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  • THe Bruising of Qilwa

    advanced praise

    Charlie Jane Anders (All The Birds in the Sky; Victories Greater Than Death)

    I loved this gorgeous book about blood magic, chosen family and refugees in a hostile city. Naseem Jamnia has created a rich, complex world in a very short space [...] The Bruising of Qilwa left me wanting way more of this world and its magical systems—but above all, I wanted to spend way more time with these amazing characters. [...] You should definitely savor this one.

    Sam J. Miller (Blackfish City; The Blade Between; Birds, Beasts, and Men)

    I adored this city, with its vibrant history and super-fresh magic system, but I loved these astonishing complex vivid characters even more. A fun and fast-paced ride that keeps you guessing all the way (and, yeah, it’s tough to grapple with the ugly legacies of empire and oppression and still have fun, but Jamnia pulls it off).

    David Anthony Durham (The Acacia Trilogy; Pride of Carthage; Wildcards)

    Naseem Jamnia is a bold, visionary writer, and The Bruising of Qilwa makes for a superb introduction to their nuanced and evocative Persian-inspired fantasy. The good news is that there are many more brilliant novels already in this writer’s literary quiver. Get ready for them; they’re coming! Naseem is fierce and dangerous—in all the best ways.

    Neon Yang (The Tensorate Series)

    The Bruising of Qilwa transports you to a lushly-described, beautifully imagined world where magic and medicine meet. Heartfelt relationships temper the grim reality of a flawed world with a creeping, strange new disease. A delightful read.

    Zabé (Z.R.) Ellor (Silk Fire)

    With prose that reads like lush poetry, The Bruising of Qilwa builds an intricate world full of history, magic, and life.

    Publisher's Weekly

    [A] short, propulsive tale that admirably centers a strong queer protagonist and offers thought-provoking commentary on the struggles of refugees. [...] There’s plenty to enjoy for readers of LGBTQ fantasy.

    Alice Scott (Senior Barnes & Noble Bookseller)

    An incredibly timely story, told by a deft hand that manages to weave a fascinating magic system together with all-too-real issues into something truly, wonderfully, not seen before. Equal parts slice of life, fantasy tale, medical drama and mystery blend into a book not soon to be forgotten, one that should be on everyone’s TBR!

    Melissa Karibian (A Song of Silver and Gold)

    An incredible and lush world featuring a non-binary refugee, blood magic, and a plague that seeps within a city. Naseem Jamnia weaves an exquisite tale within a short span of pages. From protecting found and blood family, to mystery, to trauma and colonization, this Persian-inspired fantasy is a must-read. The afterword perfectly wraps up the story.

    Susan Azim Boyer (Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win)

    Naseem Jamnia has crafted an intricately layered fantasy [... and] a wonderful, noble character who is driven to act for the greater good and is willing to grapple with issues of colonization, including those of their homeland. The world of Qilwa is rich and intriguing [...] The Bruising of Qilwa is a deeply fascinating fantasy that reckons with very real geopolitical issues [...] Highly recommended.

    S.A. Chakraborty (The Daevabad Trilogy)

    A fascinating medical mystery in a rich, complex world I didn’t want to leave.

  • The cover of The Bruising of Qilwa. A golden hand drips blood on the title. A city rises on a hill, an island in the middle of a sea with boats. Vines creep along the sides. The colors are red, gold, cream, and purple.

     

    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.

     

    Firuz-e Jafari is fortunate enough to have immigrated to the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa, fleeing the slaughter of other 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.

  • Content Notes and Representation

    I believe it's important to be both upfront and specific about both of these things, so here is what you can expect from The Bruising of Qilwa. Some of these draw upon my own experiences.

    Content Notes

    • 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

    Representation

    • Aroace protagonist
    • Nonbinary genders (including neopronouns) throughout
    • Binary and nonbinary trans main characters
    • SWANA-inspired cultures
    • Persian-inspired culture at the center
    • Main characters with c-PTSD 

    Bonus

    • All BIPOC cast
    • All queer cast
    • Science written by a former scientist

© 2022, Naseem Jamnia

Photos of Naseem by Jennie Kaplan, 2018, unless otherwise stated

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