A Closed and Common Orbit was a perfect book in my eyes. Becky Chambers is an excellent writer. She lovingly crafts wonderful characters, in unique worlds effortlessly.

We follow the dual POVs of Sidra and AI for a spaceship recently housed inside a synthetic android, and Jane a child slave working in a factory cleaning scrap. Both of these women’s stories were incredibly engaging from the start.Seeing both of them come of age and find themselves in a world that kept knocking them down was heartwarming and inspiring. I became fiercely protective of these two and their found families.

A Closed and Common Orbit is a story about family, autonomy, and finding yourself in a world that undermines your existence. Chambers weaves these poignant themes into such a short book. She packs a punch and made me care deeply about the protagonist.

Like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet before it, A Closed and Common Orbit wasn’t very plot driven. It’s a book focused on quiet character moments. This kind of book might not be for everyone, but I personally found the story so engaging. Just experiencing the fascinating world and great characters was enough for me.


I adored this book with every bit of my heart. I both want to instantly devour the next book in the Wayfarers series and delay reading it for as long as possible. I don’t want to run out of stories in this world, but I want to know every aspect of it. Becky Chambers has quickly become a favorite author of mine.