When it came to the Wayfarers series, I used to believe A Closed and Common Orbit would never be topped for me. I'm happy to report I was very wrong. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is an absolute triumph, the ultimate torchbearer for the particular brand of optimistic, heartwarming, humanist sci-fi that Chambers has championed throughout the whole series, and a new personal favorite, without a doubt. I got more than teary eyed at multiple times throughout this book, as it weaves a tale of personal drama, all-too relatable themes of normalized oppression, cultural identity, found family... it's a doozy. It's outstanding science fiction, it's everything I could've wanted from its premise and more. I couldn't have clicked that 5 star rating any faster.