The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water | Book Review
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
Tor.com – June 23, 2020
*An advanced reader ebook copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Novellas are my new favorite thing.
During the past few months I’ve started to dip my toe into the world of fantasy and science fiction novellas, particular from tor.com. I’ve know for ages that other readers absolutely love the novellas published by Tor/Forge, but I always thought they were too short for me. In the past I’ve been that reader that loves a hefty books 500+ pages of epic fantasy to sink my teeth into. But lately my tastes have veered away from extremely long books toward something shorter and easier to digest amidst my busy life.
I finally really gave the “novella” form a chance with Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune, which debuted March 2020 [see my review here]. Bottom line on top, I absolutely loved it! Besides the gorgeous writing and narrative structure, I enjoyed being able to get a dose of fantasy while finishing a book in a single sitting. So, I’ve been on the hunt for more novellas!
I’ve heard marvelous things about Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown, so I was excited to receive an advanced reader copy of her new novella.
About the Book
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.
My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this ‘found-family’ fantasy set in a war-torn country, where people are caught between the tyrannical Protectorate à la Western imperialism and Reformists as well as varying degrees of bandits (i.e. some morally ambiguous to really bad guys). Guet Imm is a nun from the Order of the Pure Moon Reflected on Water turned coffeehouse waitress at the start of the novella. Lau Fung Cheung, the leaders of a group of bandits, ‘rescues’ her from harassment by customer. Following this event, Guet Imm convinces the bandits to let her join them and a journey and mischief ensue. The bulk of the story is from Tet Sang’s perspective. As, Lau Fung Cheung’s second in command, Tet Sang holds sway over the group however, he is often solitary with a mysterious past.
What I like most about this novella was the focus on relationships between the characters, the tension between faith and necessity – particularly in times of war – and what is ‘right’. I think this is where the book really shines. Some readers might be expecting more martial arts and fight scenes, which could lead to disappointment, however if you’re looking for complex interesting characters and relationships then this is the book for you!
On the surface, this may appear to be a ‘grim’ fantasy with topics like oppression, destruction of temples and cultural artifacts, and loss of faith. Yet, Cho deftly weaves in humor and heart throughout the story. Moreover, there isn’t a ‘chosen one’ here or other epic fantasy tropes, rather it’s a story of one group of people -focusing on Tet Sang and Guet Imm – and how they navigate their world. I really appreciate this change of pace! While I love a good ‘chosen one’ hero arc it can get tiresome. So this tight focus is fabulous.
Highly recommend!
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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