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Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
‘There is always a reason.’”
The Spear Cuts Through Water is a book of speculative fiction/fantasy truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, the closest comparison I can draw being to N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. The book is a wonder in creative writing, bouncing between first, second, and third POV narration and weaving together minor characters and stories in unpredictable ways. On multiple occasions, I was pulled from the story in sheer wonder of how Jimenez achieved 520 pages in this style. The writing was incredibly detailed and often times gut wrenchingly beautiful.
However, that detailed writing also led to the darker aspects of the plot of this book being inescapable and at some points nauseating for me. The gore, the cannabilism, the violence, the human despair and desecration. It was all a bit much and I almost DNFed the book. I persevered because I’d seen multiple reviewers say this was their favorite fantasy book ever and unfortunately that just wasn’t the case for me. The graphic nature paired with the “you’ll figure the writing out after the first 100 pages” paired with the fact that I actually didn’t feel invested in the main storyline that much led me to feel overall meh about this.
As someone who’s never really set a book down solely because of content warnings before I definitely say please! read the content warnings before diving into this one.
3.5 ⭐️ Rounded Up.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, War
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Vomit
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, War
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Abandonment
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Cannibalism
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Child death, Suicide, Abandonment
Highly recommend the audiobook, as it adds to this oral tradition and this feeling of being told a story. Joel de la Fuente does a beautiful job portraying all the emotions of the characters, and makes all the little testimonies from everyone feel so real.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Torture, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, War
Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder
Moderate: Excrement
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Excrement, Cannibalism
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child death, Misogyny, Vomit
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Incest, Cannibalism