ALN Monthly Book Club: The Spear Cuts Through Water (Old Town)

For our August Monthly Book Club, we will be reading Simon Jimenez's "The Spear Cuts Through Water!"

We will be hosting this event IN PERSON, outdoors, at Presidio Park in Old Town! We recommend (but do not require) that attendees wear masks and maintain social distance.

We typically meet at the picnic tables in the shade at the end of the loop made by Cosoy Way. Please see the embedded map below for more details.

Content warning: Violence, cannibalism, alcoholism, mentions of sexual assault. Details not given here to avoid spoilers. Contact an organizer if you have concerns about the book's content.

Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family. The novel delves into the power of storytelling, the nature of identity, the complexities of family, and the impact of legacy.

We hope to see you there!

Questions:

1. What is your name, and would you rather have the power to manipulate the physical world, people, or yourself?
2. The Three Terrors are given portfolios of powers in keeping with the source of their power, the moon: power over water, power over the mind, and the power of transformation. Are these powers ones you would traditionally associate with the moon? What powers would you give the brothers if you were writing the book?
3. How did you feel about the depictions of the Three Terrors? Do you think the author did a good job depicting the different ways they interacted with each other, the empress, and the protagonists?
4. The on-page descriptions of violence and cruelty are central to the novel and its themes. How do you feel about violence in the fiction you read? Do you feel it served the novel’s purpose to include it, or would the novel have been better with less of it (or less graphic depictions of it)?
5. We are introduced to the Land and the main characters by an unnamed narrator being transported to the Inverted Theater, a mystical place of dreams where people across time and space are told important stories throughout history. Did you enjoy this narrative framing device?
6. The narrator's father says this isn't a love story while her Lola and the moonlight body say that it is. Who do you agree with and why?
7. There are several instances of ritual cannibalism throughout the book. Why do you think the author included it? What do you think he was trying to say?
8. Many of the gods in this world have been subjugated and/or had their powers vastly diminished by humans. What do you think the author was trying to say with these portrayals?
9. Why do you think the author used the voices of the dead throughout the novel?
10. The novel contains several characters who are handicapped, deformed, or “defective.” What do you think about the way those characters were depicted? What do you think the author was trying to say?

Upcoming Events
EPIC: The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon
September: 2026-2027 ALN Book Selection