This is my first Becky Chambers book and wow was I blown away. I’ve heard for years how feel-good optimistic they are and how I definitely need to read them, Well, with the announcement of this new solarpunk series, I have now seen the wonder of Becky Chambers. Though, I don’t know if I’d describe this book as feel-good sci-fi so much as I would quarter-life crisis sci-fi that hits just a liiiiiittle too close to home.

Our main character, Sibling Dex, works as a traveling tea-monk, setting up temporary tea stands in remote villages, prepared to offer comfort to your day’s troubles and a warm cup of tea to warm the spirits. Their eventual robot companion, Mosscap, becomes the first robot to come into contact with humans in centuries, brimming full of questions with a desire to understand how humans now function, what they still need now that robots have been disappeared for so long. These questions, to the extent possible, are explored throughout the novella after an unlikely encounter between the two.

At times, A Psalm for the Wild-Built is light-hearted and whimsical, which the solarpunk, post-industrial setting really seems to aid. In a society where humanity has decided never to build a machine too close to a robot in fear it will gain sentience, thus violating a deal with the existing robots, the world feels to run on simpler technology. Add Dex’s rural setting in their attempt to get away from The City, and the overall vibe of this book has one of friendliness, comfort among close friends, and warmth. There’s a closeness and comfort I’ve rarely felt while reading a book, like drinking from a soothing hot mug of tea on a chilly day.

At other times, reading this book felt like the biggest attack on my personal life decisions. Dex, a young 20-something, makes a dramatic decision to leave the city and become a traveling tea monk in a quarter-life crisis searching for a life’s purpose. As a recent college grad myself doubting every life decision I’ve made in the past year, Dex’s mindset, anxieties, and worries hit much harder than I ever would have expected. One particular quote early on had me putting my Kindle down because damn, what an attack. (precise wording of the quote may change in the final version)

“… the ego-crushing experience of having to explain to their entire sharp-eyed family that this plan they’d laboriously pitched as the right thing to do actually had them feeling quite intimidated after a grand total of one try, and that they now, at the age of twenty-nine, would like very much to return to the safe shelter of their childhood for an indefinite amount of time until they’d figured out just what they hell they were doing”

Was I expecting to face the sudden realization of the source of my anxieties from the past year? No, of course not. Was a rudely confronted with them all the same? Yes. Absolutely. Throughout this novella are heavy themes of the values of one’s efforts, and the confrontation of treating goals as a metric for personal worth. The topics dig deep and truly force both Dex, and the reader, to really confront these ideas head-on. I fully admit to crying several times as I’d read, as a “feel-good” fiction novella forced me to confront ideas I’d tried to bury under work and goals. It hurt. It hurt a lot. But I am so damn thankful I read this.

Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. I was expecting a cute feel-good novella with a non-binary tea monk and a robot learning about humanity and themes of eco-friendly-ness. Unexpectedly, I was simultaneously forced to confront my quarter-life crisis head-on and cried aggressively as I read. Would highly recommend to any reader in their early 20s facing major life decisions (or regretting them) and also those who like robots and tea.

Review will be posted to blog on 28 June

I will fully admit that all it took was for me to see Becky Chambers on the cover of this book and it was instantly added to my TBR. I have been a fan of her work for a while so when this popped up for request on Netgalley I hit that button so fast. I will say this is a really hard book to describe, it is heavily character focused and though it does lack a traditional plot I still found myself completely engrossed in the story and a little in love with our two main characters.

A Psalm for the Wild Built follows Sibling Dex an agender Monk who is struggling to find their place in life. They decide to try the life of a Tea Monk, someone who travels all of Panga dispensing tea and a shoulder to cry on, talk to or simply someone to sit in silence with. No matter how far they travel, or how many people they meet, Dex feels there is something missing from their life, so they decides to do something crazy, something very few humans have returned from, they travel into the wild. They expect to find many things there, but what they don't expect to find is Splendid Speckled Mosscap, a Robot who has ventured back into the land of humans to ask the question 'What do people need?' What follows is a journey of self-discovery and how friendships can be formed in the unlikeliest of places with the unlikeliest of people, and before long Dex will have to answer the question of what exactly it is they need.

Well... it seems that all I've been missing from my life is a Tea Monk and his Robot companion. Sibling Dex and Splendid Speckled Mosscap absolutely made this story for me, their interactions were hilarious, heartfelt, educational and sometimes emotional. Dex is initially wary of Mosscap, especially since Robots haven't been seen in centuries, not since the Transition when they became sentient and Humans divided up the land to give them a place away from humanity, but the more time they spend together, the more Mosscap's enthusiasm, their willingness to learn rub off on the slightly jaded Dex, and the two realise that they may have more things in common than those that separate them.

Splendid Speckled Mosscap (named after the first thing they saw when they were 'created') have taken it upon themselves to travel to the human lands and 'check in.' Being 'Wild Built' they have never experienced humans before, and their only reference is 'remnants' left over from the Robot's whose parts they were made from. They are eager to learn, watch and experience everything they can. But spending time with sibling Dex makes them realise that their original task of asking 'what humanity needs' may not be as simple as it once seemed.

A Psalm for the Wild Built reads as more of a 'prequel' than a novella. For only 160 pages we get a near full introduction to Panga, its religious beliefs, as well as it's history and what exactly caused the Robots to leave human lands for so long. Chambers' descriptions and writing style absolutely bring Panga and the beings that inhabit it to life and I could have stayed in that world following Dex and Mosscap for a lot longer. I have mentioned that this is a character driven novella, so those expecting an easy to follow and laid out plot might be in for a bit of a shock, but if Chambers' writes anything well it is characters that you would follow to the ends of the earth, plot or no.

This is a Novella about loosing your purpose, and the journey you take to find it again. But it's also about humanity and how we see ourselves as 'different' and in some ways superior to the other species that inhabit our planet. Reading A Psalm for the Wild Built is like getting a gentle hug, and I can't wait to return to Panga and continue on the journey with Sibling Dex and Splendid Speckled Mosscap.

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.