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A review by modernmatilda
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
At the end of 2021, I picked 12 book friends I admire and decided to read one of their favorites in 2022. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho was @LiteraryLadyReviews's fav book, so I picked up the audiobook, knowing basically nothing about the plot/characters/world.
"A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there." After a group of bandits save Guet Imm, a young nun of the Pure Moon Order, from harassment, she joins them and tags along on their exploits to sell ancient sacred artifacts of her order.
I absolutely loved the cheeky banter between the group of unlikely travelers; it made me laugh out loud at several points and reminded me of the way siblings fight while on a road trip. At other times, there were powerful, quiet moments between Guet Imm and the brothers that made me smile. I loved the inclusion of Malaysian terms and turns of phrase/dialect without translation and the theme of religion versus necessity, especially during a time of war. And of course, I loved the queer and trans main characters in a queer-normative world, we love to see it!
I'm glad I picked up this short novella which blended historical fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy beautifully with the most agile and smart of writing. In many ways, it reminded me of The Bear and the Nightingale and A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet in terms of "feel", which I realize is a hard thing to explain!
"A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there." After a group of bandits save Guet Imm, a young nun of the Pure Moon Order, from harassment, she joins them and tags along on their exploits to sell ancient sacred artifacts of her order.
I absolutely loved the cheeky banter between the group of unlikely travelers; it made me laugh out loud at several points and reminded me of the way siblings fight while on a road trip. At other times, there were powerful, quiet moments between Guet Imm and the brothers that made me smile. I loved the inclusion of Malaysian terms and turns of phrase/dialect without translation and the theme of religion versus necessity, especially during a time of war. And of course, I loved the queer and trans main characters in a queer-normative world, we love to see it!
I'm glad I picked up this short novella which blended historical fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy beautifully with the most agile and smart of writing. In many ways, it reminded me of The Bear and the Nightingale and A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet in terms of "feel", which I realize is a hard thing to explain!