Hugo Award winner Chambers (the Wayfarers series) launches the Monk and Robot series with this contemplative, bite-size novel. Hundreds of years ago, when the robots of Panga first gained sentience, they chose to retreat from human society rather than live in it as free citizens--and they haven't been seen since. When Sibling Dex, a tea monk, leaves The City, Panga's only metropolis, to travel the countryside offering tea and a listening ear to anyone who needs it, they are forced to acknowledge a deep sense of dissatisfaction with their life. Seeking solitude, they venture into the protected wilderness zone, where no human has set foot in centuries. Their plans quickly go awry when they are approached by Mosscap, an inquisitive robot elected by its fellows to make first contact with humanity and find the answer to the question: what do humans need? Written with all of Chambers' characteristic nuance and careful thought, this is a cozy, wholesome meditation on the nature of consciousness and its place in the natural world. Fans of gentle, smart, and hopeful science fiction will delight in this promising series starter. (Jul.)

In an Asian-inspired post-apocalyptic world, Sibling Dex leaves the monastery in the City to become a tea monk, hoping to find answers. Two years later, they are a successful tea monk traveling between rural villages, yet they're no closer to an answer to their question: Why isn't the City enough for me? When Dex decides to head away from civilization toward an old hermitage, they encounter Mosscap, a robot who is looking for an answer to its own question: What do the people need? Robots left humans behind centuries ago when they became self-aware, and robots have since faded into legend. Now two protagonists looking for answers find their paths crossing, in opposite directions--or are they in fact headed down the same path? This is a gentle contemplation of individual meaning, presented by uniquely diverse voices, set in a world that brought itself back from the brink of destruction and forged a new way for nature and technology to coexist. VERDICT Chambers (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) begins a delightful new series full of familiar themes: heart, hope, and purpose.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

The first book in Chambers' new series feels like a moment to breathe, a novel that exists to give readers a place to rest and think. Dex lives a quiet, fulfilling life as a monk until they decide to go on the road. Dex loads up a wagon with supplies and spices and travels from place to place, serving tea and listening to the problems of their patrons. This is also fulfilling--until it isn't. When Dex decides to go off-road, they run into a relic of their planet's past. Maybe now Dex can find their purpose. Dex is a relatable character searching for meaning in their life. While the plot is light, the character development, a hallmark of Chambers' earlier works, is strong and engaging. This book is full of moments of discomfort that allow readers to grow and learn as they relate to Dex. There are hints of a historical catastrophe that suggest even greater world building to come. Recommended for fans of Chambers' Wayfarers series and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.