Julie’s Thoughts: Short and sweet and weird and complicated, the second book in the Monk and Robot series aptly delivers on the utter joy of the first in the series. If anything, the bittersweet beauty is even stronger amongst these 149 pages. Don’t mistake it’s lack of length for lack of depth- this is a story that lingers, like the warmth from a cup of tea, or a much-needed hug.
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?