The Spear Cuts Through Water

OK, this was a pretty great and engaging read but it's also really complex that I can't even think of how to write a review. Like even writing a review requires some mental bandwidth that I don't feel like I have at the moment.

So I'll just summarize my experience: I enjoyed it. This was fun and satisfying. It wasn't always the most pleasant read because some graphic, horrible things do happen in it (nothing too triggering for me thankfully), but overall it all seems to serve a purpose and comes together in a pretty cohesive whole. I'm due to read The Vanished Birds some time early next year and I look forward to it.

What. A. Novel. Simon Jimenez is operating on another level with The Spear Cuts Through Water. This is an evocative tale that beautifully blends fantasy, reality, and fable into a perfect package. To summarize the plot here would deprive you of the wonderful journey that awaits you once you crack open the first page. Jimenez simultaneously (and effectively) tells multiple nested stories, while exploring the nature of identity, love, and intergenerational trauma. The book is unwavering in its commitment to its characters, its story, and its structure. And it's told with such fierce confidence and love that I was totally mesmerized from start to finish.If [b:The Vanished Birds 45422268 The Vanished Birds Simon Jimenez https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562699959l/45422268.SY75.jpg 70173100] (also excellent) didn't put Jimenez on the map, The Spear Cuts Through Water definitely will. This is a special book.See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really good. The only problem I have with it is how long it took to understand the flow of the book. If not for that, I would give it 5 stars.