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crimsoncor's review against another edition
4.0
Really wonderful novella that felt fully actualized despite the short length. Great world-building and just enough plot to make the novella work without feeling like it was a bite-size distillation of something longer.
pennym_'s review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
nonesensed's review
4.0
Tet Sang holds the second in command position in a group of, eh, "transportation experts". While on a job, their group's leader ends up pseudo-involved in a conflict at a coffeehouse that results in the firing of one of it's servers, Guet Imm. Guet Imm for some reason decides this means she should join their group. As Guet Imm is a nun who's survived the massacre of her convent, her joining a band of people who're doing less than over-the-table work has...consequences. Especially as Tet Sang has some history that he'd rather not think about that she risks poking at, accidentally or not.
A fun, short adventure story! I was recommended this as a "found family" story, which I think is a bit of a misdirection as the story mainly focuses on Tet Sang and Guet Imm. There are other characters in here, yes, but the focus isn't on them as a group. So keep that in mind when picking this up! I enjoyed getting to follow along as Tet Sang and Guet Imm got to know each other, clashes and developed an understanding of each others' lives. Would love to see more of their adventures!
A fun, short adventure story! I was recommended this as a "found family" story, which I think is a bit of a misdirection as the story mainly focuses on Tet Sang and Guet Imm. There are other characters in here, yes, but the focus isn't on them as a group. So keep that in mind when picking this up! I enjoyed getting to follow along as Tet Sang and Guet Imm got to know each other, clashes and developed an understanding of each others' lives. Would love to see more of their adventures!
rorrin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
i liked the order of a pure moon reflected in water but the ending felt rather unsatisfying.
i also wasn’t really able to get a grasp of the relationships between the characters properly, especially between tet sang and feng chueng, which guet imm made a comment on that i didn’t really see. i also didn’t really get where the romance came from between guet imm and tet sang at the end - their relationship had never felt romantically charged to me.
i enjoyed the setting, how queer normative it was, and the banter between characters, but despite that i couldn’t really get attached to anyone, and the relationships that the book told me happened in the end never felt fully realized.
i also wasn’t really able to get a grasp of the relationships between the characters properly, especially between tet sang and feng chueng, which guet imm made a comment on that i didn’t really see. i also didn’t really get where the romance came from between guet imm and tet sang at the end - their relationship had never felt romantically charged to me.
i enjoyed the setting, how queer normative it was, and the banter between characters, but despite that i couldn’t really get attached to anyone, and the relationships that the book told me happened in the end never felt fully realized.
halem13's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
andiiswagg's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A cute, light fantasy story with a fun cast of characters. Very reminiscent of the Chinese kung-fu films I watched as a child. I read this as a palette cleanser and enjoyed it immensely. The main characters were very unique and three-dimensional.
odunayo_y's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
Short and sweet. An entertaining Wuxia inspired adventure story. I appreciated the casual queer representation. Major kudos for the transmasc-spectrum character to be older and stocky.
The conflict resolution was strange. It was a bit convenient how everything wrapped up but i would not say it was convoluted.
The little bits of worldbuilding were delightful. The Goddess’s Five Fingers was such a cool magic system a shame it only made an appearance towards the end of the book.
One major issue I had was the dialogue. One moment the characters will speak in a period appropriate manner the next it was joss whedon like millennial humor. Not only do I despise millennial cringe speak the tone was just off.
The conflict resolution was strange. It was a bit convenient how everything wrapped up but i would not say it was convoluted.
The little bits of worldbuilding were delightful. The Goddess’s Five Fingers was such a cool magic system a shame it only made an appearance towards the end of the book.
One major issue I had was the dialogue. One moment the characters will speak in a period appropriate manner the next it was joss whedon like millennial humor. Not only do I despise millennial cringe speak the tone was just off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Gun violence, and Misogyny
Minor: War and Xenophobia
kc_alex's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
sienna_canread's review against another edition
3.0
Could’ve been faster. The first two chapters were good but the rest was boring
pastryghost's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this fantasy novella. It feels so rich and lived-in, the worldbuilding both strong & solid, yet slowly unfolding as the story plays. I was blown away by how full the world felt, despite being a short novella.
I loved the characters - from the loud and brash and argumentative bandits, to the mysterious and brutally-candid nun. The brashness of the bandits' talk was jolting at first - this is not a found family story where our protagonists hit it off right away. There's lots of tension! And at other times, I found myself laughing aloud at the ridiculous arguments and banter.
The story was lovingly rendered, unique, and captivating by the time it unfolds and the mysteries are revealed.
I loved the characters - from the loud and brash and argumentative bandits, to the mysterious and brutally-candid nun. The brashness of the bandits' talk was jolting at first - this is not a found family story where our protagonists hit it off right away. There's lots of tension! And at other times, I found myself laughing aloud at the ridiculous arguments and banter.
The story was lovingly rendered, unique, and captivating by the time it unfolds and the mysteries are revealed.