As the author described it in an interview with goodreads, just before its first publication, she wanted to present a “solarpunk science fantasy about a traveling monk and a nature-loving robot who go on a philosophical road trip together. Against the backdrop of a near-utopian world, they are seeking the answer to the question of what humans still need.”

On the lush and verdant world Panga, the nonbinary monk Dex suddenly decides to change their vocation to become an itinerant tea monk and leaves the city to travel from outlying village to village dispensing tea, sympathetic listening, and comfort to all who approach Sibling Dex at the tea table they set up near their ox-bike and wagon. They are very good at what they do, but after a few years it starts to feel routine.

This precipitates a second existential crisis for them, and they decide to go off into the Wilderness. There’s a problem with this. The Wilderness is not human territory and has not been for centuries. This half of the world is reserved for natural wildlife and the robots who left humanity after they achieved consciousness and abandoned the factories and their creators.

Ignoring all the warning signs about wild animals and unmaintained “pre-Transition roads,” Dex plows slowly ahead into the woods. Enjoying a shower at the end of the day, Dex is startled when unexpectedly approached by a being that Dex had hitherto thought of as a fable or an old wives’ tale.

… a seven-foot-tall, metal-plated, boxy-headed robot strode briskly out of the woods.

“Hello!” the robot said.

Dex froze—butt out, hair dripping, heart skipping, whatever thoughts they’d been entertaining vanished forever.

The robot walked right up to them. “My name is Mosscap,” it said, sticking out a metal hand. “What do you need, and how might I help?

See my full review under "A Prayer for the Crown Shy.) ( )

This is a beautiful, quiet meditation on what the purpose of life is and finding one's best self. I liked the idea of a tea monk, I liked the idea of a book focused on a character's journey to find the purpose of their life and how to spend their time and I really liked the idea of a post-apocalyptic world that functions by letting the wild lands stay wild.

But exactly what a tea monk does is relatively unstructured, as is Sibling Dex's story in general. And while I found the conclusion beautiful, I also found it a little unconvincing since the philosophical denouement was dependent on the setting that Chambers developed, so ultimately it didn't really speak to the reader about: what is the purpose of me and my individuality and my life and my time?

The best speculative fiction exists in dialogue with the world as it is and I think Chambers slipped a little in that goal. ( )

On the moon called Panga, the age of industrialization is far in the past. After the robots who used to work in the factories unexpectedly and inexplicably gained consciousness, humans accepted their request to be granted freedom. Now, centuries later, humanity lives with minimal technology powered by clean energy. They live in one city and the area surrounding it, leaving the rest to nature, and to the robots who chose to depart into the wilderness all those years ago, never to be seen again. Until a monk who can't explain why they're unhappy with their life ventures out with a dream of hearing crickets, and a robot tasked to check in on the humans finds them. The robots want to know what humans need, but the monk doesn't even know what it is they need. When the two become unlikely travelling companions, will they find the answer together?

This book is a cozy sci-fi, depicting a near utopian world where people (and robots) care about each other, are conscientious about the environment, and the basic needs of all are met. Sibling Dex, the main character, uses they/them pronouns and states that they don't have a gender, and no one bats an eye. Mosscap the robot is treated as an equal from the start and never seen as a potential threat. The wilderness is not without its dangers, and the characters' internal conflicts are very real, but the book overall offers a pleasant escape rather than doom-and-gloom prophecies of the future or emotionally heavy parallels to real-world social ills.

Short and sweet, this book hits just the spot if you're in the mood for a low-stakes adventure with delightful character interactions. For me, the beginning was a little slow, but it picked right up as soon as Mosscap arrived. I smiled, I laughed, and by the time I finished I knew I had to read the sequel.

This may not be the book for you if you liked fast-paced drama or a thrilling plot line, but if you want to visit a fictional world where the characters are kind and humans have created a society that just works, you can add this to your list. No major content warnings here. Just read it and enjoy. ( )

This is more of a 3.5 than a 4 star rating, but I'm okay straddling the line there. In terms of short, queer solarpunk stories about tea and robots, this does a pretty good job. At times I felt the philosophizing was a bit much, but by and large the thoughts about how two very different forms of life understand themselves and each other were pretty interesting, and at least one part I recognized from a TedTalk I like so that was neat. Dex and Mosscap are interesting characters, with neat backstories and personalities, and their relationship is enjoyable to learn about.

I can't say I had the best impression of the story from the start when they started focusing on how "machines replaced humans", which is pretty much a rightwing talking point to downplay the value that automating can have on letting humans do other tasks that machines simply can't, and that bring us more joy, and to discourage people pushing for better wages because "look out, companies will start putting in more automation!" And then there was the idea that falling asleep to the sound of crickets is somewhat enjoyable. I can understand the idea of longing for something you've never known, or not appreciating something until it's gone, but having drowned out cricket song many a time with music so I can get ANY sleep made me side-eye Dex heavily, and just not follow the concept. Also, maybe this is a plothole, but I thought Mosscap's specialty focus on insects would come into play at some point, particularly since Dex specifically wanted to hear cricket song? But Dex didn't even bring it up, even once, which was kind of odd? Maybe that's for later in the series or something. I also can't generally say I understand the idea of finding yourself on a journey into the wilderness. Although the story eventually addresses it kind of, it feels very privileged and eye roll-worthy. I know plenty of people find themselves or whatever, and realize just how out of depth they are because they lack the needed skills and tools, and I have never even once found the appeal. It's hard to imagine a world where problems are so gone that this is even an issue. And yes, it's escapist for a reason, but it just makes me feel like Dex is whiny and ungrateful.

Overall, the picture painted of the future is interesting, a bit more hopeful than you often see, as is typical in solarpunk (and hopepunk). The writing quality is pretty good, if a bit boring at times. If you're looking for queer science fiction, this is a pretty decent way to spend a couple hours. And then just pick up "The Murderbot Diaries" by Martha Wells, because it's far better queer science fiction with robots. ( )