17th April, 2025 in Recommended Reads

Half Moon by Burt Mango

“The girl appeared ethereal, her bi-coloured skin like glass, her delicate features exquisite in the sunlight. Diminished as she was, she carried an air that seemed to mock the drab uniformity of the place.” The novella, Half Moon, by Burt Mango leads us through what appears to be a dystopian society of sorts in which there are conclaves of people protected by soldiers in fear of wandering nomads. We discover that one of the central characters, Amma, has been expelled from these nomads due to her unique appearance with a spectacular representation on the book cover that further brings the character to life. The novella explores the impact and support that two lost individuals can provide when excluded from society in one form or another, and their trials when facing ongoing aggression at being perceived as the most vulnerable in this society.