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The Space Between Two Deaths
In ancient Sumeria, only a thin veil separates the living from the dead.
The lives of Ziz, her mother, Meshara, and her father, Temen, are disrupted when a mysterious crevasse rends the earth. Temen becomes obsessed with the mystery and, capturing a crow to guide him, he follows a path to the netherworld where he hopes to gain wisdom from his dead father. Yet he soon finds that ancestors don’t always provide the answers we need.
In his absence, a grisly accident occurs on their farm — Meshara and Ziz are forced to flee. Friendless and alone, they must find a way to survive despite the brutalities of their landlord and devotees of the religious nation-state. Will the women revel in their new companionship or seek to find freedom elsewhere?
Written in a crisp, modern style, THE SPACE BETWEEN TWO DEATHS is a fresh take on the ageless problem of finding your voice when the world is trying to take it away.
The lives of Ziz, her mother, Meshara, and her father, Temen, are disrupted when a mysterious crevasse rends the earth. Temen becomes obsessed with the mystery and, capturing a crow to guide him, he follows a path to the netherworld where he hopes to gain wisdom from his dead father. Yet he soon finds that ancestors don’t always provide the answers we need.
In his absence, a grisly accident occurs on their farm — Meshara and Ziz are forced to flee. Friendless and alone, they must find a way to survive despite the brutalities of their landlord and devotees of the religious nation-state. Will the women revel in their new companionship or seek to find freedom elsewhere?
Written in a crisp, modern style, THE SPACE BETWEEN TWO DEATHS is a fresh take on the ageless problem of finding your voice when the world is trying to take it away.
280 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2021
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March 3, 2021
I received a free review copy of The Space Between Two Deaths from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review - my sincerest thanks to both the author and the publisher. :)
Absolutely positively blown away by this story. Mr. Yourdon does a masterful job of weaving Sumerian Mythology, Historical Fiction, and Horror into this novel.
As a history lover let me just say that I'm very impressed to run into something set in Ancient Sumer. It's what immediately drew me to this title from the description. The prose flows easily, vividly, and draws you in. A real page turner for me if you can't tell. Mr. Yourdon does an excellent job of making you feel what the various characters are feeling and more than once I gasped or cringed while reading.
At its core this is a story about discovering one's self through multiple characters, some learn their lessons, some do not. A modern day parable if you will in the style of the ancient classicists and mythologies. I sincerely hope Mr. Yourdon writes more historical fiction in this style.
Absolutely positively blown away by this story. Mr. Yourdon does a masterful job of weaving Sumerian Mythology, Historical Fiction, and Horror into this novel.
As a history lover let me just say that I'm very impressed to run into something set in Ancient Sumer. It's what immediately drew me to this title from the description. The prose flows easily, vividly, and draws you in. A real page turner for me if you can't tell. Mr. Yourdon does an excellent job of making you feel what the various characters are feeling and more than once I gasped or cringed while reading.
At its core this is a story about discovering one's self through multiple characters, some learn their lessons, some do not. A modern day parable if you will in the style of the ancient classicists and mythologies. I sincerely hope Mr. Yourdon writes more historical fiction in this style.
April 28, 2021
I really had no idea what to expect when I started this delightful horror novel. It has the elements of horror, fantasy, mythology & historical fiction all wrapped up in a frightening & gory tale of a farming family in ancient Sumeria.
After soldiers end up killing every man, woman & child in the city of Uruk, the natural balance between the living world & the netherworld is upset & a rift to the netherworld rips across the earth. The rift opens not too far from the family farm of Temen, Meshara & their daughter, Ziz. Temen becomes obsessed with navigating to the netherworld in search of his deceased father. Meshara & Ziz flee their home after they are certain Temen is dead & they will be kicked out of their home.
The story is told through each character, including Temen's guide into the netherworld, Crow. It is wonderfully written & a fresh perspective in the horror genre. I usually go into more detail about what I liked & what I didn't when I review a book, but there isn't anything I didn't like. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys the horror genre.
A warning, however. This book is not for the squeamish. It is a horror story after all.
*I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions included herein are my own.*
**I got to do a Q & A with Jamie Yourdon about The Space Between Two Deaths. You can check it out here!
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After soldiers end up killing every man, woman & child in the city of Uruk, the natural balance between the living world & the netherworld is upset & a rift to the netherworld rips across the earth. The rift opens not too far from the family farm of Temen, Meshara & their daughter, Ziz. Temen becomes obsessed with navigating to the netherworld in search of his deceased father. Meshara & Ziz flee their home after they are certain Temen is dead & they will be kicked out of their home.
The story is told through each character, including Temen's guide into the netherworld, Crow. It is wonderfully written & a fresh perspective in the horror genre. I usually go into more detail about what I liked & what I didn't when I review a book, but there isn't anything I didn't like. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys the horror genre.
A warning, however. This book is not for the squeamish. It is a horror story after all.
*I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions included herein are my own.*
**I got to do a Q & A with Jamie Yourdon about The Space Between Two Deaths. You can check it out here!
Blog
March 3, 2025
Quite a expansive, uninhibited tale
Broaden your mind to absorb this remarkable tale that takes a circuited route to tell it from beginning to end. Told in simple terms, yet encompassing vast areas overall. Hold onto your hats, folks, because you are in for one wild ride.
Broaden your mind to absorb this remarkable tale that takes a circuited route to tell it from beginning to end. Told in simple terms, yet encompassing vast areas overall. Hold onto your hats, folks, because you are in for one wild ride.
February 9, 2021
This book is very special. The story is set in the Time of the Sumerians focusing on the lives of a farming family. Temen, the father and head of the family; Meshara - the mother, and Ziz - the daughter of both of them, only 10 years old.
One day the father comes home and tells his daughter he arranged a marriage for her. She's going to marry a soldier, whether she wants it or not. Her mother doesn't know that information, and Temen doesn't tell it her because she disappears the next day. Garash, the landowner and Ziz's future father-in-law, appears to talk to Temen about the wedding but he's killed by a tiger. Both Temen and Garash are dead and roam the netherworld.
First of all, say that this book is not for everyone, and second, to enjoy this book you have to understand the intention of the author.
It should be noted that more than a book, I have read it as if it were a story, a fable.
The story begins in a rather strange way. In itself, 85% of the book is strange, dark, and complicated. At first, you don't empathize with any of the characters. We have Teman, a rather foolish man who just wants to assert his word and the power that was bestowed upon him, simply because he was born as a man.
Meshara only works in the field because her husband hates it. She subjugates herself to the power of her husband and feels privileged to be married to Temen, even though he hit not only her but her daughter.
Ziz, who loves neither her father nor her mother and tries to live her own life.
I've had a hard time understanding these characters until the end comes. And I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this book was written by a man.
This book tells the story of women who were subjugated to their husbands, deprived of their freedom, of their power, unable to decide for their own lives. Meshara never cared about her daughter because she wanted to savor some of that freedom that was taken from her. A captive woman who never knew what it was like to choose her destiny, who never knew it was true love, could not love her daughter properly.
Ziz, a girl deprived of all love and freedom, hit by her father, the men of the market, even sexually abused by a boy, never belonged to herself. His only wish was freedom, not belonging to anyone, being free. And if she has to sacrifice the most valuable thing for it, she would do it.
It's a pretty sad book that at the end of the story brings out all the emotions. It's a cry of freedom, it's a cry in a world where women live in continuous silence. Where to be free they need to mutilate themselves and even take their lives.
On the other hand, the story is quite intriguing and interesting. It has a touch of magic and fantasy. We will sail between two worlds, one of the dead, accompanied by a crow, and one of the living, where we will see how the life of Meshara and Ziz transcurs.
One day the father comes home and tells his daughter he arranged a marriage for her. She's going to marry a soldier, whether she wants it or not. Her mother doesn't know that information, and Temen doesn't tell it her because she disappears the next day. Garash, the landowner and Ziz's future father-in-law, appears to talk to Temen about the wedding but he's killed by a tiger. Both Temen and Garash are dead and roam the netherworld.
First of all, say that this book is not for everyone, and second, to enjoy this book you have to understand the intention of the author.
It should be noted that more than a book, I have read it as if it were a story, a fable.
The story begins in a rather strange way. In itself, 85% of the book is strange, dark, and complicated. At first, you don't empathize with any of the characters. We have Teman, a rather foolish man who just wants to assert his word and the power that was bestowed upon him, simply because he was born as a man.
Meshara only works in the field because her husband hates it. She subjugates herself to the power of her husband and feels privileged to be married to Temen, even though he hit not only her but her daughter.
Ziz, who loves neither her father nor her mother and tries to live her own life.
I've had a hard time understanding these characters until the end comes. And I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this book was written by a man.
This book tells the story of women who were subjugated to their husbands, deprived of their freedom, of their power, unable to decide for their own lives. Meshara never cared about her daughter because she wanted to savor some of that freedom that was taken from her. A captive woman who never knew what it was like to choose her destiny, who never knew it was true love, could not love her daughter properly.
Ziz, a girl deprived of all love and freedom, hit by her father, the men of the market, even sexually abused by a boy, never belonged to herself. His only wish was freedom, not belonging to anyone, being free. And if she has to sacrifice the most valuable thing for it, she would do it.
It's a pretty sad book that at the end of the story brings out all the emotions. It's a cry of freedom, it's a cry in a world where women live in continuous silence. Where to be free they need to mutilate themselves and even take their lives.
On the other hand, the story is quite intriguing and interesting. It has a touch of magic and fantasy. We will sail between two worlds, one of the dead, accompanied by a crow, and one of the living, where we will see how the life of Meshara and Ziz transcurs.
dnf
November 24, 2020DNF on page 8
Friendly reminder that you should do some basic research when writing historical fiction.
Nippur is famous for not having had an army because they were frigging Ankh-Morpork and let everybody come inside, took their money and let them leave. If you can't get such a basic fact right, I don't to read what you did because you thought chosing Mesopotamia as a setting would be edgy.
Sincerely,
An Assyriologist
Friendly reminder that you should do some basic research when writing historical fiction.
Nippur is famous for not having had an army because they were frigging Ankh-Morpork and let everybody come inside, took their money and let them leave. If you can't get such a basic fact right, I don't to read what you did because you thought chosing Mesopotamia as a setting would be edgy.
Sincerely,
An Assyriologist
October 27, 2020
This one had me at Sumeria. I’m fascinating with antiquity and I don’t think I’ve ever read a work of fiction set in Sumeria before. I mean, the cover’s great too, but it was mostly the location. It’s an interesting book all around, a blend of magic realism, mythology and character driven drama set in a bygone world. The narrative split three ways with two of the strands allocating to people, a spirited 10 year old named Ziz and her (not the nicest) mother Meshara. After underworld gets overpopulated and splits the earth near their abode, Ziz’s father, Temen, finds himself navigating the strange world below with assistance of a reluctant guide, the third narrator of the book, who is beholden to Temen by a feather. Meanwhile, Ziz and Meshara find themselves in hot waters and have to flee, settling in town with a wealthy family. It’s all intricately connected, though, as it turns out and eventually leads to a reckoning. A fascinating world to find yourself immersed in, governed by its own rules and morality, this tale does concentrate heavily on the fates of women of Sumer, which was, unsurprisingly, dire. Throughout antiquity (and well into modern ages ) women have been mostly supporting players, second class citizens, property, victims, breeding mares, etc. In ancient Sumer women actually had more rights than it was customary for the era and certainly more than in subsequent Mesopotamian cultures. Which is to say they were able to own property, manage businesses, becomes scribes, witnesses in courts and even judges. But still, of course, of course, there were severe limitations and fate of women was mostly defined by the man they were attached to. The women who found themselves suddenly without such attachments as the women in this book do had to make their own fates, while navigating very specific social constructs. Oh yes, and cutting off their own fingers to signify their free status. Which is why Ziz is such a great character, despite her young age or maybe because of it, she refuses to confine herself to traditional gender roles. Kid’s a rebel and very much the star of the show here, (at least of the nonfeathered variety) determined to chart her own way as opposed to, say, be given away in an arranged prepubescent marriage. So this book is mostly her journey or more like her journey is the best aspect of this book. Other than that, the writing is good, the descriptions are well done, the author done a thoroughly credible job of bringing ancient Sumer to life. Beware, modern reader, this revivification comes with spousal and child abuse, violence, slavery and other customs of the time, brutal enough to make a properly woke person cry. But for anyone who understands the past in its appropriate historical context, it’s an enlightening journey back in time. Didn’t quite love it, something about it didn’t quite grab me on an emotional level, but it was an enjoyable read all the same. Certainly an original one. Recommended for fans of coming of age stories, feminist perspectives and historical fiction with some magic thrown in. Thanks Netgalley.
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March 2, 2021Ordered and even better my book fest is chatting with author Jamie Yourdon Saturday, March 6. Registration here: https://www.collingswoodbookfestival....
October 10, 2020
Jamie Yourdon's second novel tells the story of Ziz, her family, and the trouble she runs into while trying to navigate the world after her life implodes. Ziz and her mother are forced to flee their home, and they end up in a place that seems to afford them both safety and freedom. But, wait...
Yourdon picks apart themes of the afterlife, the desperate desire for self-actualization, revenge, the privilege of wealth, the importance of helpers, secrecy, and the belief in one's self. Using a landscape of fable to tell his story, Yourdon is in his element with magical realism, deeply layered characters, and an adventure from this world to another, and back again, in play. In a stroke of literary genius, Yourdon's Crow character is, by far, the most human of them all. Completely charming, in a dark and disturbing way, this story is a tiny gem. Embrace the quirkiness found here in The Space Between Two Deaths.
Yourdon picks apart themes of the afterlife, the desperate desire for self-actualization, revenge, the privilege of wealth, the importance of helpers, secrecy, and the belief in one's self. Using a landscape of fable to tell his story, Yourdon is in his element with magical realism, deeply layered characters, and an adventure from this world to another, and back again, in play. In a stroke of literary genius, Yourdon's Crow character is, by far, the most human of them all. Completely charming, in a dark and disturbing way, this story is a tiny gem. Embrace the quirkiness found here in The Space Between Two Deaths.
June 4, 2023
What a fantastic cover. Props to the artist Yvette Gilbert (@yvettegilbert_art). It immediately caught my eye and drew me in. 'The Space Between Two Deaths' fits nicely in both the Historical Fiction and Fantasy genres. Although I'm not a huge historical fiction fan, merge it with fantasy and you have my undivided attention. The book opens with the cutest character ever, 10 year old Ziz, playing instead of doing chores. She's made an onion into a doll. I grew up on a farm myself, so she immediately enchanted me. However as we all know childhood doesn't protect us from the darkness that comes sometimes. The writing has a Grimm's fairy tale quality to it. Because of that, this book won't be for everyone. If you like dark tales or weird stories like I do, then this one is for you. It's told from multiple points of view, one being a Crow. There are quite a few different "swallow" metaphors (the leopard who didn't eat Garash, feathers, a doll, poisoned berries, watery soup) that suggest a theme of accepting one's lot in life or not and the results of that. Whether it be Temen's hatred of farming, Wasu's obesity, Meshara's abuse or lack of status, like many fairytales there is a moral to the story.
Trigger warning: there is some initial spousal abuse in this book, if that's a problem for you, you may want to skip it. "In ancient Sumeria, only a thin veil separates the living from the dead."
Trigger warning: there is some initial spousal abuse in this book, if that's a problem for you, you may want to skip it. "In ancient Sumeria, only a thin veil separates the living from the dead."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2021
Read this review and other Science Fiction/Fantasy book reviews at The Quill to Live
I prefer to get weird with my reading sometimes, and often that can be hard when there are so many releases. Especially when those releases fit into nicely worn grooves, adding to a genre or subgenre I feel immersed in. I am obviously more comfortable reading science fiction, especially if it's a space opera, near future dystopia, or climate fiction because those are my wheel houses. I am also completely okay with relaying my experiences in weird arenas that I have no background in, especially when a book speaks to me on so many levels that it’s hard to distill for a digestible review. However, sometimes I decide to take a big bite into something that needs digestion, needs time to think through. That’s where Jamie Yourdon’s The Space Between Two Deaths comes in. It’s a short novel that takes its time dealing with the subject of death, and how it might impact one’s life in ancient Sumeria.
The Space Between Two Deaths follows the lives and deaths surrounding a small family with a farm in ancient Sumeria. When a nearby city-state is sacked and pillaged, a crevasse opens up on the land that Meshara and her husband, Temen, cultivate. Too many deaths caused a rupture in the underworld, and it happens to be on their land. Temen can’t help but explore this opening. He steals the tail feather of a crow so that it may guide him to the bowels of the underworld in search of his father. Meshara, and their daughter Ziz, are frustrated with his absence especially when the landlord arrives to check in on things. When the landlord is pulled into the opening himself by a tiger from the depths, Meshara and Ziz have to flee their land to escape punishment. After being taken in by a generous and wealthy woman, will Meshara and Ziz find a new life, or will they be forced to be slaves?
I think I fell into a trap with this book. I felt a compulsion to read it, not because of the merits of the book, but because I had decided I needed something very different. The first thirty percent of the story is a blur to me. Sure, events stick out, plot occurs and I know the general direction of the book. But the flavor of it is missing, as if I wasn’t paying attention strongly enough. It wasn’t until I was eighty pages in when things started to click.
The story itself feels like a modern rendition of an old fable. I don’t know much about ancient Sumeria, but the story feels like a tale from that time and place. It’s alien in some respects, more brutal, and grounded in a reality I don’t quite understand. Some reviewers mention this is supposed to be a horror book, and while it certainly has those trappings, it feels too mythological to be “horror.” Does it explore some of the same psychological tendencies that horror often does? Yes, but there is a deftness to the way those aspects were handled that made me think more in the vein of ancient myths. The horror isn’t the point, it’s just so deeply entwined within their lives.
Yourdon’s writing is saturated with this feeling of being between two worlds. It’s not quite a fever dream, but it’s close. It’s more like when you’re waking up from a dream in the middle of the night. You can clearly delineate the fact that you’re in a bed and the crow you were having a pleasant conversation with is not real. But when you walk down the dark hallway to get a glass of water, the shadows have no definition and a dark bird flies by the window, you start to question. Yourdon cleverly slips into this state in his writing, having different characters interact with the world in different ways. Meshara is firmly rooted in the workings of the human world, trying to find a way to continue living the life she has always led. Temen is anchored in the underworld, accepting incredibly dark and absurd things until that’s just how he sees the world. And Ziz, at ten years old, is in between, never knowing what is a story and what is reality. It’s just kind of a muddle of both, neither truly distinct from the other and it’s fascinating.
The plot itself revolves mostly around these two women and how their lives are shackled by the laws of ancient Sumeria. Obviously, to them this is the way that life is, and they have to navigate the world with desires of just a little bit more. It is striking that neither of their wants feels too out of place for the rules that Yourdon is setting. Again, I know very little about ancient Sumeria, but it feels realistic for my general understanding of the ancient world and how it viewed/treated women. I wouldn’t say it’s gripping, but it is a compelling exploration of their lives, and how they have to play the game. Yourdon introduces a few snags that ramps the tension, and he’s generally successful at making you care about how their lives turn out.
The further away from reading it, the more I find myself thinking about this book. I think I took it too lightly in the beginning to fully enjoy it and may end up rereading it. I do want to make a quick warning: this is a brutal book. There are depictions of gore, some child abuse, and just general uneasy subject material. I’m usually not fazed by these things, so they fit fairly naturally to me within the context of the story. I also buried the lead, but Temen’s story is told through the perspective of the crow who had his tail feather stolen, which was just delightful. He talks, but can only use one syllable words to convey meaning and it’s delightful even if it’s the gorier sections of the book. If you want to step outside your comfort zone, The Space Between Two Deaths is a good way to do it.
Rating: The Space Between Two Deaths 7.5/10
-Alex
I prefer to get weird with my reading sometimes, and often that can be hard when there are so many releases. Especially when those releases fit into nicely worn grooves, adding to a genre or subgenre I feel immersed in. I am obviously more comfortable reading science fiction, especially if it's a space opera, near future dystopia, or climate fiction because those are my wheel houses. I am also completely okay with relaying my experiences in weird arenas that I have no background in, especially when a book speaks to me on so many levels that it’s hard to distill for a digestible review. However, sometimes I decide to take a big bite into something that needs digestion, needs time to think through. That’s where Jamie Yourdon’s The Space Between Two Deaths comes in. It’s a short novel that takes its time dealing with the subject of death, and how it might impact one’s life in ancient Sumeria.
The Space Between Two Deaths follows the lives and deaths surrounding a small family with a farm in ancient Sumeria. When a nearby city-state is sacked and pillaged, a crevasse opens up on the land that Meshara and her husband, Temen, cultivate. Too many deaths caused a rupture in the underworld, and it happens to be on their land. Temen can’t help but explore this opening. He steals the tail feather of a crow so that it may guide him to the bowels of the underworld in search of his father. Meshara, and their daughter Ziz, are frustrated with his absence especially when the landlord arrives to check in on things. When the landlord is pulled into the opening himself by a tiger from the depths, Meshara and Ziz have to flee their land to escape punishment. After being taken in by a generous and wealthy woman, will Meshara and Ziz find a new life, or will they be forced to be slaves?
I think I fell into a trap with this book. I felt a compulsion to read it, not because of the merits of the book, but because I had decided I needed something very different. The first thirty percent of the story is a blur to me. Sure, events stick out, plot occurs and I know the general direction of the book. But the flavor of it is missing, as if I wasn’t paying attention strongly enough. It wasn’t until I was eighty pages in when things started to click.
The story itself feels like a modern rendition of an old fable. I don’t know much about ancient Sumeria, but the story feels like a tale from that time and place. It’s alien in some respects, more brutal, and grounded in a reality I don’t quite understand. Some reviewers mention this is supposed to be a horror book, and while it certainly has those trappings, it feels too mythological to be “horror.” Does it explore some of the same psychological tendencies that horror often does? Yes, but there is a deftness to the way those aspects were handled that made me think more in the vein of ancient myths. The horror isn’t the point, it’s just so deeply entwined within their lives.
Yourdon’s writing is saturated with this feeling of being between two worlds. It’s not quite a fever dream, but it’s close. It’s more like when you’re waking up from a dream in the middle of the night. You can clearly delineate the fact that you’re in a bed and the crow you were having a pleasant conversation with is not real. But when you walk down the dark hallway to get a glass of water, the shadows have no definition and a dark bird flies by the window, you start to question. Yourdon cleverly slips into this state in his writing, having different characters interact with the world in different ways. Meshara is firmly rooted in the workings of the human world, trying to find a way to continue living the life she has always led. Temen is anchored in the underworld, accepting incredibly dark and absurd things until that’s just how he sees the world. And Ziz, at ten years old, is in between, never knowing what is a story and what is reality. It’s just kind of a muddle of both, neither truly distinct from the other and it’s fascinating.
The plot itself revolves mostly around these two women and how their lives are shackled by the laws of ancient Sumeria. Obviously, to them this is the way that life is, and they have to navigate the world with desires of just a little bit more. It is striking that neither of their wants feels too out of place for the rules that Yourdon is setting. Again, I know very little about ancient Sumeria, but it feels realistic for my general understanding of the ancient world and how it viewed/treated women. I wouldn’t say it’s gripping, but it is a compelling exploration of their lives, and how they have to play the game. Yourdon introduces a few snags that ramps the tension, and he’s generally successful at making you care about how their lives turn out.
The further away from reading it, the more I find myself thinking about this book. I think I took it too lightly in the beginning to fully enjoy it and may end up rereading it. I do want to make a quick warning: this is a brutal book. There are depictions of gore, some child abuse, and just general uneasy subject material. I’m usually not fazed by these things, so they fit fairly naturally to me within the context of the story. I also buried the lead, but Temen’s story is told through the perspective of the crow who had his tail feather stolen, which was just delightful. He talks, but can only use one syllable words to convey meaning and it’s delightful even if it’s the gorier sections of the book. If you want to step outside your comfort zone, The Space Between Two Deaths is a good way to do it.
Rating: The Space Between Two Deaths 7.5/10
-Alex
November 14, 2020
This book was so different than anything I have read before. The story begins in ancient Sumeria with the Earth being rent in two and a giant ravine opening up because the netherworld is too full of the dead. We follow a family of three characters (ten-year-old Ziz and her parents Meshara and Temen) on their journey to find freedom and purpose in both the natural and netherworlds. I don't want to say much more as it would take away from a first reading experience.
I loved Ziz as a character. She reminded me of a young Arya Stark (with needle most specifically) or a more outgoing Nona Grey from the Holy Ancestors trilogy. While those are both high fantasy, the characterization is similar and something I am always a sucker for. I also really enjoyed reading from the perspective of the crow. It was rendered in such a unique way and added to the mythology-style feel of the story. It almost felt like I was reading Sumerian Grimm's fairytales at times.
The themes throughout the novel were excellent. Revolving around slavery, freedom, personal choice, and self-identification/actualization, the setting was perfect for a discussion of such themes and I thought they were handled excellently. Also, the prologue for this book completely hooked me. It is one of the best prologues I have read in recent memory.
After reading the description I will admit I was hoping for a bit more of ancient Sumeria in the story. While I think the author showcased some of their mythology and religious traditions well, I just wanted to *taste and smell* the ancient world a bit more and explore it with my senses. I found it a bit hard to picture in my head sometimes which might be influencing my overall feel of the story. (I feel the need to note the author was very descriptive in terms of the plot, I'm just being picky and wanted more Sumeria!)
Lastly, there were a few plot points that I wanted answers on and left me feeling a little unsettled. While I felt like Ziz's story arc was perfectly wrapped up (I LOVED her ending) and the themes were complete, I didn't feel the same way for Temen's and Meshara's storylines. I feel like I needed one more chapter from each of them to glean their thoughts and feelings about what had occurred and to wrap up their connection with other characters. And here's one big question I have:
One final note: This book has some body gore that I was not expecting. You may want to be aware before reading that there is some self-mutilation and an incident with eyeballs!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Ziz as a character. She reminded me of a young Arya Stark (with needle most specifically) or a more outgoing Nona Grey from the Holy Ancestors trilogy. While those are both high fantasy, the characterization is similar and something I am always a sucker for. I also really enjoyed reading from the perspective of the crow. It was rendered in such a unique way and added to the mythology-style feel of the story. It almost felt like I was reading Sumerian Grimm's fairytales at times.
The themes throughout the novel were excellent. Revolving around slavery, freedom, personal choice, and self-identification/actualization, the setting was perfect for a discussion of such themes and I thought they were handled excellently. Also, the prologue for this book completely hooked me. It is one of the best prologues I have read in recent memory.
After reading the description I will admit I was hoping for a bit more of ancient Sumeria in the story. While I think the author showcased some of their mythology and religious traditions well, I just wanted to *taste and smell* the ancient world a bit more and explore it with my senses. I found it a bit hard to picture in my head sometimes which might be influencing my overall feel of the story. (I feel the need to note the author was very descriptive in terms of the plot, I'm just being picky and wanted more Sumeria!)
Lastly, there were a few plot points that I wanted answers on and left me feeling a little unsettled. While I felt like Ziz's story arc was perfectly wrapped up (I LOVED her ending) and the themes were complete, I didn't feel the same way for Temen's and Meshara's storylines. I feel like I needed one more chapter from each of them to glean their thoughts and feelings about what had occurred and to wrap up their connection with other characters. And here's one big question I have:
One final note: This book has some body gore that I was not expecting. You may want to be aware before reading that there is some self-mutilation and an incident with eyeballs!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2021
A weird little book: not quite "historical fiction" and not quite metaphysics and not quite allegory. In retrospect, it's a book that thinks it's deeper than it is– and I suspect that only a man could be so impressed by insights into power and dependence and freedom such as these manage to be; they aren't really particularly profound. It's hard not to compare this to Delaney's Neveryona stories, and, unsurprisingly, Yourdon suffers by comparison. BUT it was an engaging read nonetheless, with some powerfully unsettling images and an interesting, almost compassionate detachment from judgment on the rather horrible characters; it's an interesting experience to read a book where the character I'm most invested in isn't any of the human ones but the unfortunate crow.
March 24, 2021
Good story, Ziz's storyarc was great and I loved the crow. It was an interesting world Yourdon created. It was, however, not Sumer.
Major flaw, there's no evidence for modern landlord and tenant farmer land relationships at Sumer. In fact property was largely a family affair (overseen by the state) and the buying and selling of it was unusual enough to warrant an obelisk when it happened. Also, why are there no signs of /when/ this is set? Sumer lasted from 4500-1900BCE which is a long span of time but definitely not a monolith of cultural time! There's plenty of both absolute and relative chronological markers that would have narrowed it down.
Also, Mesopotamian crows are piebald in coloring. They would not have been all black.
As an archaeologist, I really had to suspend /a lot/ of belief.
Major flaw, there's no evidence for modern landlord and tenant farmer land relationships at Sumer. In fact property was largely a family affair (overseen by the state) and the buying and selling of it was unusual enough to warrant an obelisk when it happened. Also, why are there no signs of /when/ this is set? Sumer lasted from 4500-1900BCE which is a long span of time but definitely not a monolith of cultural time! There's plenty of both absolute and relative chronological markers that would have narrowed it down.
Also, Mesopotamian crows are piebald in coloring. They would not have been all black.
As an archaeologist, I really had to suspend /a lot/ of belief.
March 28, 2021
This is a very intriguing novel! I found myself immediately sucked in and wanting to know what was to come!
The story is told through different perspectives. You have a young girl Ziz, her mother, father and a Crow! Each share their perspective on the evens taking place! This story is definitely not boring and one that had me looking up information because of my curiosity.
The ending through is very inspirational and I loved the ideas of this young girl fighting to belong to no one! Great story telling and a very gripping world!
The story is told through different perspectives. You have a young girl Ziz, her mother, father and a Crow! Each share their perspective on the evens taking place! This story is definitely not boring and one that had me looking up information because of my curiosity.
The ending through is very inspirational and I loved the ideas of this young girl fighting to belong to no one! Great story telling and a very gripping world!
November 18, 2020
After a rift to the Netherworld suddenly appears in the Mesopotamian countryside, an unexpected death sets into motion a series of life-altering events for Ziz and her family.
The Space Between Two Deaths is certainly whimsically macabre. I enjoyed the Sumerian symbolism and motifs throughout the story, but found it to be an otherwise bizarre and uncompelling tale. It was difficult to connect with, or even like, any of the characters. While one would expect to encounter injustice and violence during antiquity, the superfluous overuse of gore and mutilation unfortunately decreased its impact on me as a reader. All-in-all, I thought this was a very strange, trite, and anticlimactic story.
Trigger warnings: this book contains a mass suicide event, domestic violence, child marriage, animal death, slavery, gore, mutilation and ableistic language.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.
The Space Between Two Deaths is certainly whimsically macabre. I enjoyed the Sumerian symbolism and motifs throughout the story, but found it to be an otherwise bizarre and uncompelling tale. It was difficult to connect with, or even like, any of the characters. While one would expect to encounter injustice and violence during antiquity, the superfluous overuse of gore and mutilation unfortunately decreased its impact on me as a reader. All-in-all, I thought this was a very strange, trite, and anticlimactic story.
Trigger warnings: this book contains a mass suicide event, domestic violence, child marriage, animal death, slavery, gore, mutilation and ableistic language.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.
February 11, 2021
The story is told from multiple perspectives and reads like mythology. The story takes place in two worlds, our world and the Netherworld. Ziz, one of the protagonists is a young girl who has already been promised to a solider. She rages against the confines of her gender role in her society. We also get to read from the perspective of the crow, who is an usher for people between the two worlds.
In the end, this is really a story about women looking for agency. For Ziz, she has to completely let go of her sense of self to gain her independence.
I think the characters in this story are easy to dislike. However, if we keep in mind that all of the women were living as second class citizens it’s easier to understand their behaviors and decisions.
In the end, this is really a story about women looking for agency. For Ziz, she has to completely let go of her sense of self to gain her independence.
I think the characters in this story are easy to dislike. However, if we keep in mind that all of the women were living as second class citizens it’s easier to understand their behaviors and decisions.
March 1, 2021
The Space Between Two Deaths sounded interesting, but it wasn't to me. Some aspects were neat, but the whole story wasn't compelling to me.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
gger Warning:
mass suicide, gore, attempted cannibalism, slavery, domestic abuse, ableistic language, child marriage
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
gger Warning:
mass suicide, gore, attempted cannibalism, slavery, domestic abuse, ableistic language, child marriage
April 26, 2021
The Space Between Two Deaths had a fascinating premise, very little modern literature focuses on Sumerian culture, religion and mythology. I thought that the story started off very strong with the sack of Uruk by the army of Nippur which throws off the balance between the land of the living and the netherworld. As a result of this imbalance a rift opens up in the earth leading down into the netherworld. Here is where I felt the author missed an opportunity - though the rift did play a role in the lives of the main characters, the larger implications of the rift on Sumerian society was ignored, it was as if no one else was affected by this supernatural event. It had seemed as though the author had set the scene for the dead to rise and overwhelm the living, for mythological creatures or deities to assert their influence, but none of this occurred.
The rest of the novel was, in essence, a family drama. Though some aspects were interesting, I personally found all the main characters to be rather unlikeable and as such I felt it difficult to become emotionally invested in the tale. Temen, Meshara and Ziz were all callous and self-interested without a sense of care or concern for the other members of their family. Temen was violently abusive and lacking in work ethic, Meshara was deeply resentful and happy to abdicate any sense of maternal duty, and Ziz thrilled in carrying out theft and violence with little sense of consequence. Themes of physical and sexual abuse, child marriage, slavery, mutilation and even cannibalism seemed to be casually thrown into the book without much commentary or critique.
I think my favourite parts of the book were the chapters narrated by the crow, who was the least problematic and most interesting character. I did really enjoy the ending, (at least for Ziz and the crow). Overall the book beginning and ending of the book are very strong, its just the muddle in the middle that I'm not sold on.
Thank you to NetGalley and GenZ Publishing for providing a e-copy of this book for review.
The rest of the novel was, in essence, a family drama. Though some aspects were interesting, I personally found all the main characters to be rather unlikeable and as such I felt it difficult to become emotionally invested in the tale. Temen, Meshara and Ziz were all callous and self-interested without a sense of care or concern for the other members of their family. Temen was violently abusive and lacking in work ethic, Meshara was deeply resentful and happy to abdicate any sense of maternal duty, and Ziz thrilled in carrying out theft and violence with little sense of consequence. Themes of physical and sexual abuse, child marriage, slavery, mutilation and even cannibalism seemed to be casually thrown into the book without much commentary or critique.
I think my favourite parts of the book were the chapters narrated by the crow, who was the least problematic and most interesting character. I did really enjoy the ending, (at least for Ziz and the crow). Overall the book beginning and ending of the book are very strong, its just the muddle in the middle that I'm not sold on.
Thank you to NetGalley and GenZ Publishing for providing a e-copy of this book for review.
March 13, 2021
3.5 stars. Loved the themes, but not the gore. I tend to love books I can live in and the setting of the book was just not a place I would want to live in. There was a lot going on with the themes, so those that really look for that, I highly recommend this book to you! Also, did I mention that there’s a talking crow?
The characters certainly had dimensions, but for some reason I just didn’t quiet click with them. There weren't many characters I really wanted to root for. One interesting character was a talking crow. There is a plot but I think the more significant aspect of the book is the character’s internal journey.
One overarching theme, as I group it together, is of relationships between people. The characters reflect on the relationships between husband-wife, patron-client, master-slave, and so on. The ending of the book was satisfying and that's about as much as I can say without giving spoilers.
As I mentioned, there is a lot of gore, which I’m typically fine with, but there just seemed to be so much that it made the world feel inescapable. For example, one of the main characters is 10 years old and has to go through so much that it feels like there is little that is redeemable about the world.
In terms of trigger warnings for the book:
Overall, I liked the book but it's not really the type of historical fiction I tend to read. Still, I liked the themes explored and the fantasy/mythic/magic realism elements in the book.
***I received an ARC copy from NetGalley***
The characters certainly had dimensions, but for some reason I just didn’t quiet click with them. There weren't many characters I really wanted to root for. One interesting character was a talking crow. There is a plot but I think the more significant aspect of the book is the character’s internal journey.
One overarching theme, as I group it together, is of relationships between people. The characters reflect on the relationships between husband-wife, patron-client, master-slave, and so on. The ending of the book was satisfying and that's about as much as I can say without giving spoilers.
As I mentioned, there is a lot of gore, which I’m typically fine with, but there just seemed to be so much that it made the world feel inescapable. For example, one of the main characters is 10 years old and has to go through so much that it feels like there is little that is redeemable about the world.
In terms of trigger warnings for the book:
Overall, I liked the book but it's not really the type of historical fiction I tend to read. Still, I liked the themes explored and the fantasy/mythic/magic realism elements in the book.
***I received an ARC copy from NetGalley***
March 20, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and GenZBooks for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, I will preface this by saying the writing is amazing. Yourdon’s rich storytelling gets us right in the midst of this book, which although short, definitely packs a punch in terms of visuals and thought provoking themes. The story read more of a dark fairytale a la Grimm, which was intriguing to me. The premise of this is really what drew me to it in the first place, but it fell just short of my expectations.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the story itself. As a character driven reader, I really have to root for characters to enjoy a book, and I just didn’t really root for any characters. Ziz was the closest I got - her simple desire to just be her own person at such a young age was relatable. The rest of the characters were not great however - well written, don’t get me wrong, just.... lacking in likability.
The book itself is short, with three different narrators which kept it engaging. As mentioned, I liked Ziz’s narration, and the Crow’s made me laugh, but I really didn’t like Meshara’s character or narration. The story itself was rather explicit, with period typical violence and gore that had me wincing occasionally - again, a credit to Yourdon’s descriptive writing.
Overall, this was a decent book - just not the one for me!
Okay, I will preface this by saying the writing is amazing. Yourdon’s rich storytelling gets us right in the midst of this book, which although short, definitely packs a punch in terms of visuals and thought provoking themes. The story read more of a dark fairytale a la Grimm, which was intriguing to me. The premise of this is really what drew me to it in the first place, but it fell just short of my expectations.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the story itself. As a character driven reader, I really have to root for characters to enjoy a book, and I just didn’t really root for any characters. Ziz was the closest I got - her simple desire to just be her own person at such a young age was relatable. The rest of the characters were not great however - well written, don’t get me wrong, just.... lacking in likability.
The book itself is short, with three different narrators which kept it engaging. As mentioned, I liked Ziz’s narration, and the Crow’s made me laugh, but I really didn’t like Meshara’s character or narration. The story itself was rather explicit, with period typical violence and gore that had me wincing occasionally - again, a credit to Yourdon’s descriptive writing.
Overall, this was a decent book - just not the one for me!
November 14, 2020
**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review**
"The Space Between Two Deaths" by Jamie Yourdon is the magical story of Ziz, a young Sumerian girl and what happens to her family after a gigantic rift opens on their farm.
I loved this book a lot! It read so much like a Studio Ghibli film, magical and strange. The relationships between the characters feel so strong and real, and I loved getting the crow's point of view. The ending was everything I wanted, but I won't be saying more on that because... spoilers!
I'd never read anything about Sumeria before, and this made me want to pick up more books based on their mythology. This book is truly something special and I'll be trying to convince too many people to read it.
I'm giving it 4/5 stars.
"The Space Between Two Deaths" by Jamie Yourdon is the magical story of Ziz, a young Sumerian girl and what happens to her family after a gigantic rift opens on their farm.
I loved this book a lot! It read so much like a Studio Ghibli film, magical and strange. The relationships between the characters feel so strong and real, and I loved getting the crow's point of view. The ending was everything I wanted, but I won't be saying more on that because... spoilers!
I'd never read anything about Sumeria before, and this made me want to pick up more books based on their mythology. This book is truly something special and I'll be trying to convince too many people to read it.
I'm giving it 4/5 stars.
May 16, 2023
I saw this in my local library new arrival section. The premise, intriguing. The setting, in the ancient near east, is one that presses my particular buttons. I read a few pages before checking it out, and Yourdon's prose flowed well. So why not? I gave it a whirl.
Glad I did. A thoroughly engaging, well crafted bit of historical fiction/magical realism, weaving the mythology and folkways of Ancient Sumeria into a story of the boundaries between life and death, power and will. It's a taut story of perfect length, far more satisfying than I'd expected. Yourdon's characters live and breathe, up to and including the nonhuman characters, and his evocation of the worldview of Ancient Sumer pops and crackles with magic. It's a nifty little novel, well worth the read.
A solid four point five, which, of course, rounds up.
Glad I did. A thoroughly engaging, well crafted bit of historical fiction/magical realism, weaving the mythology and folkways of Ancient Sumeria into a story of the boundaries between life and death, power and will. It's a taut story of perfect length, far more satisfying than I'd expected. Yourdon's characters live and breathe, up to and including the nonhuman characters, and his evocation of the worldview of Ancient Sumer pops and crackles with magic. It's a nifty little novel, well worth the read.
A solid four point five, which, of course, rounds up.
February 11, 2021
The story is told from multiple perspectives and reads like mythology. The story takes place in two worlds, our world and the Netherworld. Ziz, one of the protagonists is a young girl who has already been promised to a solider. She rages against the confines of her gender role in her society. We also get to read from the perspective of the crow, who is an usher for people between the two worlds.
In the end, this is really a story about women looking for agency. For Ziz, she has to completely let go of her sense of self to gain her independence.
I think the characters in this story are easy to dislike. However, if we keep in mind that all of the women were living as second class citizens it’s easier to understand their behaviors and decisions.
In the end, this is really a story about women looking for agency. For Ziz, she has to completely let go of her sense of self to gain her independence.
I think the characters in this story are easy to dislike. However, if we keep in mind that all of the women were living as second class citizens it’s easier to understand their behaviors and decisions.
February 16, 2021
THE SPACE BETWEEN TWO DEATHS: 2.75 rounded up
THE SPACE BETWEEN TWO DEATHS left me really wanting. I was so happy to get approved for this ARC based on the description. Magic, hints of gods and mythology mixed with mysticism, and fairytales sprinkled in - I’m there! But this was an interesting start that got more and more beleaguered as the story went on. And I didn’t really find redeeming qualities in any of the characters.
NOTE, I was provided an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley!
THE SPACE BETWEEN TWO DEATHS left me really wanting. I was so happy to get approved for this ARC based on the description. Magic, hints of gods and mythology mixed with mysticism, and fairytales sprinkled in - I’m there! But this was an interesting start that got more and more beleaguered as the story went on. And I didn’t really find redeeming qualities in any of the characters.
NOTE, I was provided an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley!
March 27, 2021
This story held my interest at the beginning, and I really liked the setting and folkloric elements. I think it might have worked better for me if the author had spent more time establishing the relationships between her main characters before sending one of them off into the underworld and separating two others from their home. There was a bit too much opacity there that made it difficult to understand the characters’ motivations later on, especially in the end. I finished this book without too much trouble; still, I was left wondering about the “why” of it all. The writing itself was good on the level of prose, but it’s the big picture that felt weaker and needed more development.
January 30, 2021
tw: (spouse) abuse, body gore, suicide, violence
While I love dark and weird, this story didn’t do it for me. The majority of characters are too unlikeable for me to care and the one character that spiked my interest didn’t have the depth I would like. I also generally don’t enjoy stories without climax, and I think I expected something else from reading the summary (just ... more, I guess? More otherwordly stuff).
While I love dark and weird, this story didn’t do it for me. The majority of characters are too unlikeable for me to care and the one character that spiked my interest didn’t have the depth I would like. I also generally don’t enjoy stories without climax, and I think I expected something else from reading the summary (just ... more, I guess? More otherwordly stuff).
April 21, 2021
The Space Between Two deaths
By Jamie Yourdon
The battle for Uruk started a cascade of events forcing the father to setup his daughter early for marriage. This starts another cascade of events... leading to the death of her father her mother's escape and slavery. Its a world of Mythology believe and perseverance. This would be a great story to teach children story creation, dynamic growth and entertainment thought oral tradition.
By Jamie Yourdon
The battle for Uruk started a cascade of events forcing the father to setup his daughter early for marriage. This starts another cascade of events... leading to the death of her father her mother's escape and slavery. Its a world of Mythology believe and perseverance. This would be a great story to teach children story creation, dynamic growth and entertainment thought oral tradition.
October 25, 2021
A beautiful reconstruction, between history and poetry, of Sumerian society, family relations, religion and the perception of the extraordinary. A very well written book, certainly based on studies and documentation of great relevance, yet raw with a fantasy feel.
So why such a low rating?
The potatoes, for God's sake, the potatoes.
How can you write that among the vegetables used to make a stew were potatoes, in the time of the Sumerians?
So why such a low rating?
The potatoes, for God's sake, the potatoes.
How can you write that among the vegetables used to make a stew were potatoes, in the time of the Sumerians?
December 15, 2020
A pitch-perfect, sinister and chilling to the bone tale of a search for freedom. A gripping and dangerous path to the netherworld that reveals its secrets like night stars winding their way through the dark. The forbidden and unnerving suddenly grow hands, grasping your heart. Yourdon will take you on a journey like no other and make you hold your breath as the dark unfolds.
February 6, 2021
This story was just not one for me. I never connected to any of the characters or was compelled by their story or what happened to them. I never felt like I knew where the story was going or interest in how it would get there.
ARC provided by NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley
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