This book is SO RICH with complicated histories of colonialism and gender expression and whole magic systems and refugee struggles. It is a LOT to pack into a little book, and there were parts of it that felt a little clunky to me, but I was always fully motivated to keep reading, to find out the mystery, to see what became of Firuz and their loved ones. The afterword about Jamnia's influences and intentions regarding the complicated history of her Persian heritage really added value to the text — don't skip it! ( )

Not my usual cup of tea but I really enjoyed. The writing itself was poetic and the story was really unique. That ending had me ( )

I have never read a medical fantasy before, but I do think that aspect was good here, but the world-building had many gaps and afterthoughts. ( )

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/hugos-2023-the-astounding-award-for-best-new-wri...

This is a story in an alternate history Persia, dealing with the consequences of Arab invasions which worked out differently than in our timeline, with magical medicine and a very liberal take on gender. It’s pretty heavily loaded with colonial and other tropes, but I think it does manage to carry that burden with a very believable protagonist. The Persian contribution to the Islamic Golden Age is a topic that has long fascinated me, and this is a worthy fictional treatment of it. ( )

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:

As listed on the author’s website:

Medical racism
Ethnically motivated violence
Former colonization/empire
Descriptions of a refugee/migration crisis
Mentions of genocide
Discussions/handling of a plague
Child death
Disordered eating behavior
Mostly mild self-harm (for magic reasons)
Body dysmorphia from gender dysphoria (and related medical transitions)
Discussions of trauma, including past (childhood) physical abuse (for magic reasons)
Implied child neglect
Body horror, including graphic descriptions of corpses


I was fascinated by the concept of a book where illness was a centre point rather than a something that was hidden away under the carpet like a dirty little secret. The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia doesn’t shy away from illness at all, and has been described as medical fantasy.

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia follows Firuz-e Jafari from the start of their time working at a free healing clinic that provides help to refuges flooding into the city-state of Qilwa. Firuz is a refugee themselves, a Sassanian blood magic practitioner and fled their homeland when blood magic practitioners were being persecuted. Blood magic is not openly practised in Qilwa, and Firuz practises another form of magic to heal people, subtly using their blood magic when no other option is available. Their blood magic studies are incomplete as they had to flee while in the middle of them, and in Qilwa there is no one to continue their studies.

That is a problem when they come across an orphaned refuge girl who has exceptionally powerful blood magic. Someone has to train her otherwise she is going to hurt herself or someone else, and the only person who can do that is Firuz. Firuz is also determined that their student will not go through the same cycle of abuse that they went through when they were taught blood magic.

As Firuz secretly teaches blood magic to their student, Afsoneh, they begin to identify a new disease that is appearing in patients. Using their blood magic they are able to identify that it is related to blood magic, however, due to the way blood magic is perceived they can’t talk to anyone about it. The Bruising of Qilwa follows Firuz’s investigations, as well as their personal journey through reliving complex trauma and struggling to juggle their duty to family and the people of the city.

There is a lot of happening in this book, especially for a novella. That being said, I personally don’t think it was too much, and the book felt very well paced. Everything was balanced well between personal life, family life, culture and the overall storyline that affected the entire city. I liked that Firuz was not all powerful, as so often characters with magic are in fantasy. They were also limited with what they were able to do due to realistic circumstances, and Jamnia does a brilliant job of showing the heartbreaking consequences of this.

Firuz’s brother is non-binary transgender and blood magicians are able to perform a type of spell called alignments which change a person’s physical body, allowing them to transition into a body that they feel more comfortable in. Firuz was able to go through alignment before they fled their homeland, however, their brother was too young and has been growing more frustrated and desperate since puberty began. Although the novella is from Firuz’ perspective, Jamnia shows both sides of this situation and relationship through their interaction. While Firuz is desperate to help their brother, they are terrified that their limited studies will result in them harming him. At the same time, they remember being in a body that was changing and being unable to control it as it became something they didn’t want.

This is a very emotive book, and it is also filled with stunning exploration of the body, biology and blood. I hesitate to call it medicine because what the characters are practising is magic. This is nothing like medicine as we know it and Jamnia has cleverly adapted their own medical knowledge (they used to be a neuroscientist) to fit into a fantasy world. This isn’t a book where someone lays their hands on a body and voilà someone is healed. Rather healing is a delicate process more akin to surgery with such surrealism that you’re never in doubt that it’s magic.

There was a lot to like in The Bruising of Qilwa, including the twist I never saw coming, however, I’m afraid this one just didn’t quite do it for me. I can’t pinpoint why exactly that is, so I am going to just chalk it up to just not quite being my cup of tea.

For more of my reviews please visit my blog! ( )

A fantasy story set in a Persian-like city, following a magical healer trying to prevent a plague. I enjoyed the smaller scope of the story. The story shines with the characters and worldbuilding. ( )

The author has content notes and warnings here.

"In this intricately layered debut fantasy, a nonbinary refugee practitioner of blood magic discovers a strange disease causing political rifts in their new homeland. Persian-American author Naseem Jamnia has crafted a gripping narrative with a moving, nuanced exploration of immigration, gender, healing, and family."

Right to the point: I loved this book, and it was everything I had hoped for and more. More to the point, you've never read anything like it.

This Persian-inspired queernormative medical mystery/fantasy novella skillfully takes inspiration from the author's own background and experience to create an enthralling and extremely relevant work of fantastical world-building and poignant character-building that is at once an escape and a consideration of the world around us.

Rather than create a fantasy utopia or build a world with fabricated social discord, Jamnia's work mulls over the complicated emotions surrounding real issues of immigration and prejudice in a way that does not detract from but rather adds to the narrative as a whole.

It also means that, while the plot itself is resolved, many of the issues and emotions are not. And, for me at least, this was great! This is not the type of work to tie everything together neatly with a bow at its conclusion, and in fact, I would have felt it unfaithful to its intentions if it had. Still, don't go into this expecting to receive ALL of the answer. Just the ones that are necessary for you in the moment!

The elements of medical mystery here were also a perfect fit for this work! With immersive and vivid descriptions rivalling the slight body-horror of What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher or the blood-magic elements of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, Jamnia has again taken their own background in neuroscience and created a beautiful and slightly eerie delve into a world of fantasy so deeply informed by and entwined with its creator.

I truly believe that the unique elements that Jamnia brings to the table and the obvious way in which their work and themselves are tied together is a large part of what makes this work so deeply compelling.

Our main character, Firuz-e Jafari, is a nonbinary refugee practitioner of blood magic in a world where blood magic must be practiced in secret due to the prejudices and implications surrounding its use. Firuz finds themselves volunteering at one of the last "free" (as in, free with their clientele in a city wary of refugees) when they discover a strange disease that causes political rifts in their new homeland, termed "the blood-bruising" for its physical effects on the body.

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".

At the onset, you are simply a visitor to this world. The true magic of this work is watching it unravel around you, in the best way. Jamnia's use of description and dialogue are unparalleled and are much of what makes this work so very immersive. As in, I sat down and opened the book and never wanted to close it again.

When Firuz is portrayed to us as a tired, stressed, overworked individual trying their best to keep everything and everyone they love afloat, I deeply felt the same. When Firuz begins to second-guess those around them as they seek out the perpetuator of the blood-bruising, I began to flip back in the book and seek out hints.

There is a fine line being walked here between making it very clear that the story has some a very personal depth to it, while also being relatable even for someone like me, a white cis woman who is in no way like Firuz, still relating to the innate nature of humanity at its best and worst.

Another aspect of this work that makes it both unique and relatable all at once is the representation throughout. Firuz is nonbinary and aromantic/asexual, and their brother is transitioning. Where Firuz is from, people greet one another with their pronouns in front of their names, for example, "they-Firuz".

There are alternate pronouns that appear throughout, created for the fantasy world and the languages encompassed in it, but clear to us in their usage and intentions. This is a world in which being queer/outside of the gender binary/fluid with gender is not only present and tolerated but is treated as being common and almost expected.

Not to say that there are not blips here and there, but, as I've mentioned here before, I'm in my early 20's now and I'm a little bit over the coming-of-age coming out stories and the narratives that treat queerness as a problem to be solved. I expected nothing less here, but it was still extremely refreshing to say the least.

As I said at the beginning, I absolutely adored this book and was not ready to leave the world it builds when I reached the end of the story. It is worth noting that this is a stand-alone novella set in a much larger world (stand-alone being the operative word), so though it's made clear in the book that there are more vast issues occurring outside of the scope of what is on the page, it's also not conveyed in a way that makes the reader feel as though they are missing out, and this is exactly the balance of world-building and narrative arc that a stand-alone fantasy novella would entail.

And if you do yearn to know more about Qilwa and beyond, keep an eye on author Naseem Jamnia's site for more to come in the future! ( )

The Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa, sitting on an island across the sea from the continent, had become a refuge for everyone who needs to leave the nearby empire of Dilmun, including the Sassanians - the peoples of another empire that was conquered by the Dilmuni armies a long time ago and had been living in the empire under suspicion because of their traditions and magic. Not that Dilmun and Qilwa do not have magic as well but the Sassanians are the only one who practice blood magic - and as this can be powerful, it is feared and stigmatized. So a lot of the practitioners hide in plain sight, occasionally using other types of magic - environmental or structural (rune and words based).

Firuz is one of these refugees - a competent (if under-trained) adept of of blood magic who had been extensively trained as a structuralist as well who lives in a hovel with their mother and brother. When the novel starts, a plague is sweeping the island and the refugees are blamed for it. Firuz decides to look for a job at the clinic of the only doctor who works with the refugees, Kofi, and ends up being hired to assist. And while the plague slowly subsides, other weird illnesses start appearing, some of which reek of blood magic - which should not be happening, not in Qilwa anyway.

Meanwhile Firuz finds another refugee who seems to have even better abilities than they do with blood magic (but is absolutely untrained) and adopts her into their household - providing a companion for their younger brother and making sure the girl does not kill herself while attempting to use what she can do (or kill a lot of other people).

And while all of that is interesting, at the heart of the book is an investigation - what is causing that mysterious illness that so many people succumb to? The author succeeds in building enough of a backstory to allow the reader to slowly start considering the suspects, a lot faster than Firuz does, and when one starts seeing who must be responsible, it turns the novel and one's understanding on its head. By the time the confirmation finally comes, it is almost unneeded - the story led to it slowly and carefully.

Even if you do not know that the author is the child of Iranian immigrants, you can see the thinly disguised Persians under the Sassanians and the Arabian Muslims under the Dilmani. The author admits in the Afterword that this is where it started indeed but they added enough differences to allow for the two of them to stand on their own. You do not need to know anything about Persia and its culture and history but if you, you will see a lot of echoes in the story and the world building.

And while the story can be read as what the surface story - the fantasy world with its blend of magic and science, it is very hard not to make connections to our world - refugees fleeing for their lives from a war, refugees being blamed for sickness and everything else one can think of, people afraid of the Other. The novel also succeeds where a lot of other modern novels feel like a manifest - together with the magic/science blend, the world had developed with acceptance of one's choices on how they look and how they are called so it is a feature of the language and noone bats an eye at that. Pronouns is part of one's self and so is one's choice to go through realignment - changing one's body magically or surgically to match their perceptions of their gender. Queer protagonists are not that uncommon these days and worlds where that is not something to remark on are starting to show up but they are often a bit too heavy handed. Not here - the world just IS.

I usually like fantasy worlds based on (or borrowing from) real life cultures and this one is not an exception. The fact that on top of the good world building lies a good story as well is a bonus and pretty impressive for a first time novelist. Naseem Jamnia used to be a neuroscientist before deciding to change careers and to go for an MFA and writing. That explains this blend of medical knowledge and fantasy - and that is what makes this novel unusual. In a good way. I hope the author returns to this world with more stories (or builds a new one -- as long as they publish something soon-ish).

PS: This short novel is an expanded version of a novelette, available here: https://pridebookcafe.com/nothing-less-than-bones-naseem-jamnia ( )

Firuz-e Jafari and their family a mother and young brother are refugees on a plague stricken island where they must conceal much of their identity. Firuz is able to provide a meager living by working at a free clinic which is itself under threat from the governor. And then they become aware of a different affliction attacking only those who come to the clinic and it may be connected to their concealed abilities.
A competently told strangers in a strange land story, where the reader's own attitudes are built into the strangeness. ( )

The Publisher Says: In this intricate debut fantasy introducing a queernormative Persian-inspired world, a nonbinary refugee practitioner of blood magic discovers a strange disease that causes political rifts in their new homeland. Persian-American author Naseem Jamnia has crafted a gripping narrative with a moving, nuanced exploration of immigration, gender, healing, and family.

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.

Powerful and fascinating, The Bruising of Qilwa is the newest arrival in the era of fantasy classics such as the Broken Earth Trilogy, The Four Profound Weaves, and Who Fears Death.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: I am all the way here for a Persian storyverse-inspired QUILTBAG-inclusive secondary world with a not-silly science-cum-majgickq system based on blood. This idea has me all excited, with the nigh-on irresistible urge to send the author CARE packages of food and crowdsourcing their laundry so they will not have to leave their writing desk unless answering the call of nature.

What keeps me from offering the story all five stars is the first-publication longueurs that are so very common as to feel universal. The storyverse is astonishingly successful in compelling my attention, given how brief the story here told is. There is a depth to Firuz's native Sassanians, a minority group not beloved in their world, and named by the author after the last pre-Muslim Persian empire in our world...echoes of the religious monopoly being enforced in many parts of the world, the intolerance that entails and encourages. The blood-magic system, with its science-tinged presentation, was presented as a source of fear and persecution; yet, during the plague that strikes Qilwa, it is urgently needed to help fix the problems this plague presents. The tables are turned and those so recently deemed outcast are needed to fix what the many are suffering. Always a great direction to aim a story!

So you can see that the story possesses many layers just from the little I've said; there are other normative things (eg, introducing one's self with pronoun and name, like I'd be "him–Richard" then just Richard after that...a lot like royalty gets to explain how they're addressed to us mere commoners on those rare occasions we're presented to them) that can unpack over the course of a long series of stories set in this place while instantly adding a lush richness to the present reading experience. What doesn't work so well is Firuz's social anxiety/awkwardness being borne down on narratively at every turn. I get it...they're very awkward, it's not necessary to repeat this every other page. There are points where their trans brother could've taken the stage more completely and thus enriched the read's texture; seeing him only from the outside is fine, like all inclusion, but his transition is so very much a driver of the story that allowing him to take center stage could've given me so much more. Satisfying my curiosity about how he sees this world would've given the plague, the clinic where Firuz practices healing, and what it is that Firuz and Kofi share that makes the clinic so real-feeling, needed dimensionality.

The surprisingly secondary character Afsoneh is a wild child, we're told; we're never really shown this facet of her character. Firoz mentors her and so should've had more of a struggle with her acting out if she's such a chaotic person. Instead it's brushed past. I know it's a function of the novella format. I'm even willing to go along with the clipping of storylines that this format requires uncomplainingly...IF I can trust that the characters are going to get more stage time later. Not too much later.

I bestow on this deeply involving read my most difficult-to-earn accolade: More, please. ( )

This novella was a quick, very interesting read. It fit a lot of themes into a small number of pages, and had a lot of things going for it. I thought the ending was a bit rushed, and that not enough time was spent developing the mystery aspect of the story to make the resolution of said mystery very satisfying. The immigration, fantasy cultural conflicts, and familial and other relationship aspects of the story were all much better. ( )

Firuz-jan, you cannot appreciate the dangers a tool possesses unless you are hurt by it. Only then can you learn how to use it properly to prevent such pain. How else can we promise the world we pose no threat?

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia.

Naseem Jamnia is an editor at Sword & Kettle Press, which is a small press of feminist speculative fiction and poetry. They also have some chapbooks which I’m interested in (in case anyone wants to get me something for no reason or as an early birthday present). While they have published some short stories, The Bruising of Qilwa is their debut.

The Bruising of Qilwa is being published by Tachyon Publications (they published the tangleroot palace which is just love) on the 9th of August. At just under 200 pages (191) it’s classified as a novella.

Our main charter Firuz is a practitioner of blood magic who does their best to hide it as they arrived in Qilwa with their family. Living in the slums, Firuz (who has some medical training) starts work as a clinic with Kofi training them, as the city is threatened by a pandemic blamed on the refugees. As the illness changes it’s nature, Firuz has to do their best to find out how to stop an illness spread by someone adept in blood magic.

There are a lot of themes that stand our in this little book. For those interested in found family, this will be a nuanced fantasy that covers the love, the worry and the hurt of those relationships. For those interested in magic, the details on balance will stand out. For those interested in migration and encounters between communities at the frontier, the relationship between Sassanians and Dilmunis will be fascinating (especially after Kofi’s small lesson).

It would also be amiss to not comment on how The Bruising of Qilwa is also an incredibly queer read. Our main character and their brother is trans, everyone is introduced with their pronouns at the start, and the author also makes use of neopronouns (hu and ey) in the book. I’m sorry to say that I’m not used to that in books, and was sure that hos was a type, until I got to hu and realised that this was another pronoun. Firuz also uses they/them pronouns and is asexual (I think).

Firuz is also a great character to read about. They’re doing their best to juggle the demands of work and end up neglecting their younger brother. They feel incredibly guilty for having managed to get a home outside of the slums, and they aren’t incredibly powerful themselves.

But you don’t know what it was like to go through that training… You have no idea what it’s like to be a blood magic user by affinity. No clue what our culture does and doesn’t condone.

I will say that I found the ending too rushed. I would have wanted more with Kofi, more hints of everything that was to come. I think that could have been elaborated on instead of just happening like that. The history lesson with Sassanians and Dilmunis was great, but I didn’t feel like any of that was properly explored in the story and it felt like it was just thrown in.

To sum, this was a 4 out of 5 star read, and I hope to see more from Naseem Jamnia in the future! ( )