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maralyne 's review for:
The Spear Cuts Through Water
by Simon Jimenez
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Spear Cuts Through Water is a lyrical, story-within-a-story, epic fantasy tale. On its surface, it is about the journey of two men fighting the tyrannical rule of a god-like imperial dynasty. In its depths, this is a "a love story. down to the blade-dented bone".
The narrative mixes first, second, and third person in a way that pulled me into the characters and enveloped me in the story's moods - ranging from somber to horrified to heart-racing action and everything in between. The writing style evokes oral storytelling, and I think that worked well. A major theme that the novel explores is how stories tie people together and define them, and the way the second person narration ties into the third person narrative emphasizes that. There were moments throughout the story where I truly thought "This was a beautiful way to tell this tale."
The main story is of Jun and Keema, who by chance join together to shepherd a runaway god. Their country has been ruled by a despotic imperial dynasty that has drawn their magical powers from this god, and the three princes - the Three Terrors - will stop at nothing to reclaim her. Jun and Keema's encounters with the Three Terrors create tense and quick action sequences, with a brutality that the story does not shy away from, but also does not dwell in. There is violence, body horror, and cannibalism, but it never felt gratuitous.
There is also a romanticism underpinning the narrative, a yearning for belonging and love that is central to the narrative because our need for love and belonging is central to our humanity. This is not a romance genre novel though, so I hesitate to add a romance tag, even as some of the romantic sentiments in the story took my breath away.
Overall, I loved this book. The style, plot, characters, and setting all worked together to create a story that grabbed my heart and pulled it into a fantastical, brutal, romantic place.
The narrative mixes first, second, and third person in a way that pulled me into the characters and enveloped me in the story's moods - ranging from somber to horrified to heart-racing action and everything in between. The writing style evokes oral storytelling, and I think that worked well. A major theme that the novel explores is how stories tie people together and define them, and the way the second person narration ties into the third person narrative emphasizes that. There were moments throughout the story where I truly thought "This was a beautiful way to tell this tale."
The main story is of Jun and Keema, who by chance join together to shepherd a runaway god. Their country has been ruled by a despotic imperial dynasty that has drawn their magical powers from this god, and the three princes - the Three Terrors - will stop at nothing to reclaim her. Jun and Keema's encounters with the Three Terrors create tense and quick action sequences, with a brutality that the story does not shy away from, but also does not dwell in. There is violence, body horror, and cannibalism, but it never felt gratuitous.
There is also a romanticism underpinning the narrative, a yearning for belonging and love that is central to the narrative because our need for love and belonging is central to our humanity. This is not a romance genre novel though, so I hesitate to add a romance tag, even as some of the romantic sentiments in the story took my breath away.
Overall, I loved this book. The style, plot, characters, and setting all worked together to create a story that grabbed my heart and pulled it into a fantastical, brutal, romantic place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Body horror, Incest, Misogyny
Minor: Ableism