What do people need?

This is the question asked by A Psalm for the Wild-Built's synopsis. Both of the main characters, Sibling Dex and Mosscap, seek their own answers to this seemingly impossible-to-answer question. However, the story is less finding a specific answer and more about the journey the characters take to discover it.

Character conversations play a huge role in progressing the story. Most of the time it's Dex and Mosscap talking, but there are other interactions with minor characters sprinkled in. I felt these conversations served as a great vessel for the story to explore themes like existentialism, absurdism, and environmental stewardship. There is something to be said about navigating these topics by having characters talk to each other rather than having events happen to the characters. Sharing a conversation with someone is just one way of bringing us closer to understanding and connecting, even if we may never truly reach a solution to our problems.

I found the pacing to be somehow both fast-paced and slow. Dex progresses through their time as a tea monk fairly quickly, but once they meet Mosscap, the journey slows down. The focus is not on Dex learning the tea monk trade but rather on their growing quarter-life crisis despite having a relatively decent (at the very least) life.

I would have loved to see more of Panga's cities but Dex's time in these settlements is quite short. This may be something that is explored more in the sequel, but aside from a few descriptions here and there, the worldbuilding overall is on the lighter side. In exchange, however, you are given very rich descriptions of Panga outside of human settlements. I could practically smell the leafy trees and the mossy soils as I was reading.

At around 147 pages, A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a quick read for most but explores a lot within its page count. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to explore the solarpunk genre or, as the dedication states, to anyone who could use a break.