Book Reviews

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

After falling in love with A Psalm for the Wild-Built, a friend of mine told me the next in the series was even better. Of course I bought it and had to read it. Was A Prayer for the Crown-Shy better than the first? Read on!

The Story

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers’s new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

They’re going to need to ask it a lot.

My Thoughts

In short, I did prefer A Psalm for the Wild-Built. It resonated with my heart better.

However, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy was still amazing! If you have the opportunity to read it, it’s worth your time.

I will say that this one felt a little bit more…angsty than the first. It makes logical sense. It’s Mosscap’s job to find out what humanity needs, so it’s a lot of searching.

I read this a while ago, but only just got the book back, so some of my memories are a little hazy from the book. HOWEVER, I think that these books do well what In the Lives of Puppets was trying to do. I had that revelation recently. These books are so beautiful, so it made that other one fall so much flatter.

Favorite Quotes & Passages

Without knowledge of mysteries, your constructs will fail.

Find the strength to pursue both, for these are our prayers.

And to that end, welcome comfort, for without it, you cannot stay strong.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Page 2

Well, there’s no spontaneity in your journey, then, is there? If you’re focused on moving from sign to sign, there’s no opportunity for happy accidents. But I suppose I’ve rarely had clear destinations in mind before now. In the wilds, I simply go places.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Page 5

Everybody has a negative balance from time to time, for lots of reasons. That’s fine. That’s part of the ebb and flow. But if someone had a huge negative . . . well, that says they need help. Maybe they’re sick. Or stuck. Maybe they’ve got something going on at home. Or maybe it’s just one of those times when they need other people to carry them for a while. That’s okay. Everybody ends up there sometimes. If I saw a friend’s balance and it was way in the red, I’d make a point of checking in.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Page 36

That’s the heart of my faith, Mosscap. That is what I am saying to everyone who comes to my table. I say it out loud, all the f*cking time. You don’t have to have a reason to be tired. You don’t have to earn rest or comfort. You’re allowed to just be. I say that wherever I go.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, Page 141

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