A review by readerette
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

dark hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.5

While the middle third was pretty repetitive, the overall story was engaging and I appreciated a nonbinary main character. It's already pretty short but it could have been shorter and still driven home its messages and had the same plot twist.

I enjoyed shifting the sibling conflict to the younger brother wanting the older sibling to use their magic to help him transition fully to his preferred gender from pettier types of sibling fights, but that also got pretty old after a while because it just made the little brother seem whiny and inconsiderate of the long hours Firuze put in at the clinic helping the sick and dying, which also paid for their house and food. The brother's transition is obviously important, but it was like he expected his sibling to do a dangerous magical practice off the cuff, which just seemed strange given how many times they talked about its risks and how Firuze's magic needed to stay hidden because revealing it could get them imprisoned or sent away. 

The audiobook was narrated well but because I'm not as familiar with Persian names I found myself wishing I were reading the physical or digital book so I could see spellings. 
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