The Spear Cuts Through Water: A Novel

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That is the most tormented man that I have ever known. I'm in love with this man. But he doesn't know that. I never told him, because he can never love anybody since he lost his hand and his girl." thanks to the publisher for granting my (first ever) wish on NetGalley! i received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And I hated almost every second of it. I had seen what happened to all of those sons I gave birth to. How they were molded by the world they had been given, for even the man who had started it all did not know why he made the choices he did. It is all a spiral that feeds into itself with the gathering weight at the center that we call Power.The beginning was unengaging, but then, beginnings often are, especially when I’m in no particular mood. I thought it’ll get easier and hook me eventually, but it never did. I was never particularly confused by what was going on, I’m used to confusing literary fantasy and going with the flow, but the main plot was incredibly boring until about 70% in and mediocre from there on, and the opaqueness of the style got in the way of even remotely connecting to the characters. The almost-grimdark level of graphic violence (though the book is, ultimately, in no way nihilistic) didn’t help my enjoyment either. this is extraordinary storytelling that breaks expectations and conventions to deliver us a fantasy story like it's rarely been told before. the spear cuts through water feels like a love letter to oral storytelling traditions passed down through generations. the narrative is like a performance in every sense - alongside the fact that the story is acted out as a play in a magical theatre, the writing style is raw, atmospheric, visceral, rhythmic. it absorbs you so easily into the magic and horror of this world that i feel like i've lived a lifetime with these characters in the old country.

The Emperor and his three sons, referred to as the Terrors, are monsters with powerful magic gained from imprisoning the Emperor's wife and mother of his sons. Jun is a guard for the Emperor's wife's prison who she subverts and they both flee together after killing the Emperor. Joining them in their flight from the three Terrors is a one-armed warrior, Keema of the Daware Tribe, who's on his own mission to deliver a very special spear. Overall, I rate this book a 4.5/5. This is very much not a turn your brain off and read book. Jimenez really forces the reader to work for their story, to understand how all the pieces come together, but it is so so so rewarding. An absolute masterpiece in prose and character work. Keema and Jun return to their world, to the Divine City where the Third Terror lives. Keema and Jun meet Shan, Uhi Araya's daughter, and give her the spear. The emperor's bird appears and reveals that it is really the Third Terror, a shapeshifter. The Third Terror has fallen in love with Keema, but Keema rejects him. Jun and Keema lead the Terror away from the Divine City as a tsunami approaches the area. Keema challenges the Terror to a duel. The Terror wins, but allows Keema to live. Keema and Jun dance together. The Water crashes over Keema, Jun, and the Third Terror. It retrieves the bones of the Moon Goddess and spares the city. The Spear Cuts Through Water is remarkably rich. . . . This novel is an astonishing feat, one that lovers of sophisticated story won’t want to miss.” —Chicago Review of BooksJimenez has raised the bar for every fantasy writer working; wholly unique, dreamy yet grounded, triumphant and bittersweet, The Spear Cuts Through Water is a tremendous achievement from beginning to end.” —Martin Cahill, writer on Batman: The Blind Cut I am extremely happy to say that not only does the book live up to how beautiful the cover and those unique endpapers are, it actually exceeded my expectations. By a lot. I was so intrigued by the history of the world and the glimpses we get of it through Jun and Keema’s five day journey — and it’s not just a couple of perspectives but we get insights from the most insignificant characters in first person. I would normally be put off by it but I realised how well this structure worked for the novel as I wouldn’t have it any other way. Also, if you want another glimpse into the author’s brilliant mind, read this post about the mapmaking of his book.

The Spear Cuts Through Water balances 2.1 storylines. The first storyline is directed as a fictitious unnamed reader, an attendance of the Inverted Theater where the main storyline is told. We don’t learn much about this reader, the world they live in has a war, they have many brothers and a deadbeat father, and their lola, their grandmother, would tell them stories about the Old World, including the one being told today. The second storyline is more the main story, where two companions Jun and Keema meet by chance to escort a god across the lands to take down the tyrannical Moon Throne. The 0.1 comes from the short little interjections from the supporting cast, giving the reader an outside perspective on events as they happen in the second storyline. Secondly, this style of storytelling breaks my immersion completely. At no stage am I not completely aware that this is a story being told to me because it's clearly the story of the performance of the story being told to me. The Spear Cuts Through Water is written in a unique narrative style that mimics oral storytelling. This structure is executed beautifully and really elevates the story. Multiple perspectives and times are woven together to create an intricate tapestry of love, sacrifice, power, and godhood. I could write a thesis on the way Jimenez plays with storytelling, perspective, and time in this novel. But I fear that giving any more details would spoil some of the incredible reveals. Every single detail of this story is important and the twists are some of the most satisfying reveals I have ever read. The Spear Cuts Through Water really appealed to my love of The Fifth Season and Harrow the Ninth. This extraordinary science fiction epic, which delves deep into the perils of failing to learn from one’s mistakes, is perfect for fans of big ideas and intimate reflections.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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We’re hit with the quote above at a point in the story where the narrator’s grandmother tells it to him and it accurately pierces the core of the story. We not only have a compelling and violent love story between the two protagonists but also see how love drives people’s actions, good and bad, and serves as a ray of hope. It’s brilliant how most of the characters are motivated by their want or scorn for love and Jimenez’s mind portrays the consequences for both in a fabulous way. A beguiling fantasy not to be missed.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game

however, i can't emphasize enough: this is NOT a book for everyone. it's a heavy, dense story that requires you to be patient and open-minded and is simply not written for mass appeal. the story takes place on multiple layers of a story within a story. the narrative uses all three POVs (first, second and third) often at the same time and it does make for a challenging read. i won't lie, there were times i got frustrated with the narrative and where the plot was going. but ultimately for me, the challenge was worth it and the book rewards your efforts with a truly exceptional reading experience. The story is fascinating in its brutality and depiction of suffering. There are scenes that will appear in my nightmares and moments that made my heart ache. But at its core, The Spear Cuts Through Water is a love story. It is not a neat love story and it is not always a happy love story but… The writing here is deep and multifaceted, soaking the reader inevitably until one blinks and realizes that the story has taken root deep inside one's imagination, not unlike that in his Literary Sci-Fi, Vanished Birds. “The tale is for you,” she said.This is a book where time stretches and retracts, where all POVs (1st, 2nd & 3rd) and tenses (past, present & future) hopscotch with each other. You go with the flow, following the threads until you realize what a beautiful, intricate tapestry they've been weaving all along. Speaking of characters, I was immediately invested in Jun and Keema’s dynamic and the pure yearning they develop for each other. I loved being opened up to their complicated personalities, from reluctant travel companions to their love for each other. Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this new epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.

In a fantasy, so often the focus is the hero's journey - their growth and feelings. Most everyone else in the fantasy world is fodder - bit players, wallflowers, NPCs. Commonfolk. Gorgeously written, The Spear Cuts Through Water is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It is a fable, a dream world, a love story, and a meditation on the nature of humanity all wrapped into one. Simon Jimenez has written the rare kind of book that changes the way you see the world, that makes you pause and appreciate the beauty in every small moment of life and, even, death.” —Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game The Spear Cuts Through Water] is a marvel. Jimenez’s command of prose and playfulness of thought is used to incredible effect to show how oral traditions can transform a tale. This book must be read to be believed.” — Vulture This is definitely one of those books that require you to sit on it for a few days before deciding which rating you're going to give. Okay, so this book is really hard to talk about, so bear with me. Nominally, this is a book about a pair of fugitive young men who are tasked with shepherding a dead god (who still talks) across a fantasy landscape filled with obstacles, and it is also a love story. But that very brief summary in no way conveys the actual *experience* of reading this one. The style it's written in, aside from the actual prose, is pretty experimental and a little hard to get ahold of at first. But once you do, it is so incredibly effective at playing on your emotions and telling the story in a way that makes your brain light up in pleasure. Jimenez structures his story like a matryoshka doll, nesting one story in another, in another. And the way he navigates between them is like this fluid little magical dance. I don't even know what that means, but it's what came out as I was typing this, and it seems right.

WINNER OF THE IAFA CRAWFORD AWARD • WINNER OF THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE URSULA K. LE GUIN AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE IGNYTE AWARD First, it begins with an unnamed character (these parts narrated in second person). This person gets introduced to the cruel, brutal world Simon Jimenez created, through the stories of their Lola (do say it as loh-la, not low-la). Like Jimenez’s previous novel, this book starts as compelling as ever. Other books you’d describe as a movie playing in your head, but this one was a theater play. It was a performance through and through; it starts with the introduction of an Inverted Theater after all. A theater for dreamers, where the story of the two warriors gets acted out. And as it begins, the prose seems to follow a rhythm, seems to flow in tandem with the drumbeats in that theater. Through the unnamed narrator we witness the main storyline, about two warriors Jun, the grandson of the emperor and Keema, the disabled guard, who are roped into a quest to rescue a god from The Moon Throne, the tyrannical rulers of their land. With folklore woven effortlessly into the magic, action and setting of the story, The Spear Cuts Through Water has all elements of a fantasy world but the kind that’s surreal and unhinged in all those aspects. And a violent kind too, as the book definitely has gory themes but they perfectly fit into the characterization and world of the novel. trigger + content warnings: violence, gore, death, torture, grief depiction, depression depiction, loss of a loved one, mentions of loss of children, captivity, vomit, talk of defecation, ableist language (negative light), homophobia in past, blood, animal deaths, mentions of suicide, suicide ideations, intrusive thoughts, war themes, colonization, fire, cannibalism, captivity And she'll never tell him. She won't be who he ends up with, and the audience won't remember her name. But it's such a small, beautiful moment.