A Prayer for the Crown-Shy A Monk and Robot Book

The question which followed us not only in book 1 but keeps being a substantial part of this last one of the duology. The friendship of Dex and Mosscap grow much deeper, I would even say they become best friends and this book as well keeps the reader thinking. A lot. And I absolutely love it. It is a beautiful end of this short series. And a great book to end the year with.

I can’t express how much I loved this Duology! This second book is as much of a warm hug as the first book has been, I just wished they were longer or that I could read even more books about Dex and Mosscap! But focussing on this second book, it still showed a very optimistic and wholesome worldview that just felt like a warm blanket wrapping around you. That doesn’t mean, that there is no struggle, that people don’t struggle with their lifes, don’t feel lost. This book shows us more of the society and people in this world, how they operate, their believes and how they treat everything around them. The first half of the book made me smile so much, I loved the interactions between Dex and Mosscap! The second half felt a bit more philosophical and made me really think about the questions and matters mentioned. This book made me really question some mindsets I never thought about and told me at the same time that that’s okay! It felt like an invitation to come along on a journey that has no clear beginning or ending, that can be anything you want or need, even if you yourself do not know what that is. And it’s okay, if plans and ideas change or you even discard all of them, you don’t need a purpose, you can just be! I think that’s a powerful thought, especially in a fast paced society like ours. So if you need a little break, some time away to just focus on yourself, i really recommend these books!

Sibling Dex and Mosscap, the robot, are back. This time around, the two venture out of the wilderness and into civilization. Mosscap has an important question to pose to humanity, and Sibling Dex is there to support their journey into unfamiliar lands. Along the way, Mosscap is confronted with many things that are new to it and that it doesn't understand. Sibling Dex themself learns to look at their own familiar world in a new way through Mosscap's questions and curiosities. This book is the wonderful second part to the monk and robot books, and I highly recommend this series to anyone who loved the first book and those who love gentle, calm stories with a focus on nature and relationships.

„For anybody who doesn’t know where they’re going“, aka when even the dedication of a book has you tearing up a little. Just like the first Monk & Robot novella, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy feels like a little break, time to take a breath and to remember: You don’t always need a goal or a purpose, it’s okay to just be. It’s okay to change plans or discard them altogether. Also just like the first book, the story focuses on interactions rather than a plot, on people meeting and exchanging ideas. The difference is we get to hear from other people as well, now that Mosscap and Dex have left the wilderness to answer Mosscap‘s question: What does humanity need? It’s also incredibly nice to see the enthusiasm with which the robot looks at life. It meeting a baby for the first time genuinely had me crying. Lots to think about, for our protagonists and us readers both.