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A review by ladyelfriede
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
5.0
We have the 2nd nominee for Book of the Year for the Golden Sticks, but at the cost of me getting a depression episode after finishing said book
Lemme pre-face by saying this: Do NOT read this book if you're just getting back into reading. You'll be sorely disappointed with anything you read after that.
Read if you've seen the usual tropes and got tired of it all and need to find a way to love fantasy AFTER you read maybe like 5 books before going to this. Thank me later.
Prose: Beautiful. Jimenez reinvented how a book works which I didn't think was possible.
Pacing: Can be slowish but it helps you be in the dream that is this book
Plot: Seems stereotypical at first. Without spoilers, do not let it sway you away, go into this book with the lowest possible expectations.
Vibe: Feels like we're in Pacific Island area of the world with a healthy dose of summer sun. Definitely a summery jungle book.
Characters: I feel this book is where it has it's weakest point. Keema and Jun were good characters but weren't the deepest. They had their fears and insecurities sure, but Jimenez doesn't highlight much about their good qualities and we're on the Depression Wagon for getting to know them.
Worldbuilding: Where it shines most. I also won't spoil it here, but Jiminez found a way to do his worldbuilding that whether he realizes it or not, pays homage to Soulsborne storytelling and it's so fucking beautiful.
Though this book does have rape in it, the first usage of it wasn't a shock factor but somehow... a worldbuilding explanation? (I have no idea if I should be impressed or disgusted) The action is never explicitly described thankfully.
The second time it is mentioned, in my opinion, it was for a shock factor, but he doesn't delve too long about this. It's on a page at most and it passes up to not be mentioned again (same with the first encounter.)
All that said, I do not think we should avoid writing about "TW" topics, but how you use it in a respectful way.
Did Jimenez do it in such manner? Yes and no.
I don't know how I feel about it, but I'm glad none of these two instances ever explicitly described the act nor lasted more than a page so if you want to skip over them, you can without missing much.
So before you get uptight about it, just remember this is a HUGE leap in writing TW correctly. It's not perfect by any means but it is a start and we have to acknowledge it when due and point it out when it's shit.
Anyway, it's 5/5, imagine me being that dumb white bitch slapping the table trying to advocate a dumb book.
That's me, but for this book. I have standards, bitch.
5/5
Lemme pre-face by saying this: Do NOT read this book if you're just getting back into reading. You'll be sorely disappointed with anything you read after that.
Read if you've seen the usual tropes and got tired of it all and need to find a way to love fantasy AFTER you read maybe like 5 books before going to this. Thank me later.
Prose: Beautiful. Jimenez reinvented how a book works which I didn't think was possible.
Pacing: Can be slowish but it helps you be in the dream that is this book
Plot: Seems stereotypical at first. Without spoilers, do not let it sway you away, go into this book with the lowest possible expectations.
Vibe: Feels like we're in Pacific Island area of the world with a healthy dose of summer sun. Definitely a summery jungle book.
Characters: I feel this book is where it has it's weakest point. Keema and Jun were good characters but weren't the deepest. They had their fears and insecurities sure, but Jimenez doesn't highlight much about their good qualities and we're on the Depression Wagon for getting to know them.
Worldbuilding: Where it shines most. I also won't spoil it here, but Jiminez found a way to do his worldbuilding that whether he realizes it or not, pays homage to Soulsborne storytelling and it's so fucking beautiful.
Though this book does have rape in it, the first usage of it wasn't a shock factor but somehow... a worldbuilding explanation? (I have no idea if I should be impressed or disgusted) The action is never explicitly described thankfully.
The second time it is mentioned, in my opinion, it was for a shock factor, but he doesn't delve too long about this. It's on a page at most and it passes up to not be mentioned again (same with the first encounter.)
All that said, I do not think we should avoid writing about "TW" topics, but how you use it in a respectful way.
Did Jimenez do it in such manner? Yes and no.
I don't know how I feel about it, but I'm glad none of these two instances ever explicitly described the act nor lasted more than a page so if you want to skip over them, you can without missing much.
So before you get uptight about it, just remember this is a HUGE leap in writing TW correctly. It's not perfect by any means but it is a start and we have to acknowledge it when due and point it out when it's shit.
Anyway, it's 5/5, imagine me being that dumb white bitch slapping the table trying to advocate a dumb book.
That's me, but for this book. I have standards, bitch.
5/5