A review by jaaay_reads
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really liked this book though there were a few things that did take down my rating. 

Things I loved:
  1. The casual queerness in the book. The main character is a non-binary aroace person and I am also one so I loved seeing that representation! There are several other queer characters from the main character's trans brother and other side characters that had different pronouns and orientations. 
  2. The characters. The characterization of the characters was easily my favorite part of the book. Especially for Firuz, they are explored really well. I want so much more of these characters. 

What I wanted more of:
  1. I want a map of this world so bad. I know it can be expensive to hire an artist and everything but I would have loved a map for the city we are set in and the world at large. 
  2. More exploration of the magic system. I mostly got the gist of the magic system but I'm still confused about the details. I wish it was explained more. 

What I didn't like:
  1. The ending really confused me. Spoilers for the antagonist:
    I was confused by what happened with Kofi. How does his spell infect other people? Why was he not concerned with causing this new disease? How exactly does his spell work? Why did he suddenly turn so violent against Firuz?
    What happened with the antagonist really soiled the end for me and brought down my rating. 

Still, I am so glad I read this book. I want more from this world and I'm excited to see more from this author. 
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