Review – A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

We live in unprecedented times. I wish we didn’t, but life lately has been rough. Between Covid, War, Dictators, and environmental catastrophes, sometimes you need a story that is a warm hug or a mug of hot cocoa. This is what the A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is about. It is a book that replenishes a world-weary soul. 

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is the second book in the Monk & Robot series. We find our intrepid duo on the road and picks up right where the last one left off. Mosscap, the robot, and Dex the tea-monk are going from village to village, meeting with people and experiencing life in many ways. You would think that all this traveling would be for Mosscap’s benefit, but it isn’t. Instead, you have Dex reexamining ideas and things they hold dear as they watch Mosscap experience things for the first time. 

There isn’t a plot. Instead, think of the travels of the duo as vignettes. They are moments in time that impart a bit of wisdom. All that said, this isn’t a preachy novel, far from it. Chambers walks the line between memorable and heartfelt with preachy and shmaltzy well. One of the main takeaways from this story is a conversation about mental health and how it is a journey rather than a destination. 

Dex has struggled with their mental health in the past. They have to internalize that it is ok not to be ok. It is ok to be one of the folks that rely on others and doesn’t bring anything to the table. This echoes moments in the first book where Dex sets off into the forest to be alone. 

Again, Chambers has written a beautiful story about hope and the many ways we find it in the world. And that it is ok to rest for a bit on other people. Echoing my first sentiments, the world is brutal right now. We are staring at these unprecedented moments in shock. This book soothes the soul; the tales of Monk & Robot stick to your heart and are ready to go on an adventure with you wherever that leads.