You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of the most interesting, beautiful, and well-written fantasy books of the last decade, The Spear Cuts Through Water proved that mythic fantasy, heroic stories and excellent prose are neither dead nor stale, and that a book can contain all of this without relying on Tolkienesque Eurocentric stereotypes and while containing a heavy dose of postmodern introspection.
The story at the center of this book is fairly simple - two young warriors from different backgrounds go on a journey to make a divine delivery in the middle of a political rebellion. There are lots of twists and turns and odd characters, so I need not give away too many details here.
All that is told through a frame narrative - an inverted dream theater. This is not only a hero story, but a story about storytelling itself, about how stories are passed down and retold, about who gets to frame history and who is silenced, and how tales can shift contextually through different generations and cultural diaspora.
The author is incredibly playful with form, using first, second, and third person in different parts. The bulk of this story is told within a play but it isn’t exactly told like a play, focusing heavily on the private inner thoughts of characters. There are testimonials from side characters, many of them dead. There are dance numbers and at one moment the heroes themselves move through time to appear on the stage.
And then there is also a queer love story, a rivals-to-lovers arc that’s so slow burn I wanted to yell at both characters to just get it over with, but it is very sweet.
If I have any one critique of the book, and it’s a small one, it’s that being such a dreamlike fairy story, nothing quite feels grounded, and the characters, drenched in mythic archetype, were never quite believable to me, although they were endearing.
The story at the center of this book is fairly simple - two young warriors from different backgrounds go on a journey to make a divine delivery in the middle of a political rebellion. There are lots of twists and turns and odd characters, so I need not give away too many details here.
All that is told through a frame narrative - an inverted dream theater. This is not only a hero story, but a story about storytelling itself, about how stories are passed down and retold, about who gets to frame history and who is silenced, and how tales can shift contextually through different generations and cultural diaspora.
The author is incredibly playful with form, using first, second, and third person in different parts. The bulk of this story is told within a play but it isn’t exactly told like a play, focusing heavily on the private inner thoughts of characters. There are testimonials from side characters, many of them dead. There are dance numbers and at one moment the heroes themselves move through time to appear on the stage.
And then there is also a queer love story, a rivals-to-lovers arc that’s so slow burn I wanted to yell at both characters to just get it over with, but it is very sweet.
If I have any one critique of the book, and it’s a small one, it’s that being such a dreamlike fairy story, nothing quite feels grounded, and the characters, drenched in mythic archetype, were never quite believable to me, although they were endearing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, Cannibalism
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Suicide, Torture
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay, so this is one of the best books I've ever read. Granted, I just finished it, so I'm sure I'll come up with criticisms at some point. However, anything I expected to have a problem with while I was reading ended up getting wrapped up by the end.
The book even calls the reader out at one point. Early on in the story, the frame character's lola says that the book is a love story. Then, at the end, Keema and Jun supposedly die. I was really disappointed! It just went into geneology of how the spear got into the frame narrator's hands. I spend the whole time skimming and mourning the supposed love story. But then the moonlit body literally says that "you" are unsatisfied. And it shows what happened to Keema and Jun, that they didn't die, and I was like wtf! I *was* unsatisfied and no longer am; it's true!
I can't think of something I didn't love about this book. The way that it's written is so interesting. The worldbuilding felt so complete. I felt less like I was reading a story and more like I was reading a history book from another world. In the best possible way. I love how the author took the time to explain little details, stuff that might not have mattered narratively but really helped the reader understand the nature of the world we stepped into. One of my favorite stylistic decisions washow we would randomly hear the thoughts of people the characters encountered. When they received the Moon's power and were able to hear everyone's inner monologues, it didn't come out of nowhere because we had been able to do that the whole time! That was so freaking cool to me.
The way things were described were just beautiful. Even the grisly parts were in their own way. It was such vivid imagery, and I ate it up truly. God, and the relationship between Keema and Jun was written so well. It evolved so naturally considering who they were and how they came together. Absolutely masterful work
I can't think of something I didn't love about this book. The way that it's written is so interesting. The worldbuilding felt so complete. I felt less like I was reading a story and more like I was reading a history book from another world. In the best possible way. I love how the author took the time to explain little details, stuff that might not have mattered narratively but really helped the reader understand the nature of the world we stepped into. One of my favorite stylistic decisions was
The way things were described were just beautiful. Even the grisly parts were in their own way. It was such vivid imagery, and I ate it up truly. God, and the relationship between Keema and Jun was written so well. It evolved so naturally considering who they were and how they came together. Absolutely masterful work
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Vomit, Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am at a loss of words to describe this book. I haven't read a book this good since...I don't even know.
I feel something moved inside me.
I will absolutely check out the author's other book(s)
Wow.
Just wow.
I feel something moved inside me.
I will absolutely check out the author's other book(s)
Wow.
Just wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Classism
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to like this book. Several readers whose opinions I respect have sung its praises, and it keeps showing up on lists of recommendations. Unfortunately, I don’t agree.
Oh, they are absolutely correct in describing it as poetic and different in how it’s telling the story. However, when reading, it felt like the form of the story was given more importance than the story itself.
Greek chorus used to represent all the non-viewpoint characters inner thoughts? Fun idea! But it’s somehow both constant and also not that variable in how it’s used. And despite him being a viewpoint character for most of the story, Keema feels completely flat to me.
Using a day structure instead of chapters? By all means. But as a consequence, the book lacks places to stop, the sentences separating the little sections seem somewhat randomly chosen, and the flow of the story is wonky. It’s a slog to get through. And I’ve read Crossroads of Twilight twice. Not to mention that if I have to read the words “this adjective body” one more time, I might throw up.
Look. It’s a beautifully written piece, with interesting inspirations, but ultimately it felt like fondant. Pretty from afar, not that much to write home about once you dig into it.
Oh, they are absolutely correct in describing it as poetic and different in how it’s telling the story. However, when reading, it felt like the form of the story was given more importance than the story itself.
Greek chorus used to represent all the non-viewpoint characters inner thoughts? Fun idea! But it’s somehow both constant and also not that variable in how it’s used. And despite him being a viewpoint character for most of the story, Keema feels completely flat to me.
Using a day structure instead of chapters? By all means. But as a consequence, the book lacks places to stop, the sentences separating the little sections seem somewhat randomly chosen, and the flow of the story is wonky. It’s a slog to get through. And I’ve read Crossroads of Twilight twice. Not to mention that if I have to read the words “this adjective body” one more time, I might throw up.
Look. It’s a beautifully written piece, with interesting inspirations, but ultimately it felt like fondant. Pretty from afar, not that much to write home about once you dig into it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Cannibalism
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a very confusing book, so you need to be ready for that. If you're overwhelmed, check out my video on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahmore.books/video/7497192155472022806) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DI3amNFoNLY/) for some basic, spoiler-free background to hopefully avoid some of the frustration and confusion before reading this book.
Themes: love, power, duty, guilt, pride, intergenerational, interconnected past and present, time, stories, divinity, meaning/purpose
Themes: love, power, duty, guilt, pride, intergenerational, interconnected past and present, time, stories, divinity, meaning/purpose
Style (1): I could tell from the very first paragraph that it was beautifully written in a very literary style. Strangely, it was written in second-, third-, and even first-person, changing mid-sentence. It was confusing at first, but you get used to it once you figure out how to expect the changes (usually signaled by italics and new section headings). Overall, I enjoyed the style of writing very much (once I figured it out), although I remain unconvinced of what is gained (other than fun) by switching perspectives mid-sentence (e.g., "a boy... looked at his commander and I realized that I was standing beside the bravest pesron..." vs. "a boy... looked at his commander and he realized that he was standing beside the bravest person...").
Plot (0.5): It was mostly original though at least one theme was taken from popular mythology (the minotaur ), which felt cheap as it was not cited as a retelling). It did not always feel coherent as new fantastical elements would continuously shock the reader in ways that felt jarring instead of immersive, at least to me (e.g., Jun and Keema fall into a dream of the Sleeping Sea; suddenly the Third Terror transformed into a giant??) . I simply wasn't always convinced by all the fantasy elements. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say that it wasn't "realistic" or "authentic" enough for me. I'd love to know myself how a writer could "convince" a reader of the veracity of such fantasy elements.
Atmosphere/Setting (0.5): The setting was so descriptive that it was easy to imagine the details of the scenes, but it was a serious struggle at times, especially in the first 130 pages, to understand which of the 3 main settings was being described and what the connection between them was. (I've posted a video on TikTok and Instagram describing the settings to help new readers, linked above). Moreover, it was not always immersive, such as when the setting would change very suddenly and not always to a setting we were already familiar with. While I like the writing style in general, this aspect could have used some work so that the reader would have felt a bit more guided, the change would have felt less drastic, and it wouldn't have kicked the reader out of the fantasy immersion.
Characters (1): I love characters who are a little mad or who grapple with internal dissonances, so Jun was a favourite. The Daware man was also lovingly stubborn. Even the tortoise that they unfortunately called The Defect was adorable. The main characters were believeable and each had their own hidden motivations which were revealed as the story went on. There were also many other snippets of thoughts or happenings from random or tangential characters throughout which was fun (again, once you got used to the style). There were selfish, ambitious, loyal, and love-struck characters, a little bit of everything. Also, the main romance subplot was a frustratingly nice slow burn.
Enjoyment (0.25): I must admit that I was extremely frustrated with this book for a long time, especially the first 130 pages. I seriously considered DNF-ing it, but I persevered because everyone seems to love it. I think I would have liked it more if not for the hype that raised my expectations and I think part of me enjoys the fact that I simply figured out wtf is going on in this book now that I've finally finished it. Putting that aside, I enjoyed the overall story and message, but there were parts that were very frustratingly confusing or uncomfortable to read about (such as cannibalism and some gore).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Incest, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a gruesome, beautiful story. (Though maybe a bit too gruesome for gruesome’s sake?)
It faces head-on how thoughtlessly cruel humanity can be, but also tells a story of community, love, and hope despite that.
And incredible unique storytelling! A story weaving between ancestral folk tales of bloody capricious gods and the crushing isolating reality of the present.
And for all that the story says it’s a love story (and it is!) it is a slow burn, realistic, and bittersweet story.
——Rambling below——
Cultural diaspora: The relationship of a person and their family’s cultural identity was such a strong theme in this. I think the discussion of this theme is so important in today’s world — where so many people have moved thousands of miles from their home and started a new life in a new country. The majority of the time their new home encourages/forces cultural integration.
America is a huge proponent of this, with our “melting pot” ideology— it’s so often seen as a positive, disregarding that a person would have to cut away or dilute the distinguishable parts of your culture to be one “cohesive” American culture. (Even “white Americans” have lost their identities. Rarely do we celebrate any cultural holidays that would be common in our home countries or if we do they are only the ones that could be commercialized (St. Patrick’s, Oktoberfest))
The fact that the MC had a complicated relationship with his heritage (never having set foot on his people’s land, not one living relative having done so, and hiding or mocking his heritage) but still was able to experience the Inverted Theater… it was beautiful. I’m torn that he won’t remember any of it. Hopefully, in his subconscious, something will spark a change so he could find happiness/purpose in his life.
It faces head-on how thoughtlessly cruel humanity can be, but also tells a story of community, love, and hope despite that.
And incredible unique storytelling! A story weaving between ancestral folk tales of bloody capricious gods and the crushing isolating reality of the present.
——Rambling below——
Cultural diaspora: The relationship of a person and their family’s cultural identity was such a strong theme in this. I think the discussion of this theme is so important in today’s world — where so many people have moved thousands of miles from their home and started a new life in a new country. The majority of the time their new home encourages/forces cultural integration.
America is a huge proponent of this, with our “melting pot” ideology— it’s so often seen as a positive, disregarding that a person would have to cut away or dilute the distinguishable parts of your culture to be one “cohesive” American culture. (Even “white Americans” have lost their identities. Rarely do we celebrate any cultural holidays that would be common in our home countries or if we do they are only the ones that could be commercialized (St. Patrick’s, Oktoberfest))
The fact that the MC had a complicated relationship with his heritage (never having set foot on his people’s land, not one living relative having done so, and hiding or mocking his heritage) but still was able to experience the Inverted Theater… it was beautiful. I’m torn that he won’t remember any of it. Hopefully, in his subconscious, something will spark a change so he could find happiness/purpose in his life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit
One of the best fantasy books in the last five years. (full review on insta: dreareads_ and tiktok: dreareads)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism