The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water
by Zen Cho
File Size: 5364 KB
Print Length: 160 pages
Publisher: Tor.com (June 23, 2020)
ASIN: B07WPNGGGB
Genre: Action and Adventure, Asian Myth, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.
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.
Review:
Guet Imm is a young votary (like a nun) who has taken work at a tavern after her temple home was raided and burned. A group of thieves, who consider themselves more than bandits, stops in the tavern and one of their group, Tet Sang, can’t help but interfere when Guet is abused by a customer. After the ensuing brawl, Guet attaches herself to the band of misfits insisting that she has nowhere else to go. Tet tries to discourage Guet as the band is on a mission to deliver certain booty to a buyer in another town. They will have to dodge gangs of bandits as well as military troops along the way.
Guet manages to put off any sexual advances by an explicit threat of retribution. Even though she is a bit of a nuisance, and not particularly skilled, Guet begins to endear herself to the rough band. Eventually, she discovers secrets and interferes with the plans of thieves. Dangers are narrowly escaped and, while Guet is trying to make amends, more secrets are revealed.
I was not familiar with “wuxia fantasy” which apparently means ‘martial-arts chivalry or martial arts heroes’. I totally enjoyed the story, even with its few risqué elements. The characters, especially Guet and Tet, are well developed and the relationships and dialog are entertaining and humorous. There is an unexpected delightful mix of adventure, wit, charm, and magic. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a fun, Asian adventure.
Source: 2020 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2020NetGalley and 2020Alphabet goals.
