Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Spear Cuts Through Water

World like a Studio Ghibli dream, violence to make you wince, and characters who range from trying so hard to be better to monsters with oddly redeeming qualities. The experimental literary device of head hopping into bit-characters for a sentence or two of italics allows people from all strata of this society a voice and makes it feel so alive and extensive. It is one of many examples of how Jimenez infuses the story with empathy to give it depth; he doesn't demand that we excuse wrong-doing, only that we understand it.

The main two characters are exactly the messy and fun relationship needed to anchor such a surreal tale. The framing device of a modern-day emigrant watching the story as a play was atmospheric and provided some cool a-ha moments but might have felt more vital to someone with more similarities in their family history. I was always eager to return to our two heroes of myth.

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iszys's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

While reading this, I really had to give in and just trust that the author was giving me enough information. I felt uncomfortable with my lack of truly understanding what was happening at all times, but I ended up really enjoying his unique writing style.

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lanid's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense

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

5.0

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eatallthestars's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This book redefined what a 5 star book is for me. It feels this masterpiece was crafted by gods and cradled by angels.

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violetlunablossom's review against another edition

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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

5.0

I once heard someone call The Spear Cuts Through Water "the most unique reading experience they've ever had" and I couldn't agree more. This book is so reminiscent of traditional oral storytelling performances that you see across tons of different cultures and I don't think it's any coincidence that Simon Jimenez told this story in the format that he did. The jumps between first, second, and third person were a little hard to grasp at the beginning but once I was able to find my footing in the rhythm of Jimenez's style, my reading experience was automatically amplified.

Even though the main plot is pretty easy to follow—two young warriors are tasked with escorting a dying goddess across the land to end the violent reign of the sons of a tyrannical emperor—the number of twists and turns kept me engaged the entire time. The themes of love and redemption shined through all of this, though, and it was always honed back in when things were picking up or dying down. The two heroes, Jun and Keema, are brilliantly written, and the way their love blossoms through all the pain and trauma they experience is nothing short of touching. I was particularly endeared to Keema and found his thoughtful and tender heart to be a much-needed contrast to the cruelty around him.

I also want to gush about the side characters because never had I been so excited to read a new POV every page or chapter. It didn't matter if they had one line of (internal) dialogue or a dozen pages featuring their POV, all of it was impeccable. There was one particular POV that had me outright sobbing (iykyk) and I quite literally had to put my book down when it ended because it was literally one of the most incredible pieces of character writing I've ever read.

The way that violence is written is phenomenal too. There were so many times that I felt absolutely horrified at what I was reading and it was all the more unnerving with the beautiful prose that it was described with. So often have I read sci-fi fantasy books with straightforward, brutal violence but none have left me feeling viscerally uncomfortable the way Jimenez's descriptions have.

The Spear Cuts Through Water is a celebration of storytelling and a reminder of how impactful it is as a craft. I cannot recommend this book enough and urge everyone who reads this review to either pick up the book or give it a reread.

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celestialjeu's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Really beautiful - I find second person difficult but I'll be thinking about this for a long time.

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avacadosocks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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