|Page Turners| The Monk and Robot Series by Becky Chambers

The Monk and Robot series, of which there are currently two books: A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, has been on my to be read list for so long, but I never got to reading it until a few weeks ago, when I read the first book, A Psalm for the Wild-Built. The book is very short, only about 160 pages, but it's such a great read. The same is true for A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, which is only 152 pages long and yet continues the great story started in the first book. The series, unlike many of its sci-fi dystopian counterparts, is set in a world where humans have learned from their errors, one where the worldbuilding always makes you want to pack up and become a tea monk. The world and its characters are delightful. Needless to say, both of these are 5/5 reads, but read more below (with some spoilers) about why.

Do We Want to Turn the Page?

Warning! This next section may contain spoilers about the book. Also, all ratings are based entirely on my opinion and WILL be biased and subjective.

I loved the Monk and Robot series, mostly because of how relaxing it is. The world and its characters focus more on growth than conflict, even as they encounter difficulties (as with some of the towns visited in the second novel). It feels like you are learning about fascinating people (and a robot) instead of only focusing on a struggle to save or survive the world, as my usual sci-fi books would be about. This one gives you space to breathe, as with my favorite quote from the whole series: "You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don't know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don't need to justify that, or earn it.

You are allowed to just live." I love this quote, but without spoiling too much, I urge you to read the series so that you can enjoy the adventures of Mosscap and Dex yourself.

The Summary:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built:

Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend.

Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers' series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy:

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.

The Author:

Becky Chambers is an American science fiction writer. She is the author of the Hugo Award-winning Wayfarers series as well as novellas including To Be Taught, if Fortunate and the Monk & Robot series, which begins with the Hugo Award-winning A Psalm for the Wild-Built.