The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water

Zen Cho's Sorcerer to the Crown is one of my all-time favorite books, so there was no way I was passing this novella up! As such, I really went into it mostly blind. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but that wasn't a bad thing!

From the summary description, I was expecting an action-packed martial arts fantasy, possibly with a humorous take. Instead, the slightly lyrically feeling title and cover art are probably a better indicator of the story inside. While there are definitely a few action-filled moments, The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water is a quiet, reflective (hah!) story about finding yourself and your place. It's a great character-driven story.

Cho's writing is beautiful and perfectly suits the characters' inner conflicts over identity and spirituality. The world-building is immersive and vivid, despite the short length of the story. As always Cho perfectly blends fantasy elements into her world, creating something that feels magical and yet completely organic.

I liked the group dynamic between Guet Imm and the various bandits. The found family dynamic was well done and would have been even better with more time to develop and grow. I liked what we saw of the brothers but, aside from Tet Sang and Lau Fung Cheung, I didn't really feel that I got to know them that well.

If you're looking for a story that's memorably unique and beautifully written, pick up The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water.

A hugely enjoyable fantasy with a brilliantly fresh feel! I felt my self sinking into every page, thoroughly hooked!

“A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there.”
Found family fantasy meets martial arts movie! When a group of “contractors” (read: bandits) is joined by a sheltered nun from a recently destroyed monastery they find a strange balance even as their plans get thoroughly out of hand. This is a wonderful, vivid novella filled with humor and heart. I would genuinely love to see more about these characters.

For this review, I’m just going to get this out of the way—I loved this novella and am sincerely hoping that it is the start of a series. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected on Water was so delightful that I would be genuinely saddened not to be able to enjoy further adventures with Guet Imm and Tet Sang. I will definitely suggest the title for purchase and will be recommending it to patrons.

"Do what you want, brother - leave me behind, get rid of the treasures, pretend you don't have a past. It won't work. You'll bring yourself along wherever you go, and the deity will find you there."



The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water was overall a good read. I was initially drawn to this book by the cover, which is absolutely gorgeous, and requested this book without reading the synopsis... Thankfully, I was not disappointed.

Set in a medieval China-like setting, this wuxia ("martial heroes") fantasy novella followed Guet Imm, a nun of the Order of the Pure Moon. After an altercation in a coffeehouse, she meets up with a group of bandits on their way to sell items they have procured. However, things soon get out of hand and more complex than Guet Imm bargained for.

I was surprised how much story was packed in this novella. While the writing was often a little choppy, making it slightly hard to get into, the author did a really good job of setting up the world of the characters as well as the characters themselves. For a "wuxia fantasy," there wasn't a lot of martial arts, or a lot of action in general, but honestly I didn't mind that much because the story was about a lot more than that - it was about identity and friendship and culture and more. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My goddess Zen Cho has blessed us again. My only real complaint was it was so short. The lush writing and a story with culture that breathes and bleeds as much as its characters do. Much as is typical with Wuxia stories there are great feats of martial arts to the point the characters are supernatural yet mot eof the story focuses on the characters, them coming to terms with their past, and their beliefs. I enjoyed the rag tag team of bandits and the found family aspect of the story although I got a bit confused with the names at times.

Overall the order of the pure moon reflected in water was breathtakingly beautiful and I would highly recommend it to fans of Zen Cho, Wuxia fiction and anyone else who will listen

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water was my first foray into wuxia, and overall I enjoyed the book. It wasn't as martial-arts-heavy as I'd anticipated, instead offering a fantasy tale with interesting themes and fairly deep reflection on matters like identity, belonging and the fight for survival. Guet Imm was a fun character, and all the bandits had their own personality quirks, developed to just the right level to give them clear identities without slowing the pace of the story. It's hard to say more without risking spoilers, but I recommend this book to fantasy fans looking for a quick but different read. I would certainly read more by Zen Cho in the future.

(This review will go live on my blog and on GR/social media on 9 June 2020.)

I think it would be fair to say at this point that I will read anything Zen Cho ever writes. This novella has firmly cemented her as one of my favourite authors.

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water is a wuxia fantasy novella, following a group of bandits and a young nun who joins up with them. It reads a bit like the start of a whole world, like there could be more follow-up adventures, but one of the strengths of it is that it doesn’t feel like you’ve been dropped in, middle of the story, and are floundering. Zen Cho has this way of worldbuilding in a way you almost don’t notice because it flows so well within the story. There’s no point where you’re like, okay this is an exposition section, because it all fits together so seemlessly.

The book is, though, probably carried on the strength of its characters (that sounds like the rest of it is weak, but that’s not what I mean, really). The whole cast is wonderful and will have you laughing out loud at times. It’s the cast who will leave you wanting more of the book, not least because it ends (seemingly, to me) abruptly. You’ll read the book and you won’t want it to ever end, because the characters are that good.

Probably the reason I didn’t give this novella five stars is really the ending. Like I mentioned, it feels a little abrupt, as if it’s stopping almost in the middle of the narrative. You can see how it’s a good place to pause, sure, but it does leave you thinking, okay, what next? And then there’s what the ending actually consists of, but that’s spoilers. Just know it’s one of my least favourite things to do with a found family.

But anyway. Be ready for when this comes out because I will be making everyone I know read it.

Where to begin? This novella from Zen Cho is a sublime, funny, and dashing introduction to wuxia. It's full of adventure, distinct characters, and a lovely subtlety. The dialogue is a high point in this work; each character has a voice all their own, and the way they bicker back and forth is hugely enjoyable.

I adored learning about the conflicts at play through both the eyes of jaded quasi-criminals and through the lens of a nun emerging from isolation.

This is technically a historical fantasy, but I would recommend it to readers who enjoy folklore or who aren't huge fantasy buffs. It's excellent for readers who also like works by JY Neon Yang or Naomi Novik, as well as for readers looking for a less traumatic narrative than the (excellent and atmospheric) Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, and for viewers of The Untamed.

Highly, hugely recommended: it's fun and captivating, and I hope Cho writes more

Netgalley review.

Zen Cho's dialogue is just... *chef's kiss* perfect. She has a style that doesn't sound like anything else I've ever read, but it's so much fun to read. It's hard to say what this particular novella is about without spoiling things -- it's about bandits, sort of, and also nuns, sort of, and also the effects of civil war on civilians and cultural institutions. It's queer in a way that's also hard to talk about without spoilers. Mainly it's about two very different but incredibly endearing characters, Tet Sang and Guet Imm, and if I could get a seven-volume series about their continuing adventures I would devour every single one.