The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water

The first chapter of this book is a lot of fun and one where you can tell the author was having a great time, and that sets the tone. Guet Imm, the nun, in particular was easy to fall in love with, and Tet Sang and the rest of his band of roving contractors grew on me as the story progressed.

The plot does take a few chapters to kick off but I enjoyed the time to get to know everyone, and once things start moving it moves at a good clip. I enjoyed discovering the political situation with Guet Imm but there were some other worldbuilding aspects I felt I never got a good grasp on.

I loved the way gender identity was handled in the text — both the day to day and the philosophy of the Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water. It's accepted in its complexity and that was very comforting to read. I also enjoyed the ambiguity in the ending; it brings the character arcs to a resting point but how romantic it is is up to the reader. I really enjoyed the story.