The Spear Cuts Through Water

A Novel

By: Simon Jimenez

Narrated by: Joel de la Fuente

Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.

“A beguiling fantasy not to be missed.”—Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game

WINNER OF THE IAFA CRAWFORD AWARD • WINNER OF THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE URSULA K. LE GUIN AWARD • SHORTLISTED FOR THE IGNYTE AWARD

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, Vulture, Polygon, She Reads, Gizmodo, Kirkus Reviews, The Quill to Live

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.

©2021 Simon Jimenez (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“The Spear Cuts Through Water is many, many things. It’s a spellbinding tribute to oral storytelling and folklore. It’s a thoughtful exploration of identity and family. But more than anything, The Spear Cuts Through Water is a love story, and one unlike anything you’ve read before.”—Polygon “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2022”

“[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

“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

Wonderful and Beautiful and Different

This book was a bit of an odd listen, but probably the most beautiful story I've experienced this year. In some ways, it's a typical fantasy story - a boy goes on a magical quest and faces trials. However, the perspective shifting, nested storytelling, and other narrative choices (all of which are very well done) make the story feel entirely new and exciting. The writing style is beautiful and yet it somehow still captures the... earthiness of humans. The ending felt right, and I'm thrilled that it's a standalone and not a 6 book series.

Beyond the story itself, the audio format really helps to differentiate the characters. I found the perspective shifting more difficult to follow in print.

This book is beautiful beyond words

I teared up on more than one occasion. The prose was beautiful, the narrator was stunning…I’m left speechless.

Incredible!

This was such a beautiful story and the narrator did an excellent job of bringing it to life!

An excellent if irregular telling.

I really enjoyed this story and found myself invested through the end. It is an original use of second and omniscient POVs. Good work all around.

Outstanding Narration - Difficult Style of Storytelling

Very interesting story. Very well written. Takes an unusual story telling method that jumps around a lot which can be difficult to follow.

Not a bad book by any measure, but doesn’t make the top of my list by any means.

Imaginative story, well written

Confusing 1st hour, then I was hooked. Beware of some grizzly gruesome details though. I couldn't stop listening. The narrator was excellent.

Incredibly Unique

I have read a lot of fantasy, and this truly stands out among it all, for so so many reasons.

Spectacular

I loved everything about this. Simon Jimenez is an artist and this book his masterpiece.

A unique and engaging setting, with a less than satisfying narrative path

The first 5 hours of this book had me hooked, engaged, and deeply enjoying what was being presented to me. I will say that Simon Jimenez writes the story he wanted to beautifully, and with a style that was so immersive and new that I was stunned.

That said, I found certain elements of grotesque violence, twisted narrative devices, and dark turns to be too heavily piled on for my liking. This book is certainly destined to make many people happy, but I am one of the ones who it pleased for a time. Either way, I will recommend the novel to others in the future who I know enjoy this style, and am glad I listened through to the end. Well done.

This is why I read

The worst thing about Simon Jimenez is that I came upon the author when he only had one book under his belt and now have to wait an indeterminate amount of time to read his third novel!

This one reminds me of Neuromancer in that it took 50 to 100 pages to understand the framework of the narrative & the world that it is taking place in, but once you do it becomes incredibly rewarding.

The story is unique, inventive, magical and unpredictable. It reads and feels a bit like a (much) more mature Studio Ghibli. The action is thrilling and plentiful, and the characters, very much like in Jimenez' other novel The Vanished Birds, are incredibly endearing.

This has a consistent feel and voice to The Vanished Birds, yet the setting and events are so distinct - I can't wait to see what direction this author goes in next.
Excellent narrator.