Who Would Like This Book:
If you're craving a fresh take on fantasy, this novella is a gem! Set in a Malaysian-inspired world, it blends wuxia flavors, found family vibes, and plenty of witty banter. With its queer, gender-nonconforming cast and meditative exploration of identity, faith, and survival, it's perfect for fans of character-driven stories, subtle magic, and anyone looking for something heartfelt and a little off the beaten path. Fantasy readers who appreciate diverse voices and cultural settings will find lots to love here.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you're looking for nonstop martial arts action or deep, intricate world-building, this might not fully hit the mark. Some found the plot a bit slight or wished for more from the short novella format - both in terms of character backstory and romance buildup. If you prefer long epics or need every thread tied up neatly, you might leave wanting more.
About:
"The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water" by Zen Cho is a novella set in a fantasy world inspired by Chinese myths and legends. The story follows a group of bandits whose lives are changed when they are joined by a nun from the Order of the Pure Moon. The plot involves themes of found family, identity, and friendship amidst a backdrop of political and religious complexities. The writing style is described as setting the scene in an Asian-inspired fantasy land, with sentence structures that fit the tone of the novella perfectly.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of violence and war-related trauma that may be distressing to some readers.
Has Romance?
There is a moderate level of romance throughout the novella, particularly involving character interactions and subtle romantic undertones.
From The Publisher:
A 2021 Locus Award Finalist!
A Lambda Literary Award Finalist
A Book Riot Must-Read Fantasy of 2020
Amazon's Best of 2020 So Far
"Fantastic, defiant, utterly brilliant." -Ken Liu
Zen Cho returns with The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water, a found family wuxia fantasy that combines the vibrancy of old school martial arts movies with characters drawn from the margins of history.
A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there. Guet Imm, a young votary of the Order of the Pure Moon, joins up with an eclectic group of thieves (whether they like it or not) in order to protect a sacred object, and finds herself in a far more complicated situation than she could have ever imagined.
Ratings (6)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (1) | |
Liked It (2) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (32):
Read It (8) | |
Want To Read (21) | |
Not Interested (3) |
2 comment(s)
A bit too airy but still pretty good in general. I feel like 50 more pages would've done so many favors to the characters. The worldbuilding was pretty cool otherwise though I wish there was more of it tbh. The story was well crafted and I liked how much they talked about the religous aspect of it and the ending was good imo but a little rushed.
2.5*
What can you read after
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water?
About the Author:
Zen Cho was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and her short story collection Spirits Abroad was a joint winner of the William L. Crawford Fantasy Award. Her debut novel Sorcerer to the Crown won a British Fantasy Award for Best Newcomer and was a Locus Awards finalist for Best First Novel. She lives in the UK.
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