I couldn’t wait. I had to dig into the second book of the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. The first book was just so powerful in its portrayal of friendships and family set against the stars and sensibilities of space opera. I didn’t want to wait and read something else, I had to devour the entire series, one after the other. I needed more.

And the ending of the first book was heartbreaking, hopeful, and I was so not ready to leave this amazing universe Chambers created to play in.

So I happily dived into the second book. It wasn’t what I expected, and it ended up being so much more. Once again, it ends up being powerful, filled with hope, family and friendship, as well as filled with important questions about what defines a person.

And just like the first novel, this one had me teary-eyed by the last pages.

Spoilers for book one follow.

After Lovey the AI is pushed through a hard reset aboard the Wayfarer she elects to travel with Pepper, the tech we were briefly introduced to in book one, in a synthetic (and illegal) body. Now calling herself Sidhra, the growing AI is trying to learn to live in a sentient world, but soon comes up against the constraints of its own programming.

Sidhra’s chapters alternate with those of Pepper, as we learn more about her brutal childhood, and her interactions with an AI, Owl, that shaped who she is.

Both stories come together towards the ends of the novel, giving readers, once again, a powerful tale of friendship and family set against the Galactic Common.

I love the universe Chambers has created. And though I was initially troubled that the second book wasn’t more with the Wayfarer crew, the story it did follow was nothing short of wonderful. Funny, touching, and just like the first book, had me turning pages, unable to put it down, and not wanting to leave this universe behind.

This time out, we already know some of the cultures and aliens that are out there in the Galactic Commons so it dives right into the story. And it’s such a great story, looking at what family and friends mean, how we deal with AI, gender and how we define life.

I love that Chambers can tell such powerful tales with such intimate moments against a backdrop of space opera.

I couldn’t put this one down, and I am being intentionally vague about the plot, because I went into this blind, and think you should do the same.

These books are addictive in their prose, characters and narrative, and I am already diving into the next book in the series, the third of only four. What am I going to do after I leave this universe behind? It’s so incredible, and amazing.

The third book is coming up next, Record of a Spaceborn Few. I can’t wait to see where this one takes me.