This is a review of the Monk and Robot duology,
including A Psalm for the Wild-Built (#1) and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (#2).
Reviews for the second book may contain spoilers for the first book.
Proceed with caution.
A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT
Summary: It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools.
Centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again.
Centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.
One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot ha one question: “What do people need?”
But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how?
They’re going to need to ask it a lot.
(Summary from book flap – Image from pintereset.com)
My Review: A Psalm for the Wild-Built tells the tale of a young monk named Dex who struggles to find contentment within the confines of their lunar city. They decide to leave their current vocation and travel from village to village, offering comfort in the form of tea service. Although this shift in calling brings a temporary relief, Dex still feels a sense of emptiness that civilization cannot fill. One day, they veer away from the towns and into the wildlands, where they meet an unlikely companion, who changes the way they see the world.
There. That’s all I’m going to give you to avoid any major spoilers.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built is set in a fascinating world — a verdant moon orbiting a distant planet. The moon is divided into inhabited areas composed of big cities or small villages and uninhabited areas where the wilds are left undisturbed. The people of Panga worship a cornucopia of gods, and while they are capable of utilizing incredibly advanced technology, the lunar citizens seem to intentionally live a simpler life than one might expect from a sci-fi novel.
This book took less than a day to read and it was fairly easy to get through. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story and the various themes about what it means to be human, the importance of wild places, and how we interact with the natural world. Without going into too much detail, I will say that I loved the main characters in this book — Dex and Mosscap — who offer wildly different perspectives but are more alike than they seem. Their initial meeting was quite humorous, their conversations thought-provoking, and I enjoyed their interactions throughout the book.
The only difficulty I had with this book was temporary in nature and entirely on me. Dex is a non-binary character and although this is not my first time reading about non-binary characters, this was the first book I’ve read with a non-binary main character. I wish I could say that I made the transition easily, but it took about a quarter of the book for my brain to properly acknowledge the use of ‘they/them’ in the singular. There also aren’t any physical descriptions of Dex (or if there are, I missed them), so I had a hard time picturing them in any real way. However, as the story progressed, I found that their gender and physical description didn’t much matter within the context of the story.
Some books bear a strong resemblance to other books on the shelf, but A Psalm for the Wild is like no other book I have ever read and would make an interesting book club selection. It has some controversial themes towards the end (regarding the purpose of life) that lends itself well to discussion and I think many readers might identify with Dex’s struggles to find meaning and fulfillment. It certainly made me think about my own life and way of being. The ending was far more heartwarming than I expected and straight-up solidified my decision to read the next book — A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (psstt….scroll down.)
My Rating: 4.25 stars
For the Sensitive Reader:
Language: Approximately 20 instances of profanity.
Romance: NB/M romance mentioned briefly but not described..
Representation: Non-binary and robot main characters.
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A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY
Summary: After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex, a tea monk of some renown, and Mosscap, a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs, turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.
They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.
Becky Chambers’ new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?
They’re going to need to ask it a lot.
(Summary from the book flap – Image from pinterest.com)
My Review: I listened to the first half of A Prayer for the Crown-Shy while pruning blueberries in my yard, and it made one of my least favorite chores significantly more bearable. The audiobook can be listened to in 4 hours (at 1X speed), so when I got inside I grabbed my print copy, put my feet up, and made quick work of the rest.
In A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Sibling Dex and his robot companion, Mosscap, step away from the wilds and begin to explore the settlements of Panga. They travel by highway through the Woodlands, Riverlands, Coastlands, and Shrublands, on their way to the City, learning about each other and searching for the answer to Mosscap’s question: What do humans need? Along the way they encounter villages where they are welcomed with open arms, but not everyone is excited to see them, and certain challenges threaten to derail their journey. Through it all, a much larger question looms: What will Dex and Mosscap do when they reach the end of the road?
In the last book it took me a little while to adjust to the use of ‘they/them’ in the singular when referring to Sibling Dex, who is a non-binary character, but I didn’t have the same issue this time. This mental shift came in handy as Mosscap self-identifies using ‘it/its’ pronouns throughout the book, which was another first or me; only, this time my brain took it in stride.
I enjoy Dex as a character, with their seriousness and thoughtful nature, but I *love* Mosscap. Its curiosity, wonder, and enthusiasm is utterly endearing and vastly entertaining. Dex’s mild exasperation with its tendency to ask questions and take pictures of everything was hilarious and I often giggled aloud at their interactions. I also adored the perspective it brought to their conversations about society, the natural world, and beyond. Traveling with these two was certainly an adventure, and I found that I loved exploring the different areas of Panga with them just as much, if not more, than I did their foray into the wilds.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is a lovely follow-up to A Psalm for Wild-Built. The more I think about this series, the more I appreciate the simplicity of the storyline with its subtle-but-meaningful message and diverse themes. Like its predecessor, this book lends itself to easy reading and deep discussion, which makes for a perfect book club selection. I recommend it to anyone not bothered by the ‘sensitive reader’ section below who wants to spend the afternoon immersed in a feel-good read.
My Rating: 4.25 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader:
Language: Profanity sprinkled throughout.
Violence: None
Sexual Content: Implied sex between two characters (NB/M, no detail). A secondary couple (M/F) is reported to be in a non-traditional relationship with two other people, referenced with no detail. A well-meaning robot has questions about sex, makes passing mention of pornographic books (one assumes romance novels, but no detail is offered)
