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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-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
What a wonderfully complex story about family, history, place, and belonging; one of my favourite reads this year!
I don't think that I could write a summary that would do it justice without spoiling anything, so I won't. What really made this stand out for me is the narration and plotting. Jimenez builds a delightful frame story that twists in on and intersects with itself in unexpected ways. In addition, he uses first, second, and third-person points of view to create narrative layers that happen as simultaneously as one can in a written narrative, creating extraordinary depth. This is the kind of depth to characters and world-building for which many fantasy authors use multiple POVs (as in, multiple characters, not multiple types) and interludes and I had no idea how static that style of narration could feel until reading this.
It's definitely a more challenging read, between the narrative choices and the fact that while there are breaks, there aren't chapters. It is definitely violent at times, though I think the cruelest moments are ones that happen "off-screen" that we hear about later. None of it feels gratuitous and the world itself is one of extremes, so it is not misplaced.
I don't think that I could write a summary that would do it justice without spoiling anything, so I won't. What really made this stand out for me is the narration and plotting. Jimenez builds a delightful frame story that twists in on and intersects with itself in unexpected ways. In addition, he uses first, second, and third-person points of view to create narrative layers that happen as simultaneously as one can in a written narrative, creating extraordinary depth. This is the kind of depth to characters and world-building for which many fantasy authors use multiple POVs (as in, multiple characters, not multiple types) and interludes and I had no idea how static that style of narration could feel until reading this.
It's definitely a more challenging read, between the narrative choices and the fact that while there are breaks, there aren't chapters. It is definitely violent at times, though I think the cruelest moments are ones that happen "off-screen" that we hear about later. None of it feels gratuitous and the world itself is one of extremes, so it is not misplaced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Rape, Slavery, Grief, War
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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
I don’t fully know how to express what this book did to me, so here are a couple of my favourite quotes:
“”Fuck off,” he said, which, to Keema’s ears, had the same melody as I love you.”
FML
“The two boys, who once wanted nothing more than someone to fight, now faced each other.”
“And the spear cuts through water.” AHHHHHH
This is what I wished the Song of Achilles had been lol
FML
“The two boys, who once wanted nothing more than someone to fight, now faced each other.”
“And the spear cuts through water.” AHHHHHH
This is what I wished the Song of Achilles had been lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Rape
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
This one was... a frustrating read for me. It's such a shame because it was my most anticipated read by far. It feels as though for every thing I like about it, there's something else that trumps it. Simon Jimenez's writing is divine, but there are times when I fail to conjure up a good mental image with his wordy and more poetic descriptions. There were times I had to stop and read the same passage again to figure out WTF was going on.
I think the narrative structure was unique, and I like the interspersed points of views and thoughts we get from the cast of characters (since the structure of all of this really feels like a play versus a traditional story), but by the midway point of the book, I started getting very, very frustrated by the fact that the fantasy story being told kept jumping back to the story of the boy's present experience with this story that has been passed down to him, and this abrupt change of perspective and change of time and place, often times during very interesting and tense moments of the story, was immersion-breaking, and honestly had me skimming over them just so I could get back to the story. I kept thinking: okay, we get it - this is a story being passed down orally and we, as the boy in the Inverted Theater, both hear it and live in it. Can we keep the momentum going, please? I found it very, very pace-breaking and I think the story would have been more enjoyable to me without this aspect of the narration, but I know this was not the author's vision. His narrative intent was lost on me. I thought the story being told was far more interesting than that intent, and I would probably enjoy it if this were a movie, but I didn't enjoy it as a book.
Characters. I was very invested in the relationship between Jun and Keema. I found the romance between them sweet and a nice slow-burn. Jun especially is a character who has to heal before he opens his heart up to Keema. But also the sexual frustration between them did absolutely kill me at points LOL. Besides them, the Moon Goddess, and the Three Terrors, everyone else felt like the ensemble in a play, introduced with lengthy exposition of who they are (again, pace-breaking), they would do stuff, and then they would exit the stage again. I found this approach creative but did not grip me sufficiently as a reader, because I didn't spend time with any of these other characters to care as much as the story probably wanted me to.
The Three Terrors were all so very different and I felt sorry for them in different ways. They were monsters and they were abominations - but their terrible, inhuman upbringings - deprived of a mother and abused by their father, made monsters of them all. I found the differences between all of them so interesting, and it made me care for them as villains. They were incredibly frightening and powerful. The Second Terror in particular was insane, and I found myself repulsed and terror-stricken by his power and what he was capable of doing. I was most sympathetic toward the Third Terror, and mixed on the First Terror. I would say the story was at its strongest during the Siege at the Bowl. It was full of action, suspense, loss, terror... the stakes were high and I wondered if the heroes would get out of this alive. It was WONDERFUL.
Setting and world. Incredibly unique and incredibly bizarre! I just wish that there was some sort of appendix included because I quickly lost track of what was what and who was who, as there are many different names for different armies from the Five Families. Again, I wish a little more time was spent with describing this world a little more to me. It's a nitpick but I prefer worlds that I can clearly envision in my mind and this one... I struggled to conjure up a clear image and I was not particularly attached to it.
All in all, this book has some great stuff going for it - I just absolutely dislike how the author chose to tell this story. I understood the vision, and I understand that there was a theme of legacy here, but I found that that framing and the story being told just seemed to fight each other at every turn for me, and it did not feel as harmonious as I thought it would be, considering I've heard two booktubers I deeply respect praise it for the way it tells its story. I found The Spear Cuts Through Water unique and well worth the read - if you can tolerate the switching points of view. Your mileage may vary from my own, but by the time I had 20% left to go, I felt so drained by this book that I had to read something else before finding the will to push through to the end of it.
I liked the dark tone of the story. I loved the villains. And I loved Jun and Keema's journey a lot. Everything else to me was pretty forgettable.
I think the narrative structure was unique, and I like the interspersed points of views and thoughts we get from the cast of characters (since the structure of all of this really feels like a play versus a traditional story), but by the midway point of the book, I started getting very, very frustrated by the fact that the fantasy story being told kept jumping back to the story of the boy's present experience with this story that has been passed down to him, and this abrupt change of perspective and change of time and place, often times during very interesting and tense moments of the story, was immersion-breaking, and honestly had me skimming over them just so I could get back to the story. I kept thinking: okay, we get it - this is a story being passed down orally and we, as the boy in the Inverted Theater, both hear it and live in it. Can we keep the momentum going, please? I found it very, very pace-breaking and I think the story would have been more enjoyable to me without this aspect of the narration, but I know this was not the author's vision. His narrative intent was lost on me. I thought the story being told was far more interesting than that intent, and I would probably enjoy it if this were a movie, but I didn't enjoy it as a book.
Characters. I was very invested in the relationship between Jun and Keema. I found the romance between them sweet and a nice slow-burn. Jun especially is a character who has to heal before he opens his heart up to Keema. But also the sexual frustration between them did absolutely kill me at points LOL. Besides them, the Moon Goddess, and the Three Terrors, everyone else felt like the ensemble in a play, introduced with lengthy exposition of who they are (again, pace-breaking), they would do stuff, and then they would exit the stage again. I found this approach creative but did not grip me sufficiently as a reader, because I didn't spend time with any of these other characters to care as much as the story probably wanted me to.
The Three Terrors were all so very different and I felt sorry for them in different ways. They were monsters and they were abominations - but their terrible, inhuman upbringings - deprived of a mother and abused by their father, made monsters of them all. I found the differences between all of them so interesting, and it made me care for them as villains. They were incredibly frightening and powerful. The Second Terror in particular was insane, and I found myself repulsed and terror-stricken by his power and what he was capable of doing. I was most sympathetic toward the Third Terror, and mixed on the First Terror. I would say the story was at its strongest during the Siege at the Bowl. It was full of action, suspense, loss, terror... the stakes were high and I wondered if the heroes would get out of this alive. It was WONDERFUL.
Setting and world. Incredibly unique and incredibly bizarre! I just wish that there was some sort of appendix included because I quickly lost track of what was what and who was who, as there are many different names for different armies from the Five Families. Again, I wish a little more time was spent with describing this world a little more to me. It's a nitpick but I prefer worlds that I can clearly envision in my mind and this one... I struggled to conjure up a clear image and I was not particularly attached to it.
All in all, this book has some great stuff going for it - I just absolutely dislike how the author chose to tell this story. I understood the vision, and I understand that there was a theme of legacy here, but I found that that framing and the story being told just seemed to fight each other at every turn for me, and it did not feel as harmonious as I thought it would be, considering I've heard two booktubers I deeply respect praise it for the way it tells its story. I found The Spear Cuts Through Water unique and well worth the read - if you can tolerate the switching points of view. Your mileage may vary from my own, but by the time I had 20% left to go, I felt so drained by this book that I had to read something else before finding the will to push through to the end of it.
I liked the dark tone of the story. I loved the villains. And I loved Jun and Keema's journey a lot. Everything else to me was pretty forgettable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a complicated mix of oral tradition, dream sequence, and diaspora narrative that sometimes overwhelms in its amount of layers. Told through three overlapping voices over three different time periods, this historical fantasy blends violence & authoritarianism with the search for belonging in a world that seems intent on your destruction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
I was very confused about this book before I listened to it, it was nothing like I expected it to be! I anticipated a run-of-the-mill story with some interesting narrative devices, but this was truly like nothing else I've ever read. It was confusing at first, but by the end of the first day I was deep in it. I loved the little interjections from the background characters especially. It was a lot darker than I expected, which wasn't bad but caught me a bit off guard, especially with regards to The Defect and the cannibalism . I think if I completely engulfed myself into the book I would've gotten way more out of it and appreciated it a lot more than I did, but even a more surface-level read was very enjoyable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy
This book is dark, but also things go by quick enough that you don't linger in all the horrible things. There are multiple scenes of cannibalism, from both POVs. People are mind-controlled, including to do harmful or sexual things against their will. There's a lot of upsetting stuff that happens to sentient tortoises.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Rape, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Amazing epic with a unique storytelling approach. We observe most of the adventure through the reenactment of events on a stage set in a dreamscape. I loved the play between narrative perspectives and almost meta aspect of telling a story within a story. Queer (m/m) representation and truly the only reason it wasn’t a 5 is that I think some of the descriptions were too intense for me. Otherwise 5 star book, highly recommend for a new epic adventure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Excrement, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Torture, Cannibalism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
challenging
dark
tense
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
It was a very unique Story which was written in a gripping way by the author. I really liked his way of story telling. His characters had depth and even though the story was mystical and fantastical they all had relatable aspects to their personality and motivs.
The only thing that put me off a little was the level of violence, torture and their graphic description, but that I think is more something that is not personally for me and not the fault of the book.
The only thing that put me off a little was the level of violence, torture and their graphic description, but that I think is more something that is not personally for me and not the fault of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, War
Minor: Rape
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Torture, Cannibalism, Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Excrement, War
Minor: Child death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol