Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

111 reviews

readandfindout's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous medium-paced

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Style/writing: 5 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide

hpatnaik's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional 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

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this is a truly original fantasy novel. you have a basic premise - two heroes are escorting the Moon through the land to a final destination - but with a fascinating and time bending narrative structure (the story is told as a theater performance). in every scene you get to hear everyone’s thoughts and perspectives (e.g, the last thoughts of the person being killed by a warrior). 

I don’t think this is a book for everyone. The unique narrative structure can be confusing and overwhelming. And the gore and brutality is A LOT. But in the end, it really is a love story of these deeply flawed and human main characters, and I was enraptured. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, War

aster_vedmochka's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Torture, Injury/Injury detail

asparagusfern's review against another edition

4.5

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

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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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War

Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, Cannibalism

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Suicide, Torture

msrobynsonreads's review against another edition

4.5

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

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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

saraellington_'s review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood

Moderate: Ableism, Cannibalism

chris_reads's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Sexual content, Violence, Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Murder

Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts

beetrootbulbs's review against another edition

5.0

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

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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. 

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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

natterbee's review against another edition

4.75

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

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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.

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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

welfin's review against another edition

3.25

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

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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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, War

Minor: Rape