mention what is the relationship between ourselves and our physical bodiesâ itâs a lot to handle! And the book does is so gently even as itâs really fierce on valuing lives and loves. Anyway. Sheâs so good, Becky Chambers.
Review of 'A Closed and Common Orbit' on 'GoodReads'
5 stars
A wonderful sequel
This book went an entirely different direction from the first in the series, yet it was just as enjoyable. My favorite part of the book was the structure in which the two stories were told in parallel, coming together into a great finish. Can't wait for the third one!
