The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet has been sitting on my Kindle since 2019 - one of the very first ebooks I ever committed to reading. I've read over a thousand books since then, all the while missing out on how wonderful this book was.

Following a hodgepodge crew aboard a space vessel called The Wayfarer, this book is more focused on the characters and world building than on plot. There are several nuggets of lore brought up throughout that I anticipate will be part of an overarching plot across the series, but as for this first installment, the purpose seems to be more set up than anything else. That isn't to say this book isn't interesting in its own right. A space-themed slice of life, this book is as fascinating as it is creative. The scene where the crew "punches" through across space was one of the most entertaining scenes I've ever read, incredibly fun and wildly unique. I also really liked the cast of characters - Kizzy, Jenks and Lovey, Sissix, Dr. Chef, and even Corbin.

If I had to be critical of anything in this book, it would be the length. At 443 pages, the book could probably have been trimmed down a bit, although I have to confess I don't know what could have been cut.

Overall, this was a stellar sci-fi with wonderful characters, fantastic world building, and superb writing. Becky Chambers is definitely an author I will be reading from again.