Following A Psalm for the Wild-Built, I knew I had to pick up the second book in Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot duology, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy. How could I not when the vibes are so cosy with just the right dose of ecological essence to root this story world in a setting of environmental wonder while still utilising technology and industry as societal pillars and discussion points. A Prayer for the Crown Shy is so precious, and I wish I could immerse myself in this book all day long, but its short length and incredible storytelling makes that impossible.

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’s 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.

There is a simple quality to the question ”what do humans need?” and as you may expect the answers are as varied in practicality as they are in thought and meaning. Seeing how Dex and Mosscap navigate the settlements they come across and the answers to this question make for sweet interactions and moments of learning, for both the characters and the reader, and the deeper questions at hand are lovingly coaxed out of the shadows and brought to the light. There is something so subtle about this story world that makes these explorations into existential questions and purpose so effective. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the immersion into this cosy, almost video game-like world provides the cushioning the heavy and serious topic needs to truly be expanded on.

I love this cosy fantasy/cosy sci-fi world going on, as I mentioned in A Psalm for the Wild-Built, but it is brought back to the forefront of this discussion thanks to how Mosscap interacts and experiences the world of humans. It treats things with such love and appreciation, respecting life in all living things, from the trees to the worms in the ground, and places great reverence on the byproduct of living things too. It does so in such a way that doesn’t come across as absurd, quite the opposite in fact. Mosscap brings a perspective that I feel is heavily overlooked in our day and age and the questions it poses are inquisitive, smart, and totally legitimate. There is a lot to think about with Mosscap, and equally with how Dex sees the world, and for that I cannot recommend this duology enough.

I loved reading A Prayer for the Crown-Shy and it is a novel I hope many will pick up time and time again alongside its other half. Not only does this duology provide such insightful views and inquiries into life, purpose, and expectations, but the setting is beautiful, immersive, and inspirational, sparking a want within to cultivate, care, and give back to the land. I really enjoyed A Prayer for the Crown-Shy and I highly recommend it to all!