A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1) by Becky Chambers

Under another author’s purview, this might have been 1. too cutesy, 2. too preachy, 3. too whimsical, etc. but Chambers made this tale sing. Really.
I’ve read Chambers before, a standalone novella that made a good impression. And my love for all things robots made me naturally interested in this one, so when Tor.com provided it as a freebie for its newsletters subscribers, I read it right away. And loved it right away.
I’ve always dreamt of having a robot friend. To me, that’s the epitome of technological advancement. In the world of this story it didn’t quite go like that – people invented robots and then set them free. Because of personal responsibility and such. This is a VERY woke book. Again, it might have been annoying had it not been so good.
So anyway, people felt guilty for enslaving robots so they set them free and no one has seen them in ages. People, meanwhile, went to a sort of simple life; it’s got all the modern tech, but the social structures are positively middle ages, although a much quainter cleaner version thereof.
A unique society has unique jobs and one of them is a tea monk; a sort of barista/therapist. Tea Monk is a dream job of one of the two main protagonists and so they set off to become it and, in time, succeed spectacularly. And yet a strangely dissatisfied mood lingers.
They set of on a person al quest and meet a robot. An awesome robot. A robot on a person quest of its own, which is to see how people have fared post-robots.
So it’s your essential odd couple scenario, albeit a charming and original one.
And if the combined charms of the characters weren’t enough, there’s Chambers’ writing – a charmer in its own right, but also so good. First rate world building with sophisticated internal logistics and terrific descriptions. This book is as immersive as a good dream. Reads like one too.
Overall, it’s an uplifting read without deliberately doing so, it just kind of has that power to brighten one’s day. One that even this reader, who traditionally prefers darker reading fare, was able to recognize and appreciate. Plus, it has the best robot friend ever. I want one. Very enjoyable read. Recommended.