Second novel in the Hainish series, the book is set on Werel, a planet with an orbital period of sixty Earth years and proportionally long seasons.

We get acquainted with two main civilisations: a dwindling colony of survivors from the League of All Worlds; and an indigenous tribe, technologically primitive, but more physically adjusted to the environment. The two groups seem to have some common roots, however their evolution has diverged to the point they can’t interbreed, and they see each other as alien.

As the long winter approaches, and raids from the Gaal – basically an ilk of aggressive barbarians – become imminent, the two groups try to cooperate; an impulsive love affair between two of their respective members, however, makes their alliance even more fraught.

The book expands what we already know about the Hainish universe, showing how humanoid species have evolved on several planets, and how many have the potential for mindspeech, although not always equally developed. It also focuses on a different point of history, in which the League of All Worlds has either been destroyed or at least much weakened – likely as a result of the conflict they were facing in Rocannon’s times.

The book is a bit thin in terms of plot and character work, and honestly shows its age (see the instalove between the main characters, only barely justified by their harsh circumstances; or the female protagonist being quickly relegated to a passive role). It is, however, fascinating for its distinctively ethnographic interest in the development of human groups. The perspectives of both main tribes are portrayed in an immersive and believable way – although, shame the Gaal are instead treated as a mere force of nature.  The ending is perhaps contrived in evolutionary terms, but it comes with some insightful reflection on the necessity of change and on the meaning of home.

Planet of Exile is surely not the peak of Le Guin’s writing, however it is significant of her development and of what her work will become.