Fantasy

The Spear Cuts Through Water

The Spear Cuts Through Water

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  • Create Date：2022-09-07 09:52:45
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Simon Jimenez
  • ISBN：0593156595
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Summary

Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this new epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds。

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Tordotcom， BookPage， LitHub

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。

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Reviews

pinky ，

THE BEST READING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFELETS START THERE…

medha ☆ ，

We fucking love you junkeema

Kate （monstrouslybookish） ，

5 fucking stars。

bogo_lode ，

The rating is misleading。I think this is really well written， strongly evocative of a story being told aloud and a book that is deeply affecting。 I also think the structure and manner of the story make it more difficult to read because each interjecting thought breaks the rhythm of the story a little。 Reminds me a lot of The Mask of the Sorcerer by Darrell Schweitzer for various reasons， so might be up your alley if you like that one。Worth giving it a shot but if you don't vibe with the way it's The rating is misleading。I think this is really well written， strongly evocative of a story being told aloud and a book that is deeply affecting。 I also think the structure and manner of the story make it more difficult to read because each interjecting thought breaks the rhythm of the story a little。 Reminds me a lot of The Mask of the Sorcerer by Darrell Schweitzer for various reasons， so might be up your alley if you like that one。Worth giving it a shot but if you don't vibe with the way it's being done right off， hard to endorse pushing through。 。。。more

Jay ，

“I do not know if this is a reward，” Keema said。 “Or if it is a punishment。 But maybe it is neither。”He pressed his forehead against Jun’s。 The heat is immense。 Alive。 “Maybe you are just here。”And here， they found each other。Sobs。 Sobs。 Sobs。 Sobs。 This book made me nervous - The Vanished Birds still definitively my top read of 2022 and 600 pages of epic fantasy - I was worried it wasn’t going to be a similar experience。 But wow was this book a lush and breathtaking narrative experience。 The sc “I do not know if this is a reward，” Keema said。 “Or if it is a punishment。 But maybe it is neither。”He pressed his forehead against Jun’s。 The heat is immense。 Alive。 “Maybe you are just here。”And here， they found each other。Sobs。 Sobs。 Sobs。 Sobs。 This book made me nervous - The Vanished Birds still definitively my top read of 2022 and 600 pages of epic fantasy - I was worried it wasn’t going to be a similar experience。 But wow was this book a lush and breathtaking narrative experience。 The scale of this book is absolutely massive across generations， continents， and realities， but this book has a way of capturing and sharing what is needed at any given moment to keep the mystery/magic without making the reader overwhelmed。 While there definitely were moments the conventions and style maybe were a little too present， it didn’t take away any of the heart and passion that Jimenez consistently stitches into every page of his writing。 I still think Birds is a sharper， and more consistently awe-striking book， this is a gorgeous follow-up that places me firmly in the camp of “I will read anything Simon Jimenez writes ever ever ever。” 。。。more

Christine ，

Simon Jimenez has a gift of words。 His writing is so beautiful and they leave me entranced。 The Vanished Birds is one of my favorite books and one of the few books I’ve read twice。 The Spear Cuts Through Water doesn’t disappoint in its beautiful prose。 It is very different from The Vanished Birds and took me a while to adjust my expectations， yet it has left me with a similar feeling that I’ve just experienced something extraordinary。 I’ll likely read it again。

John Folk-Williams ，

Impressed as I was by Simon Jimenez‘ beautiful and moving first novel， The Vanished Birds， I have to say I’m just staggered by his second， The Spear Cuts Through Water。 Using the second person， the narrator lures “you” with intensely lyrical but dramatically apt prose into a world between worlds。 One of several story tellers within the story， “your lola”， an often short tempered elder talking to a young man of a recent era， envelopes her listener in a cloud of smoke， as she urges him to “let the Impressed as I was by Simon Jimenez‘ beautiful and moving first novel， The Vanished Birds， I have to say I’m just staggered by his second， The Spear Cuts Through Water。 Using the second person， the narrator lures “you” with intensely lyrical but dramatically apt prose into a world between worlds。 One of several story tellers within the story， “your lola”， an often short tempered elder talking to a young man of a recent era， envelopes her listener in a cloud of smoke， as she urges him to “let the dreaming body go。” He does so and steps out of a cloud into the world of the Inverted Theater。This is a timeless nether world where the dreaming shades of people from many times and places mingle as the story comes to life on the stage。 An attendant “unfurls the parchment of your people’s history” and locates him in an age of trains and steamships， where there is a war， so it is also a time of posters and propaganda。 The listener does not understand why he has been called here but focuses on a spear he finds in his hands， an intricately carved heirloom that no one in his family was allowed to touch。 This spear is a focus of the story he is about to hear， one that places him in a long lineage that slowly reveals itself in the performance of the Inverted Theater。So begins The Spear Cuts Through Water， an epic fantasy of the last days of the Moon Emperor and his sons， the three Terrors， over a period of five days。 Events of mythic proportions break through all conventions of place and time as the Moon God， embodied in the withered form of a woman who appears almost dead， empowers two young men to fight on her behalf and ultimately restore her to her lover， the vast Sea。 These two are Keema， a one-armed warrior of Daware， who is entrusted with the spear that he must deliver to a soldier named Shan， and Jun， one of the sons of the First Terror， who betrays his imperial family and all its cruelties to escort the Moon God on her journey to fulfill her destiny。。。。。。。。。。The Spear Cuts Through Water is an amazing achievement that works on many levels。 It’s a story that richly repays re-reading to linger over its beautiful details， as one would pause over the tapestry of life that is one of its key metaphors。 In a year crowded with remarkable SFF novels， this stands out as one of the best。Read the full review at SciFi Mind。 。。。more

Chelsea ，

The writing was so hard to follow， that I almost gave up about 5% into it。 But after it got passed the 2nd person part， it got more interesting and easier for me to understand。 There were still confusing parts， but that's my problem not the book's。 I liked the writing for the most part and the parts of it that I could understand。 If you like grimdark fantasy and want a different writing style， then I would recommend this book。 I definitely understand why people would love it。 The writing was so hard to follow， that I almost gave up about 5% into it。 But after it got passed the 2nd person part， it got more interesting and easier for me to understand。 There were still confusing parts， but that's my problem not the book's。 I liked the writing for the most part and the parts of it that I could understand。 If you like grimdark fantasy and want a different writing style， then I would recommend this book。 I definitely understand why people would love it。 。。。more

Margaret Barr ，

What a startlingly original story。 Breathtaking， other worldly and exceptionally written。 This is the most unique writing style and story I've read this year and in a very long time。I feel so honored to have read this book！ If you like high fantasy's that need your full attention to truly appreciate the message， this is for you！Thank you NetGalley and Simon Jiminez for the eARC in exchange for my honest review。 What a startlingly original story。 Breathtaking， other worldly and exceptionally written。 This is the most unique writing style and story I've read this year and in a very long time。I feel so honored to have read this book！ If you like high fantasy's that need your full attention to truly appreciate the message， this is for you！Thank you NetGalley and Simon Jiminez for the eARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Nina ，

DNF @ page 40。 I had high hopes for this one but 40 pages in and I don’t feel connected to the story in any capacity。 It’s been a slog to get through and I don’t know nor am I invested in where the story is going。 Not to mention this 500+ page book has no chapters， which is also affecting my motivation to continue。 With a few exceptions， I don’t think a lot of of these kind of classic epic fantasy tales involving a journey are for me。 I feel like if you are a more seasoned fantasy reader who app DNF @ page 40。 I had high hopes for this one but 40 pages in and I don’t feel connected to the story in any capacity。 It’s been a slog to get through and I don’t know nor am I invested in where the story is going。 Not to mention this 500+ page book has no chapters， which is also affecting my motivation to continue。 With a few exceptions， I don’t think a lot of of these kind of classic epic fantasy tales involving a journey are for me。 I feel like if you are a more seasoned fantasy reader who appreciates long epic reads， this may be for you。 But I thought I was tuning into a fun queer epic tale but what I’m getting so far is an extremely slow moving and dry story。 I don’t discourage others from picking this up but I just don’t think this is the one for me。 。。。more

Aly ，

This was a uniquely told story that caught me off guard。 The telling bounces from first person， to second， to third， as well as telling a story within a story。 It took me a bit to understand what was going on and the chapters are very long， with the 'Before' chapter the length of a novella。 At times I still didn't quite understand the flow of things， most of the book takes place over five days but there would be references to things happening over several days that didn't line up。 Maybe I just m This was a uniquely told story that caught me off guard。 The telling bounces from first person， to second， to third， as well as telling a story within a story。 It took me a bit to understand what was going on and the chapters are very long， with the 'Before' chapter the length of a novella。 At times I still didn't quite understand the flow of things， most of the book takes place over five days but there would be references to things happening over several days that didn't line up。 Maybe I just misunderstood？ I'll definitely have to reread this at some point and see if it makes more sense。 The main characters are Jun and Keema， who are tasked with getting the god to freedom and stopping her horrible sons for good。 I liked both characters and seeing their relationship evolve over the journey。 There's not really enough romance for me to tag it， but there's something there and I hoped the guys would get their happy ending。 For a longer book， this was quick paced and felt a lot shorter。 I really enjoyed this one and will be looking into the author's other works。There are a few gruesome scenes， particularly cannibalism， that readers may want to be aware of。 There's also death， dismemberment， and overall violence。 Check content warnings on the book's page if you have any concerns。 I voluntarily read and reviewed this book。 All opinions are my own。 Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for the copy 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

This is the best book I’ve read all year。 Review to come。

Janna M ，

The Spear Cuts Through Water was my first introduction to author Simon Jimenez。 I could immediately see why he is so celebrated。 However， his style of writing is simply not what I prefer to read。 If you like literary fiction and surreal non-linear chapters， then you will probably love it！ His voice is unique and and his writing is fresh， but it just wasn't for me。 The Spear Cuts Through Water was my first introduction to author Simon Jimenez。 I could immediately see why he is so celebrated。 However， his style of writing is simply not what I prefer to read。 If you like literary fiction and surreal non-linear chapters， then you will probably love it！ His voice is unique and and his writing is fresh， but it just wasn't for me。 。。。more

Sab ，

DNF at 11%

Kace ，

This was an exceptional read in every way。 The style， the voice， the story - all exceptions to all rules。 This is not a read that everyone will appreciate， but if you give yourself a chance to get comfortable in Jimenez's storytelling， it is so easy to fall in love with the characters。 The cadence of the style becomes easier as you read and you stop losing track of who is talking and where you are in time。 I won't say you have to "suffer" through the first few sections， because it's not that int This was an exceptional read in every way。 The style， the voice， the story - all exceptions to all rules。 This is not a read that everyone will appreciate， but if you give yourself a chance to get comfortable in Jimenez's storytelling， it is so easy to fall in love with the characters。 The cadence of the style becomes easier as you read and you stop losing track of who is talking and where you are in time。 I won't say you have to "suffer" through the first few sections， because it's not that intense; but if you aren't open to Jimenez's rhythm， I can imagine this story would be painful to get through。 That being said， if you are open and able， this story will stay with you for a long time after you finish it。 It's beautifully and completely told， with fully developed lore and so many voices that every detail is clear。 As you follow the warriors through their quest， paired with "your" journey watching the story unfold， you can't help but become invested in how it all ends。 It truly is a love story in the deepest way。 I cannot recommend highly enough that readers take on this challenge - it's worth the reward。 **Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC** 。。。more

Nancy ，

An Epic Fantasy FolktaleIn this story within a story， two young warriors are tasked with taking an ancient god across a land ruled by a tyrannical emperor， the Smiling Sun， and his three sons。 Each of the sons is hungry for power and worse than the last。 The quest takes five days， each described in a section。 These sections are not like regular chapters and are very long。 The first section of the book sets up the scene。 It’s a story telling session where the Lola tells stories of the past。 This An Epic Fantasy FolktaleIn this story within a story， two young warriors are tasked with taking an ancient god across a land ruled by a tyrannical emperor， the Smiling Sun， and his three sons。 Each of the sons is hungry for power and worse than the last。 The quest takes five days， each described in a section。 These sections are not like regular chapters and are very long。 The first section of the book sets up the scene。 It’s a story telling session where the Lola tells stories of the past。 This is the part that gives the feeling of an elder telling folktales。 It sets the scene well， but is a bit slow， and it’s long。 This is an intricately plotted book。 The author has done an excellent job introducing the reader to not only the main characters， but many minor characters as well。 He has given each character a unique voice which I found excellent。 Although the world Jimenez creates is brutal， he pulls you into it。 All the brutality makes sense in the world he has created。 If you enjoy fantasy this is a book you may like。 It isn’t for everyone， however。 It’s long and detailed， and the author switches voices。 This can by hard to follow， but it also adds a depth to the story that is quite remarkable。The Vanished Birds， Jiminez’s earlier novel， is quite different， but if you enjoyed that one， this one is worth trying。 I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review。 。。。more

Richard Derus ，

Real Rating: 4。75* of five， rounded up for ambition and talent rewarding purposesI RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY。 THANK YOU。My Review: How do you read your books？ Tree book， ebook， ear reading？ Where are you when you experience the stories you consume。。。bed， chair， front seat of the car， public transportation？ All of these factors will come into play while experiencing this read。I myownself am an obligate librocubicularist。 It was a little challenging at first， reading this mag Real Rating: 4。75* of five， rounded up for ambition and talent rewarding purposesI RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY。 THANK YOU。My Review: How do you read your books？ Tree book， ebook， ear reading？ Where are you when you experience the stories you consume。。。bed， chair， front seat of the car， public transportation？ All of these factors will come into play while experiencing this read。I myownself am an obligate librocubicularist。 It was a little challenging at first， reading this magisterially paced polyphony while within easy reach of the off switches on all my lighting devices。 I was lights-out far more than once in the first quarter， maybe because I wasn't sure this story was going somewhere I entirely wanted to go。 Especially as there's a hefty salting of second-person narration to endure as the price for learning how love animates and exculpates both lover and belovèd。 What one receives for this benison bestowed on the narrative is a story of the impossibility of eternal power， unending dominance， unchallenged imperium。 In the end， glory is fleeting because humans are ephemeral。The roles we accept， and even eagerly seek， aren't unique to us。 I think Jung was by far the closest to grasping the eternal truth when he posited archetypes， those massively misunderstood and mischaracterized patterns of being。 But each of us seems to seek a pattern， a focus of individuation， and that seems or feels to us and to others as an inevitable end-point of a life-long search。 Is it？ It is for Jun and for Keema， whose story this （ultimately） is。Echoes from a distant past？ This story is。 Explicitly。 Designs for a present？ This story is， not so explicitly though。 It's decolonization writ personal; it's the massive machinery of culture caught in the tsunami of rage arising from inequality。 It's deep， and very dark， and shot through with the awful truth of violence。 It's just like， in other words， the real world around you。Jun and Keema， the men whose love animates the story from beginning to end， aren't going to do the wild thing for your amusement。 They are going to manifest for you the eternal story of accepting the love patiently offered you， in spite of believing you're not worthy of it。 If you believe you're not worthy， you aren't; because the offering is not to you， but to the one you will become with the gift accepted。That's not a truth I expected to see made so plain in a fantasy novel。 A lot gets heaped on all the players in this astoundingly violent tale。 It's shocking what hatred， spurned love， multivalent deprivation will drive a person to enact on the world。 It's far and away the hardest of life's lessons to see that without one's own rage obscuring the real source of the problem。 Othering and disempowering might be the means to gaining temporary， temporal acquiescence。 They do nothing to improve the long-term odds of success for those who Other， who disempower， who use their own weapons against those they need to succeed。 Those who use the weapon forget the other edge， the power of the spirit。And that is the ultimate truth of the spear， the artifact and symbol of the disempowered， the metaphor for power as it is transfered in the world of rank and division。 It is， in its very nature， a symbol of what enables leaders to become dictators。 It is supremely easy to pass the spear on through family lines。 It is always the case that the spear is turned against its user。Never forget that。 Who lives by the sword， dies by it as readily。But Jun？ His Keema keeps him safe from the spear。 In spite of everything they've seen， they've been to and for and against each other， Keema is the one whose patient offering of love never wavers even when it morphs。 That's how you know it's the love Jun needs， and that's how Jun finally knows he is not Jun， but Keema's Jun。No one who has the patience， the fortitude not to check out of its reality back into ours， to read this uniquely told story will leave it the same person as they entered it。 That's the best thing I can thnk of to say about a story。 。。。more

Muhammedaliyılamz ，

https://www。hemengeliriz。com。tr https://www。hemengeliriz。com。tr 。。。more

Faith Hurst-Bilinski ，

Sprawling and orginal。 This book is epic。 I’ve never read this author before， but getting this ARC has added yet another author on my list to watch for。 It reminded me of the fantasy stories I grew up reading。

Macknificent Reads ，

I’ll admit that I came to this story expecting something like The Vanished Birds， and that expectation failed almost immediately。 That isn't a bad thing。If you are looking for a fantasy quest， The Spear has got your back。 Our main plot follows Jun and Keema， on a mission to protect the Moon Goddess as she destroys the reign of her murderous sons， the Three Terrors。 Under their rule the land has become a desperate and starving country， unsafe to travel alone， even for a goddess。 We’ve got a broke I’ll admit that I came to this story expecting something like The Vanished Birds， and that expectation failed almost immediately。 That isn't a bad thing。If you are looking for a fantasy quest， The Spear has got your back。 Our main plot follows Jun and Keema， on a mission to protect the Moon Goddess as she destroys the reign of her murderous sons， the Three Terrors。 Under their rule the land has become a desperate and starving country， unsafe to travel alone， even for a goddess。 We’ve got a broken turtle who can smell feelings， a purple bird whose love language is violence， and spliff smoking Apes for all your fantasy creature needs。 There are sword fights and a battle with a giant， really a one-stop shop for fantasy fare。But Spear isn’t just a run-of-the-mill fantasy。 This is a story about identity in the face of obligation， an homage to the immigrant family， and， above all， a demand to be seen。 Jimenez takes real risks to deliver a vulnerable and honest look into his mind， indulging his creativity for maximum reward。 Although the narrative style takes some getting used too， it lends the story a sense of intimacy and depth that could not have been achieved with a more traditional structure。Overall， I enjoyed this story immensely。 Jimenez has a talent for making fantastical situations relatable and injecting humor in the most unexpected ways。 （If you don’t laugh during the bear scene， I have to ask why you are so opposed to joy。） My only real issue was the climax being drawn out for far too long， certain aspects felt redundant， which lessened my enjoyment。 Even so， this is a tale meant to be read again， if only for the prose， and I look forward to that experience in the near future。 This book will not be for everybody， it is challenging in ways that will turn off some readers。 I recommend this book for seasoned fantasy readers， seeking an ambitious story that is heavily influenced by oral story telling traditions。 。。。more

Suzanne Christensen ，

This book is pure storytelling！ I loved this book。 You might need patience to get going but the creativity and beauty of this book are so worth it！

Kate ，

An imaginative and unique tale， an experience unlike any I've had reading a fairy tale。 Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC！ An imaginative and unique tale， an experience unlike any I've had reading a fairy tale。 Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC！ 。。。more

River ，

Jimenez’ first book，The Vanished Birds， was absolutely extraordinary—beautiful， lyrical， deeply poignant， original， rich and tender。 The characters are unforgettable and the story winds and weaves together in ways that linger with you long after you finish。 A true masterpiece， and I don’t use the word lightly。 It was one of the best books I’ve read in years。 His second book， The Spear Cuts Through Water， is a massive undertaking （544 pages） with complex and vivid world building and a beautifully Jimenez’ first book，The Vanished Birds， was absolutely extraordinary—beautiful， lyrical， deeply poignant， original， rich and tender。 The characters are unforgettable and the story winds and weaves together in ways that linger with you long after you finish。 A true masterpiece， and I don’t use the word lightly。 It was one of the best books I’ve read in years。 His second book， The Spear Cuts Through Water， is a massive undertaking （544 pages） with complex and vivid world building and a beautifully rare （and typically difficult to execute） mode of storytelling in the second person that switches often mid paragraph from character to character。 It seems like you would be lost reading it told this way， but you never are。 He is stunningly adept at guiding the reader through it。 The mythos is so complete it feels utterly real， like a country you’ve heard of but forgotten the name。 The story touches on themes of immigration and colonialism and the painful trade of assimilation， as well as the strength and endurance of culture through story， the difficult relationships between fathers and sons and between brothers， young men’s coming of age， and sacrifice。 And as the author says in the beginning， it is “to the blade-dented bone” a love story of two damaged young men finding wholeness in revealing themselves to each other。 I didn’t give it the 5 stars of The Vanished Birds because this book was bloody and brutal and violent， sometimes pointlessly so， and the few female characters feel sketched in （especially in comparison to the abundance of kings， princes， warriors， governors， and fathers at various levels of power and influence…how important is it to keep revisiting the worst of patriarchy in fantasy？）。 There are sexless characters and gods who are intriguing and mysterious， and even they are more developed than all but maybe two of the women—*mild spoiler* and not a single female character survives the story。 This feels like a story of men， for men。 Which isn’t necessarily bad， but it’s what most of literature has been for a thousand years and I know Jimenez is capable of more。 Even so， the story is wildly imaginative， layered， and skillfully executed。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

Wow， 4。5⭐️ that may get rounded up to 5 depending on how this sits with me。 What an amazing undertaking， a nice thick book that a review cannot possibly explain。 The structure of the book and the writing were truly next level， incredibly skillful and unique。 Bravo Jimenez！ I Loved the characters， so fleshed out and real， even those we saw only snapshots of， I felt I knew them well with just a few short sentences of explanation。 Then the plot - I was confused for the first 10% then had the "oh th Wow， 4。5⭐️ that may get rounded up to 5 depending on how this sits with me。 What an amazing undertaking， a nice thick book that a review cannot possibly explain。 The structure of the book and the writing were truly next level， incredibly skillful and unique。 Bravo Jimenez！ I Loved the characters， so fleshed out and real， even those we saw only snapshots of， I felt I knew them well with just a few short sentences of explanation。 Then the plot - I was confused for the first 10% then had the "oh that's what you are doing， ok， yaaa I like that！" moment around that point and really loved it up until maybe 50%。 It felt like the intermission was slowing the plot down a bit too much， but it did build my anticipation so ok， successfully done on the authors part。 And then at the 70% mark up until the end I just couldn't stop， and was thinking about what would happen while I wasn't reading。 The book is long but worth it， and so unique， a great ride。 Excited to read more from Jimenez。 。。。more

Caleigh ，

This is one of the most interesting and original books I’ve read this year！ When I first sat down to read this book I wasn’t sure what to expect。 It was such a nice surprise to learn that the author is Filipino-American like myself！ Additionally， the unique narration made it feel like it truly was my lola recounting the myths of our family’s past。 The tale Jimenez weaves is intricate and emotional， consisting of stories within stories and overlapping perspectives。 Does this style make it hard to This is one of the most interesting and original books I’ve read this year！ When I first sat down to read this book I wasn’t sure what to expect。 It was such a nice surprise to learn that the author is Filipino-American like myself！ Additionally， the unique narration made it feel like it truly was my lola recounting the myths of our family’s past。 The tale Jimenez weaves is intricate and emotional， consisting of stories within stories and overlapping perspectives。 Does this style make it hard to follow if you’re not invested？ Perhaps。 But I think that it emphasizes the point that everyone’s story is important and worth hearing， from our heroes to characters that appear once。 The Spear Cuts Through Water is everything I want in a fantasy book and more; It’s a love story， a mythic quest， and the writing is challenging yet thoughtful。 It is a refreshing and much-needed step in the right direction for fantasy literature。 Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Kate Hyde ，

Superb。 I couldn't possibly do justice to the sheer imaginative skill evidenced here， the wonderful prose， the characters （even those we only glimpse for seconds are given depth and pathos）， and the clever narrative framing device （which serves to also draw in every reader， regardless of cultural or ethnic disparity）。I will say that the prose is at times quite dense， and there are many horrific scenes， so it is not a book to be read in one fell swoop， but the quality of the story overall is brea Superb。 I couldn't possibly do justice to the sheer imaginative skill evidenced here， the wonderful prose， the characters （even those we only glimpse for seconds are given depth and pathos）， and the clever narrative framing device （which serves to also draw in every reader， regardless of cultural or ethnic disparity）。I will say that the prose is at times quite dense， and there are many horrific scenes， so it is not a book to be read in one fell swoop， but the quality of the story overall is breathtaking。 I foolishly put The Vanished Birds down the TBR pile， but Jimenez transcends genre and category， and the quality of this book overall is simply awe-inspiring。 。。。more

Ilana ，

Content Warning:- Serious gore at times- A few mentions of rape and non-consensual body modification- Cannibalism Jimenez does not pull any punches in this book。 It tells the history of a people and that is often times violent and messy。 If any of these make you uncomfortable then please put your mental health first and reconsider reading this novel。The Spear Cuts Through Water is Simon Jimenez’s second published novel。 Perfect for fans of N K Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy， the main narrative i Content Warning:- Serious gore at times- A few mentions of rape and non-consensual body modification- Cannibalism Jimenez does not pull any punches in this book。 It tells the history of a people and that is often times violent and messy。 If any of these make you uncomfortable then please put your mental health first and reconsider reading this novel。The Spear Cuts Through Water is Simon Jimenez’s second published novel。 Perfect for fans of N K Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy， the main narrative is relayed to you in the second person perspective by various characters。 Two disgraced warriors of the empire， a grandson of the emperor and a guard missing his left arm， must bring a lost god across the country to restore her power and end the all-powerful dynasty that she began centuries ago。 But a lineage this strong will not go down without a fight。 This novel speaks to the power of history and ancestry while also being told outside of time， this is a tough balance to keep but Jimenez does it perfectly。 The imagery that Jimenez uses along with the second-person perspective immerses you in the book in a way few others have。 There were times that I felt like I could smell lola’s cigarette or hear father slam the door。 The author brings these elements together to evoke the feeling of sitting with your older family members as they teach you your history as a family and as a people。 The prose itself is so beautiful and meaningful that there were times I highlighted a passage just so that I could sit with it for a moment and think。 The prose doesn’t hold up the pacing or make things too convoluted。 I felt like Jimenez truly captured the character of a force of nature in his writing。 The Moon does not care about individual people unless they can help her， she craves worship to the point that it actively derails her plans and puts others in danger， she refuses to take responsibility for the ‘gifts’ she gave that might have hurt people， and she is selfish without considering any other being’s needs。 Yet she is still the moon and we still need her to function。 No human can hold a grudge against her because she is so clearly inhuman。The pining in this novel was just the cherry on top for me。 Same-sex relationships are not exactly accepted in this world while also not being illegal and both characters recognize and have internalized this messaging。 Jimenez plays into this cautious tension amazingly。 The stolen glances， the duels， the denial of caring for each other even when it's obvious。 This is the kind of story that I live for。The disability representation in this novel was fantastic。 One of the main characters does not have a left arm and in the culture， he lives in， that is often a punishment for cowards or criminals。 This knowledge complicates his relationships and interactions with others along with the physical adaptations he must make to work around his amputation。 At no point in the book is he magically healed， nor does he truly want to be。 Small spoiler warning here for something that happens at the end of the book: It meant so much to see that when restored to his body， Keema was still missing his arm。 That alone would have been enough for me but when another character comments on it， asking why he was not ‘made whole again’， Keema’s response of “I am whole” genuinely made me tear up a bit。 It was such as small moment that speaks so loudly to disabled readers， saying you are enough， you are whole。 。。。more

Chris Monceaux ，

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley。 My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I'm honestly at a loss for words when thinking about how to describe this book and my experience reading it。 So， I guess I'll just start at the beginning。 For the first quarter or so， I did not like this book AT ALL。 I considered DNFing it multiple times because I had no idea what was happening。 The story has a very unique structure that utilizes first， sec ***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley。 My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I'm honestly at a loss for words when thinking about how to describe this book and my experience reading it。 So， I guess I'll just start at the beginning。 For the first quarter or so， I did not like this book AT ALL。 I considered DNFing it multiple times because I had no idea what was happening。 The story has a very unique structure that utilizes first， second， and third person narration without much to mark the different voices apart。 It took me forever to realize the story （told in third person） was being watched by someone （the second person narrator） in a theater during a dream with occasional narrative input from people the characters met along the way （first person）。 Knowing this going in would have greatly reduced my confusion and improved my reading experience of the first part of the book。 So， you're welcome。 :） I was probably just too dense to figure it out， but in case you're dense too， I saved you the effort。 lol。Once I discerned what was going on， I quickly fell in love with the story。 The prose was stunning and had a lyrical quality that kept me glued to the pages。 The world came alive and seemed to leap into being as if I was the one in the dream。 The plot consistently surprised me， and I was incredibly impressed with the author's ability to create a complex， moving story with so many different parts and voices。 The pace also picked up considerably once everything got under way at approximately the 25% mark， and it became relentlessly more intense with a wide assortment of adventures filled with violence， magic， mind-reading， and a bit of humor。 There was even a good deal of cannibalism， which seriously made my skin crawl。 By the end， I was in awe of how it all came together， with even seemingly small details from earlier in the narrative being tied together in ways I never expected。I became very attached to the characters， which was probably a bad idea given the intense levels of violence in this book。 They were all vibrant and multi-faceted， and I especially loved how the author managed to make even the minor side characters seem well-rounded and deep despite some of them only having a few scenes。 I enjoyed following the main duo on their adventure and began rooting for them pretty early on in the story。 Their slow-burn romance was one of my favorite things about the book， and it led to some pretty hilarious scenes involving mind-reading。 My other favorite character was the tortoise。 I'm not going to say too much about him because of spoilers， but I absolutely adored him。 He made me smile every time he spoke despite his unfortunate circumstances。One of the main themes about the book was acceptance/belonging。 Most of the characters were outcasts in their own way and were driven to some extent by their longing for connection and inclusion。 So many of the stories were absolutely heart-breaking， especially the Third Terror。 On a related note， most of this narrative revolved around a love story， and I don't just mean the central slow-burn romance of Jun and Keema。 Almost every character was motivated by love （not necessarily romantic）， either the desire to obtain it or the anger from being spurned。 It beautifully highlighted both the redeeming and destructive powers of love。This book was an absolutely stunning work of art。 I've never read anything quite like it before。 It used common tropes in unique ways to tell a story that felt simultaneously familiar and fresh。 It felt profound while reading it even though I couldn't quite put my finger on why， and the more I think about it now， the more lessons and themes jump out at me。 The story was beautiful， and it is one I will think about for a while to come。 Therefore， I rate it 5 out of 5 stars。See more of my reviews and other bookish content here！ 。。。more

Cristina ，

simon jimenez made me cry again。 how am i supposed to wait 3 years for another book by him 😭

em ，

Ohmygods this book。 Read， you must read this book。At first I really， reeeaallly did not understand， and so could not get into， the writing style。 The brief asides of supporting characters' POVs was super confusing at the start。 However， once that sorted itself， and their echo of a Greek chorus become apparent， which echoes the dream play itself taking place throughout the book， I was stunned， and that feeling did not stop until I reluctantly turned the last page。This is one of the best books I h Ohmygods this book。 Read， you must read this book。At first I really， reeeaallly did not understand， and so could not get into， the writing style。 The brief asides of supporting characters' POVs was super confusing at the start。 However， once that sorted itself， and their echo of a Greek chorus become apparent， which echoes the dream play itself taking place throughout the book， I was stunned， and that feeling did not stop until I reluctantly turned the last page。This is one of the best books I have ever read。 I wish I could be more descriptive， but I'm honestly still shook like a week after finishing it， and unfortunately no more coherent。 Jimenez had Big aspirations， and the reverberations in me feel just as profound。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Spear Cuts Through Water

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Spear Cuts Through Water&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Spear Cuts Through Water&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0