Title: A Prayer For The Crown Shy
Series: Monk & Robot #2
Author: Becky Chambers
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.
Score: ★★★1/2☆☆
Review:The second book in the duology finds itself on the trac as the first. A nice continuation picking up right where the first left off, the same but new surface level philosophy topics written in beat by beat storyline structure. As usual, time jumps from philosophy point to point, they grow to understand people and themselves because of their meetings and interactions, and the topic points are great for people wanting to dip a toe in. If you enjoyed the first, and you wanted to dive into more of the same, you will definitely enjoy this second book! -- {not really spoilery, but warning} For me, the changes I was hoping for did not happen. The same deus ex machina'd happen all the same, Mosscap either does or doesnt know what it does/doesnt need to know in order to give a deeper philosophy discussion with Dex. Mosscap recalls observing bears fish (which, nature can be brutal), but had to have a whole, sad, chapter end about it watching a caught fish for food die like it was the first time for a philosophy point? I know it is a very short book, but I feel the world building was on all the things I didn't want. I wanted more showcasing on how the world is solarpunk(?? it might not even be), now the world continued on and thrived since robots left, etc. but instead we get paragraphs on what the house, and what outside the window looked like, when Dex has a one night stand (including a crane out the window dipping it's head under the waters surface to come up and sake its head empty handed) - but not any, or glossed over, explanation oh how the environment deals with technology after letting robots go free and not proceeding to replicate it; is it solarpunk? is it the same? Dex's Ox Bike is considered "tech" but he rides and pedals like a normal bike is it only b/c of the electric kettle - how does it get power when on the road? Also, in this world people do not go into wilderness, b/c of the robot agreement, and apparently this includes the shore line "human footsteps are minimal to non existant" to not disrupt things - except for the fact a faction of people who wanted to obstane from all technology, live in said wilderness and shoreline? And, although Dex never went, he knows of a Festival of food, and stuff for kids, to watch sea turtles hatch that takes place along the shoreline every year, so they go to an out of the way place to have another philosophy topic moment time jump.
Read my review on Fable