#KEEMA

[peachesobviously]

jun & keema from the novel The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Preliminary Round

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

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.

Fantasy, epic fantasy, metanarrative, experimental, adult

Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takács

Endorsement from submitter: "A brilliant collection of speculative short stories, with a focus on gender identity"

Power to Yield is a collection of speculative tales exploring gender identity, neurodivergence, and religion from author Bogi Takács, who deftly blends sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction.

An AI child discovers Jewish mysticism. A student can give no more blood to their semi-sentient apartment and plans their escape. A candidate is rigorously evaluated for their ability to be a liaison to alien newcomers. A young magician gains perspective from her time as a plant. A neurodivergent woman tries to survive on a planetoid where thoughts shape reality . . . ​

These are stories about the depth and breadth of the human condition—and beyond—identifying future possibilities of conflict and cooperation, identity and community.

Short story collection, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, adult

[justanotherclosetednerd]

"I have lived a long time,” she said. “And the longer I live, the more it surprises me, and saddens me, how wise the young must become to live in this world"

(The Spear Cuts Through Water, Simon Jimenez)

[wingedshadowfan]

i love how in the spear cuts through water there's obviously a lot of pain and loss, but there's also so much love, and not just romantic either, like yes we've got jun and keema, but we've got the moon and the water too, uhi araya and the man who crafted the spear, his daughter and him, even her and her grandfather, the third terror and his caretaker, lola and the man, him and his brothers, him and life - truly a love story to its blade-dented bone

[brblovin]

You don’t learn much about Uhi Araya before she bravely passes. Maybe you pay her little mind at first, but you see her reflected in the few and can’t help but take notice. You see the respect and awe from her men as she leads in the most impossible of situations. You bear witness to the immense love seeping from every corner of Raami, and his utter acceptance of her. Then there’s Keema, with his reverence that takes you awhile to understand, but that which remains undulled until the very end threads of our tale.

It’s only at the end that you observe her under the clearest of lenses. In the spear he clutches. In the heart of a grieving, hopeful daughter. In the resilience of a name. She is at the base of this epic tale, almost slipping by without notice, until finally

We knot this thread.

And you see it. You see her and you know she is everywhere. Her love weaved from the first pages of this story to the very end, and somewhere in between, you realize you’re caught in the midst of her as well. Because, after all, this is a love story, down to the blade-dented bone. And she too shares this stage.

[senoritojiang]

The fact that this book has no fan art is a crime.

[morethansalad]

Vegan Green Keema

[djevilninja]

So I need a real chick: Someone to keep it real wit’, Someone to rob and steal wit’, Someone to share my meal wit’.

Cam’ron feat Keema - What Means the World to You

[paulpingminho]

[juli-daily]

Today’s lunch. Curry, at an Indian Curry Restaurant. My favourite Keema.

[justanotherclosetednerd]

Me when the body holds the body. The arms hold the spear. And the spear cuts through water:

[wingedshadowfan]

fanart for the spear cuts through water must be literally impossible to make since we have so little info on what these characters look like

for jun, i think his head is shaved in canon and he has a straight nose or something (we only know these things because of keema)

like bro we don't even know where on jun's face his tattoo is and how big it is we just know it's a red peacock wing whatever the fuck that means?? i'm convinced i've never seen a peacock WING only their tails and honestly the entire time i was imagining he only had one or a few big feathers of the cool tail ones on his forehead/between his eyebrows (since it was described in relation to his father)

and keema? i only remember that he's taller than jun, and that his left arm is missing from the shoulder, but in some rendition it's missing from the elbow or mid-upper arm; i've also seen him have long hair in fanart but i don't remember if it's canon and if not, then i don't think that would be likely in a climate so horrendously hot

the empress? as far as i'm concerned she looks like black unwrapped mummy or a shriveled up date

i think the first terror's face is literally described as unmemorable or unremarkable, like he isn't even super handsome or anything

the second one i really got nothing on, except that for some reason i imagined him being blond

the third one, by virtue of the emphasis that needs to be put on him not looking like a human being, is actually one of the best described characters

[brblovin]

the brainrot has manifested itself into a playlist …

[sarchakra]

Bhuna Mutton Keema (Fried Mince Meat)

One of my all-time favorite dishes that never fail to impress the guests is Bhuna Mutton Keema. Originating from the vibrant culinary landscape of the Indian subcontinent, this mouthwatering masterpiece boasts a rich history steeped in tradition and flavor. Tender minced meat is cooked along with an aromatic blend of spices and a medley of ingredients carefully balanced to create that harmonious…

[morethansalad]

Vegan Keema Tacos

[sakebobomb]

Keema Paratha