fezzington's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
lemon13's review
3.0
this one is weird.
On one hand, the style of it is very creative and original and I give props to the author for that.
On the other hand, the style also ruined my enjoyment of the story. it feels like whiplash, being given so many perspectives at once. Props to the narrator of the audiobook for handling this well, but it made it more difficult to follow the story than it should have (given there are dozens of characters introduced with little to no background information and it's hard to keep track of them all and who is who).
I'm going to file this one under "great, but not for me".
On one hand, the style of it is very creative and original and I give props to the author for that.
On the other hand, the style also ruined my enjoyment of the story. it feels like whiplash, being given so many perspectives at once. Props to the narrator of the audiobook for handling this well, but it made it more difficult to follow the story than it should have (given there are dozens of characters introduced with little to no background information and it's hard to keep track of them all and who is who).
I'm going to file this one under "great, but not for me".
vidyareads's review
challenging
slow-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
5.0
TL;DR - this is a fantastic book! 😊 Top 10 of the year for me!
The not so TL; DR version - much has been said about how this book is in first, second and third person so I won’t focus on that. Were some sections confusing? Sure. But the crux of the book is one of finding love. Two young men are on a journey to return a spear, that’s the one line summary. To elaborate, two young men with different backgrounds finding companionship on this arduous journey of dealing with bad characters, aka the three Terrors. Two people who find love ❤️. There is magic, wonderful things for us to imagine such as the land of the thousand lakes, the Tortoise messenger network, the bird with the purple feathers etc. This isn’t a book filled with perfection, but I choose to ignore those couple of things. Why? Because everything else is pretty darn terrific ! I didn’t cry but came close 😊
The not so TL; DR version - much has been said about how this book is in first, second and third person so I won’t focus on that. Were some sections confusing? Sure. But the crux of the book is one of finding love. Two young men are on a journey to return a spear, that’s the one line summary. To elaborate, two young men with different backgrounds finding companionship on this arduous journey of dealing with bad characters, aka the three Terrors. Two people who find love ❤️. There is magic, wonderful things for us to imagine such as the land of the thousand lakes, the Tortoise messenger network, the bird with the purple feathers etc. This isn’t a book filled with perfection, but I choose to ignore those couple of things. Why? Because everything else is pretty darn terrific ! I didn’t cry but came close 😊
rizaluigimarie's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
kodkod's review against another edition
5.0
A Spear Cuts Through Water is a beautiful homage to oral storytelling traditions, familial ties – and all of those marginalized voices that are all too often erased by time and the dominant historical narrative threads. The book's regular switching of singular and plural first, second, and third-person perspectives, regular "chorus interruptions", and the nesting-doll, "story-within-a-story", makes this a challenging, multi-layered read.
Although the plot synopsis reads as cookie-cutter epic fantasy, the execution bears resemblance to the density of hard science fiction (post-singularity) and the raw intimacy found in literary fiction (magical realism, multi-generational). It is a refreshing addition to the fantasy stacks.
Although the plot synopsis reads as cookie-cutter epic fantasy, the execution bears resemblance to the density of hard science fiction (post-singularity) and the raw intimacy found in literary fiction (magical realism, multi-generational). It is a refreshing addition to the fantasy stacks.
hannan_'s review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.75
You’re wading in the books complex structure, multiple perspectives, and beautiful prose, confused. You struggle through reading it, you’re not that invested. When does this get good? You put the book down, unsure if you want to finish. Then, after reading a few books, you try to dive back in. Slowly, you make your way through the first and second day of the journey- and you’re hooked. You devour the rest of the book in a matter of days.
It really was a beautiful love story if you stick with it, despite the slow start, and how long it took me to get invested in the characters.
It really was a beautiful love story if you stick with it, despite the slow start, and how long it took me to get invested in the characters.
angelsays's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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? Yes
4.5
awainwright's review against another edition
So boring. This wasn't interesting in almost any way. The characters all blended together and almost no characters had much of a personality
city_girl_writer's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Words cannot capture how much I have felt while reading this amazing piece of literature. Simon Jimenez became a new all-time favorite and auto-buy author for me. Check out the content warnings though because this is a dark story.
This is a love story to its blade-dented bone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Ableism
Minor: War and Sexual assault
stinkyleaf's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Slowish start. Captivating style and narration. Dark and brutal depiction of Old Country life and death, very violent. Original legend/ mythology shines through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Death, Child death, Animal death, Excrement, War, Torture, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail