Name: The Spear Cuts Through Water
Rating: 4.353448275862069 (29 reviews)
ISBN: 9780593156599

Simon Jimenez

A reluctant warrior goes on the run with an ancient goddess through a lush world full of wild magic, wondrous creatures, and hidden enemies in this beautiful epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds. In the Land of the Strangled Throat, the people suffer under the rule of a despotic Emperor. His sons, the Three Terrors, despoil the countryside and oppress its citizens. When Keema Daware--a fierce warrior who lost his left arm in battle--finds the mythic Empress, who has escaped from her royal imprisonment, at his sentry outpost, he must make a choice: turn her in and evade the wrath of the Three Terrors, or help her overthrow the government and free a nation.

The Spear Cuts Through Water

Laura Mei

"I have lived a long time," she said. "And the longer I live, the more it surprises me, and saddens me, how wise the young must become to live in this world."

Steph

I absolutely have no idea what's going on half the time, but damn did I enjoy the ride.

Cameron Voytko

I think this is one of the best and most important books I've ever read in my life. I feel a bit hollowed out after finishing it, sad and happy and somehow already nostalgic, but above all I think I feel thankful. Thankful that things like this can exist, and that I can be in a position to witness that existence. It reminded me why I love reading and the practice of storytelling, and why I return to it time and time again. <br /><br />I’m still feeling a little too insane about it to formulate actual thoughts about the story, but know that I loved the distinct narrative choices, the winding prose, the wondrous and dangerous setting with surprises around every corner, and the characters. Yes, the characters- Jun and Keema, who are the beating heart of this tale and became so very dear to me. The Empress and the Defect, who delighted me until the very end. The Terrors, who I couldn’t help but pity even through my horror. I loved especially the often nameless characters who made their mark with a short, well-timed comment or observation to the audience and reader. In the tradition of the theatre, there are no small parts.<br /><br />This was an entirely singular reading experience, and I’m so excited to get the chance to re-read this one day, enriched by my familiarity with the story and world. However, there’s this lingering sadness that I won’t ever be able to experience this book with entirely fresh eyes again. It was complex, oftentimes challenging to read, and I know that it won’t be for everyone. To me, at least, it was always rewarding, always fascinating, always filled with an almost tangible sense of purpose, direction, love. How in the world am I supposed to pick something to follow this? I’ll be chasing the feelings this book arose in me for as long as I’m a reader.

an epic of wild proportions, intense imagery and so vivid you feel like you’re right there in the action, speeding through generations. also, i did Not know there was gonna be yaoi, which lowkey made the book even better

Ianna Chia

I really can't compare this book to anything else I've read. But, if I had to, just like with The Vanished Birds, I love how alive this world felt. The lore feels so original and complex, but it's incredible how we get glimpses into the lives of even the most minor characters. This story and the way its written feels so ambitious and complicated but it really does work to create a story unlike any other.

Sivani

This is a 3.5-4 star book. It took me about 200 pages to get in and then I kinda fell off again at 450 pages. I think the writing style is interesting and worth the read.

Ashley Denktas

i am blown away with this unique way of storytelling. jimenez flawlessly switches povs in the middle of someone else's but it isnt one bit confusing; in fact, it makes you(the reader) feel omnipresent and part of the play despite only being the audience. i love everything about this book and the only thing i regret is that i didnt read this sooner. 

Took me way to long to finish, but a wonderful book. The writing was quite different from anything I’ve read before, but in a good way.

Igor

i really truly cannot wrap my head around everything that was accomplished in 525 pages, and how much it has managed to alter my brain chemistry. the oral storytelling and multiple points of views drew me in and held me close. the many perspectives of diaspora took a bite out of me and left me staring at the holes in myself as they began to patch up. so much of this book left me raw and bare, and yet, nothing about this story left me wanting. after reading, i can confirm that this book is undoubtedly a love story, down to its blade dented bone. it’s a tale of how endlessly intertwined we all are, the wildness of this, and the importance of You (each and every person) at the center of it all. i am left in awe, and i am left in love with the story, the prose, and the many characters simon jimenez created. i don’t doubt that i'll come back to this review some other time with more words or reflections to give, but for now, i’ll finish by saying this: i find relief in finally being able to say that i understand what people mean when they use the term "life changing literature."

avie

andi ☆

Aislinn G.

this might be the last book (or novel, at least) i'll end the year on and i'm so fucking glad it's this one. it is 3 am and i just finished this book and i do not remember the last time i cried this hard over a book it's so lovely and so heartbreaking. legit kanina pa ako humahagulgol tama mga ang kamikazee whateaf tumalon kaya ako sa bangin

altlovesbooks

"Blame is an endless circle."

I waited fervently for this ARC to be available, because I loved The Vanished Birds so damn much I couldn't stop talking about it to all my book friends. When I started reading this book, though, it struck me immediately how different it felt from my first love. I believe in honesty, and will say that I almost bounced off this one from the beginning because of how different it is. I've never been a very literary reader despite reading literary fiction, so when confronted with a clearly very literary book I immediately get discouraged and think most of it will go over my head and I'll never understand what's going on. I stuck with it, though, because it's an ARC and I felt obligated to finish what I start, and noticed that after I let the book begin and got used to the different way it tells its story, I was completely sucked in. It's a bit of a dense book, but if you just give it space to tell its story (and the beginning was a bit slow), it's not a hard read. I loved this book.

I'm going to be brief with the summary because it's a hard book to summarize. A country is led by a tyrannical family, and a quest to rescue a dying god out from under these rulers brings two warriors together to bring an end to their rule. There's lots of magical twists and turns along the way, but your lola wasn't kidding when she said that this was a love story at its core. 

The story's told using basically all points of view at one point or another. As the story with the main characters is being told, you're also being given little snippets of what people around the main characters are thinking at the same time in a weirdly non-disruptive way. It's also told as if you're in a theater watching the story unfold as a play at times too, the Inverted Theater your lola told you stories about. It can be disorienting in the beginning, but it really grew on me. Things get incredibly wild towards the end, so if you're looking for a straight fantasy tale, this probably won't be for you. It's fantasy, but surreal fantasy. It's also an incredibly dark story, so if gore bothers you, maybe pass on this.

I never thought literary fantasy would be a thing I'd enjoy so much, but here we are. This was a gorgeous, compelling read that I highly recommend.

This is an epic story with many layers. The heart of it is Jin and Keema's quest to take the Moon Empress East to help her end the tyrannical reign of her triplet sons, the Three Terrors. The story is handed down through time and family tradition to the narrator. His father and grandfather tell it as a war story. His Lola (grandmother) insists it is a love story.

The author plays with form and structure. The prose is lyrical and paints images both beautiful and greusome. There is a lot of violence. The layers and voices are intricately woven together in this story tapestry. Second person perspective is used for the narrator. Third person is used for Jin and Keema's journey. Sometimes there are background characters speaking in first person like a chorus.

Cheryl Hedlund

This is an epic story with many layers. The heart of it is Jin and Keema's quest to take the Moon Empress East to help her end the tyrannical reign of her triplet sons, the Three Terrors. The story is handed down through time and family tradition to the narrator. His father and grandfather tell it as a war story. His Lola (grandmother) insists it is a love story.

The author plays with form and structure. The prose is lyrical and paints images both beautiful and greusome. There is a lot of violence. The layers and voices are intricately woven together in this story tapestry. Second person perspective is used for the narrator. Third person is used for Jin and Keema's journey. Sometimes there are background characters speaking in first person like a chorus.

"...and in this way it would become his, for this was the fate of all fantasy."

Was fully swept away by the magic for the first 3/4 of the story, but then comes that point when you know it's fading and everything's grasping onto it with no avail and by the end it hasn't lasted. Still, loved the lushness of it all and being taken on the twists and turns of discovery and my delight when I realized, hey, it really was going to be a love story! 

lina

"...and in this way it would become his, for this was the fate of all fantasy."

Was fully swept away by the magic for the first 3/4 of the story, but then comes that point when you know it's fading and everything's grasping onto it with no avail and by the end it hasn't lasted. Still, loved the lushness of it all and being taken on the twists and turns of discovery and my delight when I realized, hey, it really was going to be a love story! 

Sandra Tammaru

Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds. “A beguiling fantasy not to be missed.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game WINNER OF THE IAFA CRAWFORD AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE IGNYTE AWARD ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, Vulture, Polygon, She Reads, Gizmodo, Kirkus Reviews, The Quill to Live The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace. But that god cannot be contained forever. With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom—and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined. Both a sweeping adventure story and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy, and belonging, The Spear Cuts Through Water is an ambitious and profound saga that will transport and transform you—and is like nothing you’ve ever read before.

The Spear Cuts Through Water

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