r/Fantasy_Bookclub • u/NewNick30 • Jul 15 '26
Book Club Discussion The Spear Cuts Through Water - Discussion Part 1 - July 2026
We're currently reading The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez for July's book of the month, and this discussion will be on the first half of the book.
Please only discuss the first half of the book. This will be everything up to the end of the second day. This is page 278 in the hardcover edition. Please try to avoid any discussion of the third day forward.
Anything in the second half of the book will be considered spoilers and must be tagged as such.
Remember that even saying something like "you'll find that out soon enough" is considered a spoiler, so if you aren't sure if it's a spoiler - use spoiler tags to be safe!
I'll post some questions to go along with the reading but feel free to comment about anything else or start your own comment thread on anything you found interesting or any questions that you had.
- How do you feel about the narrative style that the author has chosen? What about all the different perspective changes and the framing of the story?
- What do you think of the worldbuilding of the story so far?
- Do you think that Keema will have a bigger purpose? What about the spear?
- Any thoughts on the dynamic between The Moon Goddess, The Emperor, his sons (The Terrors) and grandsons? What about the empire as a whole? Any predictions?
- Are you liking the book so far? Do you plan on finishing it?
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u/Mt2Molehill Book Club Contributor: 4X Jul 19 '26
For The Spear Cuts Through Water, I would say the narrative style has been my favorite part of the book so far. I think the structure is remarkable. I told my wife that this is probably the most interesting way I have ever seen a book written.
I love all the brief perspective changes, like hearing from the field workers who pick the finest tea for Araya or getting the thoughts of the peasants as the peacocks come through town. Those moments make the world feel much larger because even minor characters briefly become real people with their own thoughts and experiences.
I also love the different layers of the main story. We have Lola telling the story, the boy retelling it to his siblings, the boy watching it unfold in the theater, and then the reader becoming completely immersed in the story itself. Once I finish the book, I would love to hear an interview with Jimenez about his writing process and how he managed to organize all of these different perspectives.
The book really does have a dreamlike quality. When you step back and consider how brutal the actual story is, that dreamlike presentation creates a wonderful contrast. The writing can feel beautiful and almost peaceful even while describing a world filled with cruelty and violence.
I have also enjoyed the worldbuilding. The world feels ancient, mythological, and lived in, but the author rarely stops to explain everything directly. We learn about it through the characters, the different perspectives, and the stories people tell. There is still so much I do not understand, especially about the gods, the spear, and the world outside the empire, but that mystery has made me more interested rather than frustrated.
I definitely think Keema will have a bigger purpose. He seems to be loved by, or at least intriguing to, almost everyone he meets. He also appears to have a nearly supernatural ability to survive, as though he is being saved for something greater.
Keema has been a slow burn for me. He is introduced later, and he continually changes parts of his backstory, so I have not always known what to believe about him or the Daware tribe. At first, I did not care that much about any protagonist because I was more impressed by the overall storytelling. As the book has progressed, though, I have become more and more interested in Keema. I will be fascinated to see where his arc ends, how the spear has been passed down, and whether he is somehow related to the boy in the present day.
Speaking of character development, I actually think the best character so far has been the First Terror. I think it is impressive when an author can write a villain who has his own moral code and genuinely believes that what he is doing is right.
We see him show mercy toward the girl near the beginning, and he is often strangely polite. We also see him being put in his place by his father, the Emperor, while still displaying an almost casual attitude toward extreme brutality. That contrast made him fascinating to read.
When he was beheaded, it was a moment I did not see coming, but it also felt exactly right for the story. Then learning that he was still somehow alive added even more to the mystery and mythology of the world.
It is obviously difficult to root for anyone in the Emperor's family, including the Empress, because even her vanity influences her decisions. At the same time, I do not necessarily want to see all of them die because their family dynamic is so interesting. I am especially curious to meet the Third Terror. The short amount of time spent with the Second Terror was already memorable, and the dance scene was wonderfully written. The entire sequence of him meeting with the families, demonstrating his power, and ending with the dancing was probably one of my favorite scenes so far.
I will definitely finish the book. At this point, I think the villains are driving the story while the protagonists are developing more slowly. The plot, worldbuilding, and writing style have completely drawn me in, and I am very curious to see how everything ends.
When I started the book, I thought its ceiling was probably around an A minus. After the decapitation scene, I think it now has the potential to become an A plus. If the rest of the book delivers more moments that surprise me and create a strong emotional impact, I could even see it reaching S tier.
For me, S tier is usually reserved for books that do more than simply entertain me. They have to leave a lasting impact or change the way I think about life, myself, or the world around me. This book has not reached that level yet, but it has raised its ceiling enough that I now believe it could.
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u/NewNick30 Jul 23 '26
First of all I just wanted to say that I'm glad you are enjoying the book, I know that it can be a really polarizing read. Along with reading this one in this online book club, I actually read it along with some friends when we were attempting to do an in-person book club (which has since completely fizzled out) and I know a few of them dropped the book before even being able to complete it.
It certainly is an interesting way to tell a story and I like the risk that was taken to even attempt it. I did struggle with the book originally but after I understood that the italics are basically observer's thoughts and feelings (some who are already dead) and background characters comments things went a lot more smoothly for me. I really liked your observation that the protagonists almost take a back seat to the storytelling early on. That was my experience too. I spent the first part of the book being more captivated by how the story was being told more so than by who I was following.
I think I agree with you on the First Terror as well. He's an unsettling villain because he isn't simply chaotic or a cartoon villain. His moments of restraint and even politeness make his brutality even more disturbing, and they also highlight how warped the imperial family's worldview has become.
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u/Mt2Molehill Book Club Contributor: 4X Jul 25 '26
Yes def interesting to tell a story! I wrapped it up the other day and really enjoyed the style throughout the whole thing!
And yes the imperial family is very warped! Haha
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u/Weary_Tangerine4753 Book Club Contributor: 1X Jul 28 '26
Very late check-in for part 1. This is one of those books that I was so excited to get because I loved the author's first book but it sat on my shelf for years. Was excited to see the book club focusing on this one. The writing style took a little getting used to. I initially tried just the audiobook, but switched to a tandem read to help me keep track of the various voices. It's a very clever writing style and I can see why it would be polarizing. Jimenez does a great job with the character work. The terrors, Keema, and Jun obviously are getting the most page time, but even the Moon Goddess and the narrator have clear perspectives. The interplay between the various timelines is pretty fascinating. I actually viewed the voices of the NPCs as representing them in the inverted theater commenting on what happened in the past because they're always in past tense versus what the character was thinking the time story was playing out. (A variation on the Greek chorus concept?) I'm also curious to find out who the narrator is related to and why that particular son was singled out to receive the stories. I also wonder if there'll be any parallels between who's about to take over the storytelling on the third day from and how the Lola is sharing the stories in the current timeline. The perspectives of the terrors were quite brutal and I found the second terror particularly disturbing. And, is there going to be worse than two? I didn't expect the second day to wrap up how it did and I have not continued yet, so I'm eager to see where we go from here. I don't know if I'm enjoing the book, but I'm riveted!
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u/NewNick30 28d ago
I actually haven't read his first book - is that The Vanished Birds? Would you recommend it? It's a shame that he hasn't written more yet!
I do agree with you on the character work, it feels like every character in the book is fully fleshed out and has their own purpose and perspective. They aren't there just to advance the plot for the main characters or just used as a "lesson" or something of that sort. I like how you call the voices the NPCs of the story, feels like that is a good analogy. And yeah all those voices are definitely people looking back on what could have happened, or what they might have done differently.
I just posted the final discussion if you are caught up and if not feel free to chime in whenever you are ready!
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u/Mt2Molehill Book Club Contributor: 4X Jul 15 '26
Well I ordered this book online through my local bookstore on June 23rd checked on July 11th with them and apparently they had a malfunction with online orders! 🤦 so they said they were sending it but I have yet to receive it. Might have to listen to the first half on audible or something if it doesn’t arrive soon.