A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY by Becky Chambers – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY by Becky Chambers – ReviewA Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers
Series: Monk & Robot #2
Published by Tordotcom on July 12 2022
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 160
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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four-stars

The nitty-gritty: Dex and Mosscap contemplate life while traveling the countryside in this lovely follow-up to A Psalm for the Wild-Built.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy continues the feel-good adventures of Sibling Dex and his robot companion Mosscap. The story picks up right after the events of A Psalm for the Wild-Built, so I encourage you to read that book first, especially since it’s very, very good. Becky Chambers’ series is a quiet, introspective experience that doesn’t rely on action or even much conflict, but it’s such a nice change of pace, especially in today’s chaotic world. 

After spending time deep in the forest, Dex and Mosscap are on the move. Their ultimate goal is to reach the City, where Dex is eager to show Mosscap all the wondrous things the City has to offer. But along the way they plan to stop at small villages, whose residents have never seen a robot before. Mosscap still wants to know “What do humans need?”, the original question that spurred them to leave the wilderness and make contact with humans. And as their journey continues, Dex attempts to answer the question for Mosscap. 

But the question turns out to be tricky, and the more discoveries the two make together, the more complex Dex’s answers become. And when someone turns the question back on Mosscap and asks what robots want, it begins to see things in a completely different way.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is a lovely fable that focuses on doing good and treating others and the environment with respect. It’s the sort of book you don’t see very often, but I loved stepping back from my usual fast-paced, drama-filled books and breathing a sigh of relief. True, conflict is virtually non-existent in this story, but Chambers gives her characters inner conflict instead. Dex is torn by their decision to be a tea monk, traveling the land and offering advice and hot cups of tea to people who need someone to talk to. They’re constantly pondering Mosscap’s question and having a hard time coming up with a meaningful answer to “What do humans want?”

Just like the road they are traveling, the story takes a few twists and turns. At one point Mosscap realizes one of its internal parts has broken, and there is a wonderful exchange among several of the characters about the best way to fix it. It’s moments like this that make the story so special, because the reader is forced to think differently. I love when an author nudges me to step back and see another side to a problem, one that I would never contemplate on my own.

My favorite part of the story is near the end, as Dex and Mosscap come to a particular decision. It isn’t life changing in any sense, but it was a magical moment that gave me a warm glow inside. I’m hoping there is at least one more adventure in store for Dex and Mosscap, since they never quite make it to their intended destination.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Posted July 15, 2022 by Tammy in 4 stars, Reviews / 26 Comments

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26 responses to “A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY by Becky Chambers – Review

  1. I haven’t had the pleasure of this particular Becky Chambers series – but it’s one I intend to track down. Thank you for a lovely review and reminding me of a delightful read I need to get to, Tammy:).

  2. Marian Parsons

    I always feel better for reading a Becky Chambers book. I’m happy you liked this one.

  3. Great review, Tammy. Seems like an unusual book but judging from your review seems like you had a really good time reading it.

  4. Chambers’ books are like an oasis lol in this chaotic world and this sounds fabulous. I’m sure I’m gonna like it.

  5. She’s a lovely author indeed but I decided to let these pass me by as shorter style stories don’t usually work out for me. Happy to see you enjoyed it.
    Lynn 😀

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