4.5⭐s. Objectively 4 ⭐s, but added a half star because of my lack of familiarity with sci-fi, and because I probably missed like half of the things this gorgeous, brilliant book was trying to do. Can you tell this is my first review trying to rate critically? Honestly, I loved everything about this book: the characters, the world-building, the plot, the way the story was told, the discussion of gender, the multitude of diversity. Ursula K. Le Guin's writing is rich, full of descriptive language, and beyond enthralling. I especially love this quote: "To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness." I can't wait to dive into more of her writing. I'm so glad there's so much of it to explore!