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kentanapages's reviews
555 reviews
Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer
challenging
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
4.5
A story of blood magic and empire, of healing and found family...
The Bruising of Qilwa follows they-Firuz as they struggle to make their way in the city-state of Qilwa, where they (and their brother and mother) have moved to escape persecution in their homeland, now Dilmun. We learn early on that Firuz is a blood adept of average talent, who never finished training but finds meaning in healing others. Firuz finds work with a Qilwani healer, Kofi, who runs the only clinic willing to open their doors to the Sassanian migrants that continue flooding in from Dilmun. Firuz struggles to find their place and take care of their family, and hopes for a friend and mentor in Kofi, while hiding as much of theirself and their past as possible.... but that may change when a new disease breaks out that seems to be rooted in blood magic and targeting refugees from Dilmun.
While Firuz becomes more and more desperate to find a cure for this deadly blood magic illness, we have subplots involving their family and personal struggles. He-Parviz, Firuz’s teen brother, was born a male trapped in a female body. He is also becoming increasingly desperate, but in his case it's to find a cure for his dysmorphia as puberty wreaks havoc on his body. In their homeland, in the past, it would have required a simple magical alignment by the elders practicing blood magic; but Firuz never finished training and was not incredibly talented in these arts to begin with. We also meet a young refugee, she-Afsoneh, who has her own strong blood magic talent. She's taken in by Firuz and becomes part of the family, but we learn that there is danger in an untrained blood mage with too much innate power.
What did it mean to belong to a people who had once subjugated another before becoming subjugated themselves?
Throughout all of this, there is the underlying question of empire and conquered, of the ruling and the ruled. Mirroring some of the history of the Persian empire and modern day Iran, we learn that the Qilwanis were once subjugated by the Sassanians; they eventually helped Dilmun overcome Sassanid, bargaining to become a free city-state afterwards. In the afterword, the author speaks more about this, reflecting on their own reality as a double-marginalized person in the United States, with their own rich cultural history involving an empire that flourished for many years, but also conquered in those years.
They ask, “It didn't matter that Persians had invented algebra or been the founders of modern medicine... What did such accomplishments mean when there were still subjugated people under our care?
But what did it also mean that while we had once been an empire, we were now a hated people?”
It’s quite remarkable that all of this is packed into 179 pages, but part of that is made possible by some jumps and changes in pacing. The pacing isn't perfect, and it feels like the result of a story that wants to be a novel being restrained as a novella. The story is organized into three sections, each representing a year. The first section, 'Year One', starts off strong, but doesn’t go as deep with the level of world-building I was hoping for. I found myself craving more here. We then jump ahead almost a full year to 'Year Two', and the reader is filled in on what has happened rather than getting to experience it. Again, I realize this is necessary to keep this as short fiction. I loved the pacing and world-building in Year Two, right up until the end of it. This was the meat of the story and was incredible. I did find the resolution and jump to “Year Three” a bit rushed, but that's again because this is such a wonderful magical world and I wanted more--more experiencing, less telling. This is wonderful for shorter fiction, and I think it's impressive that so much was accomplished in so few pages.... however I would LOVE to see this as the full novel I think it's asking to be ;) Please officially consider this an offer to be a beta reader if you ever go that route, Naseem! <3
Only because of the pacing, I rate this as 4.25. But on Goodreads I'm rounding this up to 5 (because I can, and ratings are silly and limiting anyway). I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, especially if you, like me, love the underlying themes of empire, and if you appreciate queernorm worlds with lovingly represented diverse characters and normalized pronoun sharing.
The Bruising of Qilwa follows they-Firuz as they struggle to make their way in the city-state of Qilwa, where they (and their brother and mother) have moved to escape persecution in their homeland, now Dilmun. We learn early on that Firuz is a blood adept of average talent, who never finished training but finds meaning in healing others. Firuz finds work with a Qilwani healer, Kofi, who runs the only clinic willing to open their doors to the Sassanian migrants that continue flooding in from Dilmun. Firuz struggles to find their place and take care of their family, and hopes for a friend and mentor in Kofi, while hiding as much of theirself and their past as possible.... but that may change when a new disease breaks out that seems to be rooted in blood magic and targeting refugees from Dilmun.
While Firuz becomes more and more desperate to find a cure for this deadly blood magic illness, we have subplots involving their family and personal struggles. He-Parviz, Firuz’s teen brother, was born a male trapped in a female body. He is also becoming increasingly desperate, but in his case it's to find a cure for his dysmorphia as puberty wreaks havoc on his body. In their homeland, in the past, it would have required a simple magical alignment by the elders practicing blood magic; but Firuz never finished training and was not incredibly talented in these arts to begin with. We also meet a young refugee, she-Afsoneh, who has her own strong blood magic talent. She's taken in by Firuz and becomes part of the family, but we learn that there is danger in an untrained blood mage with too much innate power.
What did it mean to belong to a people who had once subjugated another before becoming subjugated themselves?
Throughout all of this, there is the underlying question of empire and conquered, of the ruling and the ruled. Mirroring some of the history of the Persian empire and modern day Iran, we learn that the Qilwanis were once subjugated by the Sassanians; they eventually helped Dilmun overcome Sassanid, bargaining to become a free city-state afterwards. In the afterword, the author speaks more about this, reflecting on their own reality as a double-marginalized person in the United States, with their own rich cultural history involving an empire that flourished for many years, but also conquered in those years.
They ask, “It didn't matter that Persians had invented algebra or been the founders of modern medicine... What did such accomplishments mean when there were still subjugated people under our care?
But what did it also mean that while we had once been an empire, we were now a hated people?”
It’s quite remarkable that all of this is packed into 179 pages, but part of that is made possible by some jumps and changes in pacing. The pacing isn't perfect, and it feels like the result of a story that wants to be a novel being restrained as a novella. The story is organized into three sections, each representing a year. The first section, 'Year One', starts off strong, but doesn’t go as deep with the level of world-building I was hoping for. I found myself craving more here. We then jump ahead almost a full year to 'Year Two', and the reader is filled in on what has happened rather than getting to experience it. Again, I realize this is necessary to keep this as short fiction. I loved the pacing and world-building in Year Two, right up until the end of it. This was the meat of the story and was incredible. I did find the resolution and jump to “Year Three” a bit rushed, but that's again because this is such a wonderful magical world and I wanted more--more experiencing, less telling. This is wonderful for shorter fiction, and I think it's impressive that so much was accomplished in so few pages.... however I would LOVE to see this as the full novel I think it's asking to be ;) Please officially consider this an offer to be a beta reader if you ever go that route, Naseem! <3
Only because of the pacing, I rate this as 4.25. But on Goodreads I'm rounding this up to 5 (because I can, and ratings are silly and limiting anyway). I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, especially if you, like me, love the underlying themes of empire, and if you appreciate queernorm worlds with lovingly represented diverse characters and normalized pronoun sharing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.5
The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters by Emily Esfahani Smith
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0