Becky Chambers's writing feels like home to me. Comforting and inclusive while making you rethink what you know through sci-fi.

I already can't wait to read book 2!

Everyone grab a nice big hot cup of tea, and get settled in your favorite reading spot. A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a short read, but a fulfilling one. Sibling Dex (agender) is a tea monk, who travels around offering cups of tea to people who are in need of some comfort. After a few years of practicing their trade, Dex starts feeling unfulfilled and embarks on a journey to find an ancient pilgrimage site. On their journey, they meet Mosscap, a robot in search of what humans feel they need to survive.

Mosscap and Dex and an amazing duo. Though this book is a quick read, I felt that both characters had a depth to them that was artfully crafted. The dialogue between the two is casual, funny, and full of beautiful little moments. This story is wholesome and full of comfort. I loved the idea of a travelling tea monk providing custom cups of tea depending on what the drinker needed in the moment. I hope that there is more Mosscap and Dex in the future, but I would be perfectly content if not.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I know already that writing this review is going to be extremely difficult! I loved this book with every fibre of my being, and even over a week later I am not sure I am going to be able to put that feeling into words.

This book was absolutely stunning, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking and impactful in every way! I did not expect when starting a 160-page novella to be finishing it reassessing so many things about life as well as deep intricacies of society. And that was my favourite thing about this book, and something Becky Chambers achieved extraordinarily throughout - summarising a huge concept in just a few small words. It shouldn't be possible to cover the whole topic of indoctrination and almost a deterministic view of life in light of our societal structure in one sentence, and yet Beck Chambers did. These sentences where a huge issue was boiled down to its core importance were incredibly impactful and left me reeling and thinking for days (in fact I still am!)

Getting a little more into it, let's start with the plot. In such a short book the plot isn't that detailed, and also isn't really the focus of the book, but I felt that what plot there was in this book really mirrored and supported the important messages very well. Seeing the journey these two characters went on, and how much they learnt along the way was so interesting, and it was weaved into an interesting world and plot which had a similar basis to the society we all know and live in, whilst also being fascinating to learn about! It may have only been 160-pages, but I was very invested in what was happening and where our characters were going to end up, but I do think that is partially due to how much I adored the two main characters.

So talking about characters, I loved Dex and Mosscap so much! The two of them provided such a lovely contrast to one another, one who has almost accepted defeat with life and doesn't feel purpose or motivation, compared to the other who truly sees the good in everything and is so optimistic and drive by their purpose! Also, the banter between the two of them was so funny, and had me laughing out loud at multiple bits of dialogue!

The writing throughout the book was beautiful and lyrical, with may quotes standing out and just being utterly beautiful, but as I mentioned earlier, Becky Chamber's skill truly shines through in how she brings out such huge and important topics in just one line. I cannot describe how many times in this short book that I was completely bowled over by how simply and concisely Becky Chambers talked about something which is a large, intangible topic!

Overall, I adored this book, and I am sure this will continue every time I reread it (because yes, I already have many plans to reread it!) I couldn't recommend this more highly, and I truly hope it impacts others as much as it did me.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I'm a Becky Chambers super fan but even if I weren't, I still think this book would have blown me away. Sentient robots, discussions about what it means to have a soul, to be human... all wrapped in a comfy cozy package that makes you feel GOOD while reading it. I loved this. Highly recommend.

3.5 stars

A Psalm for the Wild-Built was conceptually clever (when is Becky Chambers ever not?) and in many aspects, it was quite a beautiful tale. It started off curiously, then built and built into a connection between a monk and a robot. Yes I did just say that and if that doesn’t draw you in, I don’t know what will.

This sci-fi offering comes with Chambers unique perspective on the genre, it carries a ecological tone along with sense of searching. Robot and humans were estranged for centuries in this book until the monk and robot happen upon one another.

The story was engaging the most from the point of those two meeting and exploring each other’s species. There was banter, misunderstandings and poignant moments. There were also some slower moments, where I had to push on, thus my rating.

“So, that’s…sorry, I’m slow at math.”
Dex frowned. “What?” How was the robot slow at math?
“Hush, I can’t multiply and talk at the same time.”

I’m definitely pleased that this is going to be a series. I have questions and a desire to see this journey through. A gorgeous cover and clever concept from Chambers.

Thank you to Tor for the early review copy.

I loved everything about this. This book is a hug, or maybe a warm cup of tea. If you wanted maximum brevity, you could describe this book as "a monk and a robot go on a road trip and discuss the meaning of life". While accurate, there is so much more. This is a beautiful and comforting look at why we feel pressure to do more, to be better. It doesn't knock productivity, however, so much as it celebrates the realization that it is okay to rest. I will be recommending this to anyone I know as they feel stressed out.

This novella was fascinating. First off, the world building was fantastic. The way that the history of the world was weaved in to the way the current world worked was beautiful. Even more than that, the hints of foreshadowing are wondderful to think back on.

What really got me was how philosophical the second half of the book was. Mosscap, the robot, was a fascinating character. Their own self-doubt, as well as the way that they thought, brought a depth to the book. Specifically the talks about purpose felt so real and valuable for the world we currently live in.

The ending of this book was so sweet and so perfect that it makes me want an encylopedia of this worl.d

200 years after The Awakening — when sentient robots left the abusive factories for the wilderness, rejecting further contact with humans — a human and robot meet in a twist on the traditional “First Contact” story. Sibling Dex — a gender neutral monk, meets Mossbank — a sentient “wild-built” robot whose family tree boasts several generations of wild-built individuals descending from16 factory bots. What follows is short on plot but long in world building, while we follow the two as they wander through untravelled areas and talk about their similarities, differences, and rising self-awareness.

I’m a big Becky Chambers fan — I enjoy her writing and her exploration of cultures. This is the beginning of a new series, and I’m hoping some of the future episodes have a little more plot to them. While this was philosophically interesting, I did get a little bored to be honest. Also, she uses the pronoun “their” for Dex and his/her fellow monks. This drove me crazy — I was not able to get used to it although it peppered every single page. Every time I read the word I struggled to figure out who the rest of the people were and then had to remember it was only Dex! Every time! I’m super happy to use someone’s choice of pronoun when I remember — including a made up one (I like zhe) — but using plurals for a singular drives me batty. I probably won’t read the next book because of this — I just don’t need the cognitive load. However, if this doesn’t bother you and you enjoy slow-paced, philosophical, stories, you will enjoy this!

Becky Chambers does it again! I adored this warm and contemplative story about a human and a robot learning about each other. I feel like this book with resonate with many people, particularly these days, many who might be feeling the strain of existence just as Dex is. Can't wait for the next book!

If you took a Mary Oliver poem or a Studio Ghibli movie and distilled their essence into a science fiction novel, you would get this book. If you took an early afternoon ray of sunlight, a hot cup of tea against your cheek, cicadas buzzing in high summer, and turned them into words, you would get this book. If you took every time you’ve ever felt aimless, lost, or uncertain, and multiplied that by all the people who have ever reached through the darkness and offered you a hand, you would get this book.

Becky Chambers has crafted this novel with infinite tenderness. She imagines a world in which humans live in intentional equilibrium with nature, and people are good simply because they have the capacity to be. Our protagonist, Sibling Dex, is a Tea Monk in the service of the God of Small Comforts, and is traveling into the wilderness to seek meaning when they accidentally stumble upon a robot named Splendid Speckled Mosscap, a member of a robot society who have not been seen by humans for hundreds of year. Pslam for the Wild Built reminds us to savor the small, beautiful moments, and to appreciate above all the things the miracle of existence. Mosscap’s blithe optimism is a perfect foil for Dex’s insecurities, and the two of them together make for a winsome duo.

Additionally, as a (hopeful) future therapist, this book stuck a particularly personal chord. Dex is a Tea Monk, a member of their order who travels from town to town serving personalized teas and listening to peoples troubles. I saw the joys, sorrows, and struggles of my own vocation beautifully and eloquently captured by Dex’s experiences. As beautiful and meaningful as lending time, energy, and support to others can be, Dex made me reflect a lot on the importance of self-care for caregivers.

Above all, though, I loved this novel’s deconstruction of the human instinct towards purpose. Mosscap and Dex have a splendid interaction near the end of the novel that I'm not going to do justice describing, so I'll just include my favorite quote, spoken by Mosscap: "You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don't know how to answer that, because it is enough to just exist in this world and marvel at it. You don't need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live." Oh BOY did I feel this. It is so easy to drive ourselves tirelessly in the pursuit of some greater meaning, and forget the simple magic of life. This novel gently reminded me that it is okay to not strive for something greater. It is okay to slow down, to simply observe and experience, rather than pushing yourself to exhaustion for the sake of some grand ambition. The very fact of life is, and should be enough. Thank you, Becky Chambers, for this big soft hug of a book, and I can't wait for more Monk and Robot in the future.

This was a typical cute and optimistic story that I have come to expect from Becky Chambers. While this is technically science fiction, it read more like a fantastical fable. The narrative was quaint and sometimes funny, but lacking plot. I generally enjoyed this one even though I have a preference for darker stories. This will be a must read for any mega fans of this author.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I'm in love with this book! I just finished it (I received an ARC) and had to write a review immediately because I really just want people to read it. This book is a fundamentally utopic, wonderful read about what it means to be alive in the world. It's beautifully written, and while it's relatively low stakes it is so encompassing, like getting into a warm bath at the end of the day, with lavender and a touch of existential pondering.

Ok this was really cute?? I felt like I was reading a futuristic version of the alchemist but still it’s own thing completely.
Short & quick, one I’ll definitely need to revisit and read again.

A robot, a monk, and a travelling tea stall are at the centre of this enlightening and existential little tale. There was something completely wholesome about both central characters - the human, Dax, and his new robotic acquaintance, Mosscap. They shared an eagerness for education and understanding, despite their actual areas of interest being quite the opposite. Dax longs to learn more about the parts of the world that are free from the touch of humans, whilst Mosscap desires to innately understand what it is that humans want.

Despite the charming nature of this short novella, I found I longed for it to deliver a little something more. It was an interesting insight to human nature and the structure of our everyday lives though, especially when this was viewed through the eyes of one so similar to humans yet only actually created by them.

I didn't think a Becky Chambers book would disappoint and it did not! I was also more than ready to read a novella after slogging through some longer books. I liked the different take on robots and enjoyed spending time with both main characters. At times, this book reminded me of a Le Guin. A first contact-ish situation where they each have to figure out the other and adapt themselves.

I hope there's more of these characters and this world to come!

A story from the future - thoughtful, funny and warm. A monk changes vocation leaving the city for an itinerant life in a caravan, a life of service, then one day sets off into the Wilderness where they encounter an Object... Chambers is expert at putting in just enough background and detail to make the world specific, without detracting from the importance of the very human central character. Recommend.

A short novella set in a future world that's gone very right - humans acted in time to stop climate change, giving land back to nature and building green, adaptive cities with vertical farms. Out in the wilderness, the descendants of robots from the 'factory-age' live in freedom, after developing sentience. This is sci-fi I've been craving for years, as a climate fiction writer, and it was such a breath of fresh air to read about goodness and human kindness, while addressing our flaws and failings as a society running on fossil fuels.
Plus, the characters are so loveable: both Dex and Mosscap are wonderfully realistic, agender characters - with really funny, casual dialogue that made me laugh. I can't wait for the next installment of the monk and robot adventures (why has noone done that pairing before?!). So excellent.

I'll admit that I didn't look too hard into what this was about (though that's not too much of a surprise as I'm #TeamNoBlurb) but I was definitely hoping this would be more in line with To Be Taught, If Fortunate, than the author's Wayfarers series. Alas it wasn't; but it wasn't bad, either.

"<i>I figured you'd be all numbers and logic. Structured. Strick, y'know?</i>"
"<b>What a curious notion.</b>"
"<i>Is it? Like you said, you're a machine.[..] And machines only work <b>because of</b> numbers and logic.</i>"
"<b>That's how we <i>function</i>, not how we <i>perceive</i>.</b>"

I think this was a little more philosophical and cerebral, definitely existential, than I expected it to be. But in hindsight, a series about a robot and a monk? How didn't I see this coming. That's on me.

"<i>I made made of metal and numbers; you are made of water and genes. But we are each <b>something more</b> than that. And we can't define what that <b>something more</b> is simply by our raw components</i>."

This is definitely a gentle, wholesome, thoughtful, novella, not unlike we are to expect from this author, that simultaneously makes you think while also taking you out of your head a bit -- as the dedication goes, this is for all of us who need a break (boy do we ever). Much like the art of choosing a tea and savouring it, there was something meditative about this, and, as a side effect, made me a little sleepy.

This won't be a favourite but I'm definitely curious as to where this series is going.

Once again, Becky Chambers strikes gold with her wonderful and insightful science fiction novella, Psalm for the Wild-Built. The start of a new series, this book presents the reader with a philosophical and thoughtful tale of friendship and finding your purpose.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a quiet and lovely story, continuing Chambers' streak as the queen of cosy science fiction. This book takes place on a world called Panga, a world that seems to have some similarities to our own, that is in a truly post-industrial age. We follow Sibling Dex as they take up a new vocation as a tea monk -- a member of their religious order who travels around the human settlements, bringing hot tea and a shoulder to lean on. However, Dex feels like there is something missing from their life, prompting the main themes of the book. What do humans need? How do they achieve it within their limited lifespan? How do we find happiness and satisfaction within our world?

A major theme of the book is sustainability. Chambers uses the split of robots from humankind and the way people have adjusted their lives to be more sustainable as a launching point for her signature take on a better humankind. However, one of the reasons I love her writing so much is that she doesn't create utopian societies. Despite living in a seemingly wonderful and beautiful place, Dex feels out of place and unfulfilled. In this way, her worlds and her characters always feel so incredibly relatable.

I really loved the use of tea and tea rituals to anchor us to this world and way of life. Tea, of course, has a long-standing culture of comfort and sharing and I loved the way that she wove this into the book. Dex is almost like your friendly neighbourhood bartender, always happy to provide you with the drink you need and a place to escape your problems for a little while. They take on the burdens of passers-by and provides a moment of peace, even if only for a short time. In fact, I would have happily read more about their journey across the countryside, serving up comfort to those who need it.

The cast of this book is a small one -- we really only follow Mosscap and Dex. While Dex took me a moment to warm to, I immediately fell in love with the wandering robot Mosscap. I am a sucker for cheerful robots trying to understand the complexities of human nature, and Mosscap was no exception. Their chipper and upbeat nature, as well as their differing takes on Dex's questions and problems, was just wonderful. I did come to appreciate Dex and their somewhat bumbling and chaotic nature and really enjoyed watching their character grow as they interacted with Mosscap and faced their problems head-on. The friendship at the core of this book is just so lovely.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built was a big hit for me. I really loved what Chambers was trying to do with this book and the ideas she presented, especially sustainability and satisfaction. Much like a hot cuppa after a stressful day, A Psalm for the Wild-Built wraps the reader in warmth and sense of calm, all while making you think.

4.5 out of 5 stars