Subjective Chaos - Best Novella - The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
Publisher - Tachyon
Published - Out Now
Price - £5:99 kindle eBook £11.95 paperback
Firuz-e Jafari is fortunate enough to have immigrated to the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa, fleeing the slaughter of other traditional Sassanian blood magic practitioners in their homeland. Despite the status of refugees in their new home, Firuz has a good job at a free healing clinic in Qilwa, working with Kofi, a kindly new employer, and mentoring Afsoneh, a troubled orphan refugee with powerful magic.
But Firuz and Kofi have discovered a terrible new disease which leaves mysterious bruises on its victims. The illness is spreading quickly through Qilwa, and there are dangerous accusations of ineptly performed blood magic. In order to survive, Firuz must break a deadly cycle of prejudice, untangle sociopolitical constraints, and find a fresh start for their both their blood and found family.
For many of us we rarely think of what our world looks like to outsiders. How migrants feel when we see them; how people feel that they need to adapt to our way of life and also the daunting prospect of living a completely new life in a land they only just begin to call now home. In Naseem Jamnia’s ambitious fantasy novella The Bruising of Qilwa we get to experience this and on top have an unusual medical mystery to solve.
Firuz and their family have migrated to the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa. Their home was under attack from monsters but also their Sassanian heritage has meant a great wave of hatred and genocide against their people spreading back home. With a background in healing Firuz has started to work for the irascible but passionate doctor Kofi at a time when plague is hitting Qilwa. The local clinic is overwhelmed and then on top a series of strange deaths all with unusual bruising on the bodies also is found. Firuz recognises blood-magic has been used; a skill they keep hidden to prevent being discovered and likely killed but who is doing this and why. With a rebellious brother; a new apprentice and the city government clamping down there are many suspects.
I found Jamnia’s novella really interesting and enjoyable to read but also slightly frustrating as this story really pushes against its novella format. There are some many good ideas being raised. We get to experience Firuz’s life and feelings of being an immigrant just settling into to a not entirely friendly new world. We experience the highs of being accepted at the clinic to the day to day casual cruelty people give to those they feel are invading their home. The mystery of blood-magic is fascinating and I really liked how Jamnia explores people fleeing persecution from their county of origin and how travelling to a place of safety is both life-changing and yet also has hidden dangers too. I really was impressed how this fantasy world accepts non-binary and trans characters s just part of the world
And yet this story is very very bouncy. It leaps from topic to topic and rarely lets one breathe. It covers a three year period and really I think there are three novellas that could have been told over that peiod or one larger novel. As it is things never quite get fully explored. A storyline I liked and felt ultimately rushes was Firuz’s brother a trans teenager seeking magic-related treatment to give them the body they want and their brother is too busy at work to help creating family tension. the search for the culprit has several suspects but very quickly we can work out who that is. Most puzzling at one stage Friuz is themselves under investigation and the it just ends with a few sentences saying all is now well.
From an enjoyable and really interesting read perspective I can definitely recommend this novella. Its refreshingly trying to do new things which I always love to see. From a more Subjective Chaos viewpoint I think I’m seeing a new author with lots of potential I want to hear more from but the novella is not quite perfect for me to consider Best I’ve read in the year. Definitely worth a look though.
