This is mostly world building and character development. The overarching plot is actually more of a frame narrative loosely connecting the short-story-esque vignettes. The frame narrative: a multi-species crew taking contract jobs tunneling new wormholes through space takes a job in a distant, isolated sector and it will take a year to travel there for the job. It's as good an explanation as any for why their ship is traveling through many different territories and why the crew is interacting with so many different species and even their own friends and family on their home worlds. We've seen the ragtag crew before--it's reminiscent of Firefly, Hitchhiker's Guide, and so many other books and shows that you'll recognize immediately.

Does this sound dismissive? I hope not. This is a really lovely book in which people are kind, inclusive, and self-reflective. It's about family, community, and our obligations to each other. When the little guy speaks up, the powerful listen and act accordingly. It's empowering, it's warm, and it still manages to be funny. Yet it's not cloying--there is tension in this world. There is violence. But it takes a backseat to the mundane reality of life on a long-haul spaceship, giving plenty of room for warmth to blossom.