In our first Book Club of 2021, we go to a favourite Malaysian writer, Zen Cho, and her latest novella titled “The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water”. The wuxia-inspired fantasy story continues Zen’s tendency to draw on Malaysian history and mythology for her rich tales, and uses this intriguing setting to tell the story of a young nun and a ragtag group of bandits - all of whom are more than they seem. We close off the discussion by looking at what works and doesn’t when it comes to novellas.