A quietly optimistic, cozy and philosophical, sci-fi tale that reads like a fantastical solar punk fable and goes down like the perfect blend of herbal tea.

Sibling Dex leaves a comfortable, predictable life at a monastery to become a traveling tea monk, only to find that mastering that calling doesn't provide fulfillment. Dex can't shake the sense that what they really need is to travel into the wilderness — a thing that is simply not done, especially not alone. Not long after turning his tea cart onto the ancient road into the natural areas, Dex is shocked to encounter Splendid Speckled Mosscap, the first Robot that any human has seen since the day the Robots awoke and walked off into the wilderness.

I loved everything about this. I particularly enjoyed the gentle, philosophical depth of the writing; the glimpses of this post-factory, post-machine world; the unexpected humor and wisdom of Mosscap; the authenticity and kindness of the determined but unsettled Sibling Dex; and, of course, the budding friendship and travel adventures of Dex and Mosscap. Sign me up for the rest of the Monk & Robot tales!

Topics, tropes and themes: life, the universe, and stuff; presence and purpose; autonomy and sentience; kindness, balance, harmony, mental health; environmentalism, ecology

Content notes: strong language

My thanks to #NetGalley and Tor for a digital ARC.