A review by rg9400
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

This book is the closest to a modern classic that I've read in the last few years. I could rave about almost every aspect of it. So much of it feels inventive, breaking the mold, yet also steeped in the classical epics, a truly fresh, truly modern hero's journey. The structure is unlike anything I've seen before, using multiple layers of framing stories, second person, jumping between the different layers, shifting perspectives sometimes even within a sentence. There are so many different flourishes that all feel unique to this book. None of them feel gimmicky either -- by the end, I felt like I understood why the author selected to incorporate each stylistic choice, melding the form with character and theme. Even outside of the structure, the prose is extremely strong, easy to read but filled with depth and meaning and beauty. The vibrant world is bursting with life, almost feeling like a fairy tale in how magic and myth are infused throughout every little detail. Make no mistake though, it can be brutal. Like Homer's Odyssey before it, this book is composed of multiple adventures and adversaries, each distinct and posing unique challenges for our heroes. Even though it encompasses five days and only exists within 500 pages, I felt like I had read a full series of books. The characters are so loveable, and I was fully invested in seeing them strive so hard to achieve their individual goals. Like any epic myth, there are a multitude of themes throughout, and I loved the way Jimenez was able to capture their parallels to a more modern, "real" life as well. Just stop reading this review and read this book. It's an absolute must-read.