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A review by thereadingskeleton
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
mysterious
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
Rep: all-QBIPOC cast, nonbinary aroace MC, trans m SC, tons of other queer SCs (including sapphic, achillean, and nonbinary characters)
The Bruising of Qilwa introduces a queernormative Persian-inspired fantasy world with the story of Firuz-e Jafari, a nonbinary (and aroace!) refugee and practitioner of misunderstood blood magic. Having fled their homeland to escape the attempted genocide of blood magic users, Firuz and their family settle in the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa. Firuz obtains a job at a free healing clinic and begins mentoring an orphaned refugee with powerful but untrained blood magic. With the city barely recovered from its last plague, Firuz is horrified to discover a deadly new disease sweeping through Qilwa—a disease with clear ties to blood magic. To protect themself, their family, and their new home, Firuz must both discover the source of the disease AND navigate the city’s complicated sociopolitical landscape.
Look, I know my own taste by now. I know that novellas rarely do it for me. But I keep picking them up in the hopes that the next one will be an exception. And you know what? I did actually enjoy this one!
Although it does fall victim to my usual complaints about novellas (primarily that I would rather have a fully fleshed-out novel so that the plot, pacing, and characters get the time and attention they deserve), I enjoyed spending time with the characters, learning about the world, and trailing along after Firuz while they gathered clues and figured out the mystery of the new disease.
The mystery part of the story seemed fairly obvious to me (for context, though, I don’t think I’ve been surprised by a twist in fifteen years), but I like what the author was going for in terms of spurring discussions about morality and cycles of prejudice. The author has mentioned plans for more stories set in this world, and I’m excited for that. I’d love to learn more about the magic system and spend some time in the areas surrounding Qilwa.
As a final note, I saw this compared to The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg, and I agree that they have similar vibes. If you enjoyed that one, this one is worth giving a shot.
The Bruising of Qilwa introduces a queernormative Persian-inspired fantasy world with the story of Firuz-e Jafari, a nonbinary (and aroace!) refugee and practitioner of misunderstood blood magic. Having fled their homeland to escape the attempted genocide of blood magic users, Firuz and their family settle in the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa. Firuz obtains a job at a free healing clinic and begins mentoring an orphaned refugee with powerful but untrained blood magic. With the city barely recovered from its last plague, Firuz is horrified to discover a deadly new disease sweeping through Qilwa—a disease with clear ties to blood magic. To protect themself, their family, and their new home, Firuz must both discover the source of the disease AND navigate the city’s complicated sociopolitical landscape.
Look, I know my own taste by now. I know that novellas rarely do it for me. But I keep picking them up in the hopes that the next one will be an exception. And you know what? I did actually enjoy this one!
Although it does fall victim to my usual complaints about novellas (primarily that I would rather have a fully fleshed-out novel so that the plot, pacing, and characters get the time and attention they deserve), I enjoyed spending time with the characters, learning about the world, and trailing along after Firuz while they gathered clues and figured out the mystery of the new disease.
The mystery part of the story seemed fairly obvious to me (for context, though, I don’t think I’ve been surprised by a twist in fifteen years), but I like what the author was going for in terms of spurring discussions about morality and cycles of prejudice. The author has mentioned plans for more stories set in this world, and I’m excited for that. I’d love to learn more about the magic system and spend some time in the areas surrounding Qilwa.
As a final note, I saw this compared to The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg, and I agree that they have similar vibes. If you enjoyed that one, this one is worth giving a shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Self harm, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
Minor: Genocide