The Spear Cuts Through Water

In the Old Country, a Moon goddess lies dying after decades in captivity. Her three sons rule as emperors, and all three are tyrants. Each one was born from a share of her divine power, which she had no choice but to hand over. She wants two things: an end to their reign and one last journey to the sea.

To get there she turns to two allies who have little reason to trust each other. Keema is a one-armed warrior of Tiger Gate who has been entrusted with a sacred spear. Jun is the favored son of the eldest Terror, and he has turned against his own family to free her.

The story covers a five-day pilgrimage across a broken land struck by drought. Keema and Jun escort the goddess on foot while soldiers and monsters pursue them. Their alliance starts out wary and deepens into a love that reaches the soul.

The book moves between war story, myth and romance, and it mixes genres freely. A frame holds it together: the tale is told to a grandchild who listens inside a theater outside of time. The mood is that of an epic, driven by tyranny, revenge and devotion, with a clear deadline in the goddess's failing strength.