I really enjoy novellas, if that isn’t obvious by now.

In The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho, a bandit known as Tet Sang finds himself joined by a nun as he and his crew go on their next mission. But the nun, Guet Imm, is more than she appears. The more they all travel together, the more complicated things get, especially considering the bandits are carrying a priceless sacred object, which Guet Imm would definitely not approve of them having. And then there’s Tet Sang’s own secret past, which is coming back to haunt him.

This was a strange little story for me. It’s beautifully written, with lovely prose and descriptive passages, and the audiobook narrator Nancy Wu does a fine job. However, some of the characters (other than Guet Imm and Tet Sang) I had a hard time keeping track of. They didn’t have distinct enough personalities, or at least I kept forgetting which name went with which person, so that made it a little difficult sometimes.

However, the worldbuilding of this story is great. The ancient China–inspired locations and intriguing wartime situation make for an engaging setting, and the subtle but palpable magic is a fantastic edition. I also liked the scenes that explored the ways the warring groups affected people from civilians to nuns; those were some of the most moving moments.

The best part of the story, though, is Guet Imm and Tet Sang’s relationship. I loved seeing them get to know each other and find unexpected commonalities. Theirs is a complex bond, but also very lovely. And Tet Sang’s identity as a trans man (though the book, due to its setting, doesn’t use that term) is presented with care and compassion, which is delightful. The ending of their story was perhaps a little abrupt, but still nice, and I came away from this book glad that I read it.

In the end, The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water is an unusual little book. The worldbuilding is well done, and the protagonists are excellent. However, some of the other characters fell a little flat for me, and I wasn’t entirely sure what the point of the overall story was some of the time. Still, it was a decent read, and I’m sure if I reread it I’d pick up on more nuance. Not sure if I’ll do that, but at least I have the option. And for people who like wuxia (this genre of Chinese fiction), check this out!