When we last saw her, Lovelace left Wayfarer with Pepper, to get away from the crew that sorely missed her previous self. Now, she has to learn to live while recognizing she's outlaw in the strictest sense: if authorities notice she's an AI, it means a certain death sentence.

A Closed and Common Orbit has two story lines: one is about Sidra learning to cope her new life of not being installed in a ship but possessing a body kit. The other is about Pepper's childhood as a genetically engineered factory slave. Both stories deal with definition of life and surviving in a hostile environment. Sidra's story is more about the former, Pepper's about the latter, and together they complement each other even if they rarely mix.

[b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405532474s/22733729.jpg|42270825] was a feel good story that had lovable characters but was a bit superficial: it focused on people, places and backgrounds so much that the plot itself was left lacking.

This one has no such problem. This book, as well as the first one, is about people and relationships, but now there's a clear focus. Both storylines have a protagonist that is always present, and both have a clear starting point and an enjoyable ending.

A Closed and Common Orbit definitely isn't hard science fiction. It's a story about friendship, caring and humanity, and as such it could be set against any background. In this story, though, one of the main characters happens to be of artificial origin, and that makes all the difference. In a genre that seems to be filled with dystopias and darkness, I, for one, heartily welcome something like Wayfarer books.