The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.
But that god cannot be contained forever.
With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom—and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
Both a sweeping adventure story and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy, and belonging, The Spear Cuts Through Water is an ambitious and profound saga that will transport and transform you—and is like nothing you’ve ever read before.
About the Author :
Simon Jimenez is a Filipino-American writer of speculative fiction. His novels include The Vanished Birds and The Spear Cuts Through Water. Jimenez's works have received critical praise, with his debut novel being nominated for the 2021 Locus Award for Best First Novel and the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award. Jimenez himself was nominated for the 2021 Astounding Award for Best New Writer.
Review :
“Lyrical, evocative, part poem, part prose—not to be missed by anyone, especially fans of historical fantasy and folktale. It’s both like nothing and everything you’ve ever read: a tale made from the threads that weave the world, and all of us, together.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Beautiful prose and inventive worldbuilding.” —Publishers Weekly
“A masterpiece in the realm of storytelling” —The Fantasy Hive
“The Spear Cuts Through Water is remarkably rich . . . This novel is an astonishing feat, one that lovers of sophisticated story won’t want to miss.” —Chicago Review of Books
“The Spear Cuts Through Water is a marvel. Jimenez’s command of prose and playfulness of thought is used to incredible effect to show how oral traditions can transform a tale. This book must be read to be believed.” —Vulture
“A rich and sophisticated voice emerging to transform the genre . . . Jimenez has herewith delivered something utterly individual. . . . A wild chase and odyssey (compressed into five days) which you must read to believe.” —Locus
“A novel that engages with the meaning of love, the nature of stories and how they are told, and what those stories mean to us as people and what those stories do when we engage with them. It is a story in a fantastic land across the sea, and a long time ago, and yet for you the reader, the protagonist, it is the spear that is in your hand. It is what has shaped and made you what you are, even if you didn’t know it.” —Skiffy and Fanty
“Destined to become a cult classic.” —The Portalist
“Legendary, lyrical, and lushly queer.” —The Mary Sue
“A spellbinding tribute to oral storytelling and folklore.” —Polygon
“One of the most structurally interesting fantasy novels I’ve encountered in a long time.” —Reader’s Digest
“A lush epic folk fantasy that combines mythology, science fiction and queer romance all in one.” —Vogue Singapore
“A Ghibli-like story of hope and redemption . . . an unforgettable read.” —PEOPLE
“This queer epic fantasy novel challenges established power systems, explores the power of the natural world, and asks us all to reconsider what we owe to each other.” —Book Riot
“A beautifully crafted and nightmarishly gruesome epic fantasy.” —BookPage
“An epic fantasy that scratched every possible itch.” —Gizmodo
