160 pages
English language
Published Nov. 26, 2022 by Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom.
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?
I didn’t love this as much as “A psalm for the wild built” but it was a nice ending to the story.
Chambers accomplished what i affirm is the most important role of the sci-fi genre: to present potent reflections of our own day to day. The virtues we yet lack, the ways things could be different, the questions that are pervasive and perhaps inescabably human. Its not about the future, and my issues with the book come less from the contemplative value, but in the set dressing that fools the reader into shallow idealism. I think Chambers is aware of this, and is reluctant to fully embrace ideology, carefully placing Dex and Mosscap in a space of ambivalence. The treatment of the luddite colony i found however, in bad taste. the colonist who differentiates themself from the rest, further reinforces ideology that luddism is equal to close-mindedness and that technology is akin to enlightenment. I feel that Chambers consulted someone to write this characters dialogue, but doesn't internalize the meaning of …
Chambers accomplished what i affirm is the most important role of the sci-fi genre: to present potent reflections of our own day to day. The virtues we yet lack, the ways things could be different, the questions that are pervasive and perhaps inescabably human. Its not about the future, and my issues with the book come less from the contemplative value, but in the set dressing that fools the reader into shallow idealism. I think Chambers is aware of this, and is reluctant to fully embrace ideology, carefully placing Dex and Mosscap in a space of ambivalence. The treatment of the luddite colony i found however, in bad taste. the colonist who differentiates themself from the rest, further reinforces ideology that luddism is equal to close-mindedness and that technology is akin to enlightenment. I feel that Chambers consulted someone to write this characters dialogue, but doesn't internalize the meaning of what she wrote. She could have simply depicted people living happily as they pleased like we know indigneous people have for thousands of years. different, but no lesser than the rest, but instead she wrote the Amish. It gives the impression that the harmony and cohesion of this society is because they simply have everything right and that deviation from the model is inherently reactionary. I think Chambers grapples with this haunting element present in utopias with the presentation of the luddites, but i think it could have been more valuable if communties had more challenging differences that upend the apparent unity of the world. Circling back, i appreciated the treatment of human nature, the search for meaning, right relationship and the smaller discussions about money, consciousness and mystery. Overall, a bit too challenging a read maybe for believers in the status quo, too much ideology for the hungry leftist, just enough targets for thorough anarchist to take shots at.
Becky Chambers's books are exactly what I need right now. It's almost disappointing that they are so short, and so easy to read! In fact, she makes writing look easy, and every moment is a pleasure. I flew through the chapters, and I bawled my way through the last chapter. The Monk & Robot books have really resonated with me lately, and they offer both an escape and a glimpse of what a better world could look like. I'm going to have to read her Wayfarers series a bit later, as I can't get enough of her writing (although I don't want to complete it all at once).
Chambers is right; this book is for those who need a break. Although I don't have Dex's cricket or Mosscap's turtle, I do have the sounds of cicadas, the forests of Kroumirie, and fields of olive trees to get lost in, and …
Becky Chambers's books are exactly what I need right now. It's almost disappointing that they are so short, and so easy to read! In fact, she makes writing look easy, and every moment is a pleasure. I flew through the chapters, and I bawled my way through the last chapter. The Monk & Robot books have really resonated with me lately, and they offer both an escape and a glimpse of what a better world could look like. I'm going to have to read her Wayfarers series a bit later, as I can't get enough of her writing (although I don't want to complete it all at once).
Chambers is right; this book is for those who need a break. Although I don't have Dex's cricket or Mosscap's turtle, I do have the sounds of cicadas, the forests of Kroumirie, and fields of olive trees to get lost in, and that's exactly what I'm going to do this summer.
I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book. Same fable/fairytale like atmosphere. More forward motion of plot here. Felt more compelling, though no less gentle.
This novella picks up directly where A Psalm for the Wind-Built ends, but continues in a more spaced out pace. We follow Dex and Mosscap through a series of vignettes as they tour the human side of Panga, which gives Becky Chambers the opportunity to showcase more of her exquisite world building. While in the first book we learned about the history and glimpsed at a slice of human life, in this one we meet more varied communities, each with their unique spin on the prevailing hope punk aesthetic.
Unlike the first story, which relied heavily on interactions between just Dex and Mosscap, here we see them engage with different characters on their journey. In a way this dilutes the narrative; the numerous side characters are not as deeply developed, the exchanges with them not so philosophically intricate. At first I resented this difference in treatment, but by the end …
This novella picks up directly where A Psalm for the Wind-Built ends, but continues in a more spaced out pace. We follow Dex and Mosscap through a series of vignettes as they tour the human side of Panga, which gives Becky Chambers the opportunity to showcase more of her exquisite world building. While in the first book we learned about the history and glimpsed at a slice of human life, in this one we meet more varied communities, each with their unique spin on the prevailing hope punk aesthetic.
Unlike the first story, which relied heavily on interactions between just Dex and Mosscap, here we see them engage with different characters on their journey. In a way this dilutes the narrative; the numerous side characters are not as deeply developed, the exchanges with them not so philosophically intricate. At first I resented this difference in treatment, but by the end of it I grew to appreciate the ways in which these interactions serve as opportunities to showcase the deepening relationship between Dex and Mosscap.
If in the first book the monk and the robot were getting to know each other, here they develop a true friendship. The structure of the two stories lines up, and this one too culminates with a conversation between the two of them hearkening back to the end of the first story. And again, they reach no answers, just some insights. There's wisdom here again, and truthiness, and a touch more feel good vibes.
I really loved A Psalm for the Wind-Built and signed out A Prayer for the Crown-Shy immediately after finishing it (a rarity for me). However, I found this follow-up to be a bit underwhelming. I didn't see the same type of development of Dex and Mosscap that I so loved in the first book—everything just kind of coasted along without tension. I realize these books are meant to be comfortable and cozy, but I just couldn't enjoy this as much as the first book. Perhaps it was the way the two of them jumped from settlement to settlement that made it hard to connect with the story in a way that it wasn't for the first book. I'm not really sure. It wasn't bad, just not a book I could really be excited about.
Personalities tailored to the questions at hand, and somehow these characters avoid feeling artificial... APftCS is a dreamy magic trick.
A nice, cozy and comfy read, just like the book before it! Nothing earth-shattering, but a good chance to stop and breathe.
Definitely the light comfort read I was looking for, and like the first in its series it has just enough moments of emotional tension and and philosophical debate to never get twee or boring. But more than its predecessor, the world this is set in is the most convincing, appealing hopepunk I have yet to read. It's clear that it had gone through some very hard times in the past, but the equilibrium that the books are set in feels plausible and inviting. I can think of many other books whose worlds I'd like to visit, but these are among the few I wish I could move to.
To be, together, and for each other, is enough. So therapeutic. Mosscap is gorgeous, charmingly thrilled with the world: 'my very own satchel!'
Reading time 3 days, 50 pages/day
Continuing the quiet meditation on humanity, like a walk through the woods with a friend
Becky Chambers has a way of bringing the text down to the little details, reminding the reader to slow down and look at the flowers for a while. There are so many good lines in here that talk about self love and the importance of rest and community.
I adored getting to see more of the setting that Dex and Mosscap travel through. Seeing the different ways of life and philosophies surrounding survival (or in this utopian world, comfort) called me to reflect on how I live, and brought my understanding of myself into better focus.
4/5 for being another beautiful book. I truly believe that everyone will be able to get something positive out of reading this duology.
i liked how the storytelling shifted and adapted with the story change that we have between the two groups. the discovery of the different human settlements and their societies is fascinating, thought-provoking and poetic all at once. i loved the ending, even if i had to read it multiple times to be sure. i will miss Dex and Mosscap. :(((
Continues where the first one left off
I started this right after I finished the first one. It deals with Mosscap's tour of Panga to learn what humans need. It gets a lot of different answers. We get to experience the different areas of the world and the different ways people choose to live there in a sustainable fashion. No spoilers but Mosscap is presented with an ineresting philosophical question and it turns out Dex still hasn't really found what they're looking for. The ending is quite open and I'm looking forward to find out where the two are heading next.
Purchasable
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/a-prayer-for-the-crown-shy.aspx.