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A review by amandadevoursbooks
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Firuz-e Jafari, his mother, and his brother left everything to immigrate to Qilwa. They fled terrifying attacks of a bird and a mysterious land-based assailant intent on wiping out Sassanian blood magic practitioners.
In Qilwa, Firuz finds a job at a free clinic, a mentor, a friend, and a young ward. They discover a horrible illness that seems like the result of untrained blood magic. Firuz has to find what's causing it, keep their brother and young ward safe, and hide their own magic. All while, they face xenophobic othering.
This book examines what it's like when colonial powers shift and the colonizer becomes the refugee of its former colony. It describes an unending stream of uneasy, morally grey decisions.
The magic system, the history, and the clashing cultures could have drug the story down. By centering the story in Firuz's relationships, Jamnia gave the story a beating heart that drives the reader forward.
I loved the teenagers really acting as teenagers. I adored the friendly mortician. I immersed myself in the QueerINormalized world. I will definitely look forward to reading more by this author.
In Qilwa, Firuz finds a job at a free clinic, a mentor, a friend, and a young ward. They discover a horrible illness that seems like the result of untrained blood magic. Firuz has to find what's causing it, keep their brother and young ward safe, and hide their own magic. All while, they face xenophobic othering.
This book examines what it's like when colonial powers shift and the colonizer becomes the refugee of its former colony. It describes an unending stream of uneasy, morally grey decisions.
The magic system, the history, and the clashing cultures could have drug the story down. By centering the story in Firuz's relationships, Jamnia gave the story a beating heart that drives the reader forward.
I loved the teenagers really acting as teenagers. I adored the friendly mortician. I immersed myself in the QueerINormalized world. I will definitely look forward to reading more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Medical content, War, Blood, and Xenophobia