A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
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Some books are comfort reads the way chocolate or ice cream is a comfort food. I’m stressed and trying to avoid something, or I’m rewarding myself with a sweet treat. I won’t feel great after binging, but I rarely regret it. A Prayer For The Crown-Shy brings a different kind of comfort. It’s the soup your mom makes when you’re sick; you can feel its rejuvenating power with every bite. It’s the ice-cold water you chug right after coming inside on a hot day, the wave of refreshment coursing through your body. It’s the nourishment your soul needs to pick itself back up after a long week, a little smarter and a little stronger than before.
Similar to its precursor A Psalm for the Wild-Built, there’s just enough plot to keep things moving but never enough to detract from the comfort and contemplation Chambers is offering. (You can find my review of the first book here.) She has a
wonderful way of distilling commentary on the way life could be into deceptively simple sentences. I suspect specific takeaways will depend on what the reader needs to hear that day, but for me it was, “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.”
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the robot Mosscap’s personal struggle with its own mortality. The robots live on a different scale than humans, but they have very firm beliefs about when it is time to make way for the next generation. As the first robot to return from the woods and interact with humans, Mosscap has an opportunity to prolong its lifespan in a way that its fellows do not. Watching the robot’s decision process was absolutely fascinating - I was entirely biased and was rooting for what I thought Mosscap should choose, but it laid out its thoughts so neatly I couldn’t argue if it decided the opposite.
Definitely read A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, but save it for when you can make a moment out of it. Make your favorite drink, and just enjoy stepping out of time for a bit. This is the second book in the series, and it's the second time I’ve read the book as a kindle library pick and immediately bought a physical copy after finishing. I paired this with the tea I love so much I almost never drink it. It's a wonderfully creamy English breakfast tea! I added a dash of milk and a touch of honey, and enjoyed it out of my favorite teacup I’m usually too afraid to actually use. It was a good day.
