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indeedithappens's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Self harm, Alcohol, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
ryttu3k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bennettanneb's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
s_sheppard18's review against another edition
5.0
Huge thanks to the author, [a:R. B. Lemberg|20285116|R. B. Lemberg|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], the publisher, Tachyon, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book.
The short version of what may be a behemoth of a review: If you’re looking for lyrical prose, an action-packed magical fantasy reminiscent of the legend of Atlantis, protagonists that focus on the facets of trans identity and neurodivergence, found family, queer romance, emotive worldbuilding, an original magic system, ghosts, and a wholly unique voice in the speculative fiction landscape- this is THE book you need. If you’re looking for a traditional fantasy story that won’t rock the boat or make you think a lot- this might not be the book for you, but still try it just in case.
The Unbalancing impacted me in such a strong way that I feel nearly incapable of doing it justice in a review, but trust me when I say that this will be one of my most recommended novels of the year, and perhaps my favorite novel of 2022. I want to yell about it from the rooftops. I want to re-read it. I want my book club to read it, I want my pastor to read it, and I want every librarian in my state to read it and put it in their collections.
Lemberg dumps the reader into the universe of Birdverse with relatively little introduction, but I appreciate how some of the mythology and history of the culture is explained via oral history sharing between the characters in the novel. Although some reviewers have complained about the lack of visual descriptions of the setting or straightforward explanations for the universe the story is set in, I think Lemberg does an excellent job of providing us just enough information to follow the plot while keeping the novel moderately cerebral. If you’ve never read any of Lemberg’s Birdverse works, you should have no problem still following the plot of The Unbalancing. Personally, I think that the Birdverse setting is more approachable and easier to conceptualize in The Unbalancing, compared to another Birdverse novel, [b:The Four Profound Weaves|51600161|The Four Profound Weaves|R.B. Lemberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575992755l/51600161._SY75_.jpg|73397963], especially for those of us who have not read Lemberg’s extensive number of other Birdverse works.
What stands out to me about The Unbalancing is the descriptions of the protagonists’ internal experiences throughout the novel. Rather than focusing all of their energy on the plot, Lemberg delves deep into the narrators’ identities, and you can truly see Lemberg’s own life experience shine through in the lyrical expositions of each protagonist’s story and the way their identities intersect. This is an Own Voices novel of genuinely astounding quality. I’m not sure if I’ve ever before felt such an intimate connection with a narrator.
The overall plot of The Unbalancing, of two people figuring out how to love and how to save their home and culture at the same time, was exciting and kept me seriously engaged. The couple of twists at the end- when we learn more about the star’s magic and creation, and how the protagonists act during what is effectively the apocalypse- answered many of the questions I had from earlier in the book.
In conclusion: Read this, as soon as possible, and then read it again.
The short version of what may be a behemoth of a review: If you’re looking for lyrical prose, an action-packed magical fantasy reminiscent of the legend of Atlantis, protagonists that focus on the facets of trans identity and neurodivergence, found family, queer romance, emotive worldbuilding, an original magic system, ghosts, and a wholly unique voice in the speculative fiction landscape- this is THE book you need. If you’re looking for a traditional fantasy story that won’t rock the boat or make you think a lot- this might not be the book for you, but still try it just in case.
The Unbalancing impacted me in such a strong way that I feel nearly incapable of doing it justice in a review, but trust me when I say that this will be one of my most recommended novels of the year, and perhaps my favorite novel of 2022. I want to yell about it from the rooftops. I want to re-read it. I want my book club to read it, I want my pastor to read it, and I want every librarian in my state to read it and put it in their collections.
Lemberg dumps the reader into the universe of Birdverse with relatively little introduction, but I appreciate how some of the mythology and history of the culture is explained via oral history sharing between the characters in the novel. Although some reviewers have complained about the lack of visual descriptions of the setting or straightforward explanations for the universe the story is set in, I think Lemberg does an excellent job of providing us just enough information to follow the plot while keeping the novel moderately cerebral. If you’ve never read any of Lemberg’s Birdverse works, you should have no problem still following the plot of The Unbalancing. Personally, I think that the Birdverse setting is more approachable and easier to conceptualize in The Unbalancing, compared to another Birdverse novel, [b:The Four Profound Weaves|51600161|The Four Profound Weaves|R.B. Lemberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575992755l/51600161._SY75_.jpg|73397963], especially for those of us who have not read Lemberg’s extensive number of other Birdverse works.
What stands out to me about The Unbalancing is the descriptions of the protagonists’ internal experiences throughout the novel. Rather than focusing all of their energy on the plot, Lemberg delves deep into the narrators’ identities, and you can truly see Lemberg’s own life experience shine through in the lyrical expositions of each protagonist’s story and the way their identities intersect. This is an Own Voices novel of genuinely astounding quality. I’m not sure if I’ve ever before felt such an intimate connection with a narrator.
The overall plot of The Unbalancing, of two people figuring out how to love and how to save their home and culture at the same time, was exciting and kept me seriously engaged. The couple of twists at the end- when we learn more about the star’s magic and creation, and how the protagonists act during what is effectively the apocalypse- answered many of the questions I had from earlier in the book.
In conclusion: Read this, as soon as possible, and then read it again.
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
The Unbalancing is a book about survival and being realistic (even in a world of magic) and consent and neurodivergent life, all set in Lemberg's fantastical Birdverse. There's a lot here that is philosophical and intellectual, but Lemberg always manages to keep the storyline moving forward. The book nods to the traditional Western shape for storytelling--intro, conflict, crisis, resolution--but also avoids this form, making the book somewhat circular and focused on personal decisions, sharing, attraction, and action. It's also a different way of approaching climate fiction, and is meditative and full of beautiful language even when describing catastrophe. I love the pace of the novel, the way the characters become involved and care for one another, and the introspection of the narrator. I'd love to read this with other people who know Lemberg's other BIrdverse work; having said that, though, I think it can stand on its own with newcomers to the author's writing.
slinkmalink's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I enjoyed reading most of this but I think it came down to okay for me.
I liked the way they talked about the connecting of the deepnames but the magic system as a whole wasn't quite established enough for me (maybe it is more in the first book but I haven't read that). I did however like all the bird imagery - still on the fence about the replacement of 'fuck' as a swear word with 'pluck'.
I just didn't feel the ending was that satisfying as well? For all the buildup it just felt a little underwhelming for me.
I also felt like I wasn't made to care enough about Veruma for how much it kept coming back to her.
I thought the diversity in terms of gender/relationships was cool obviously, esp the canonically aspec characters were cool for me. I thought the exploration of gender was really interesting, and there are so many non-binary characters which is great (Disclaimer: I'm not nb so coming at it from an outside pov, while I liked the little tokens I was a bit confused about to what extent there became set ways of presenting yourself in terms of gender? But I mean they established that their society is super accepting and none of the characters seemed to feel pressured to work things out to maybe I just see too much disk horse and again outside pov so if it works for NB people great and I rescind my questioning).
(Again outside pov but) it seemed to me a good portrayal of an autistic main character and it was good to have that in it and also to see Renra having to make conscious choices about how to respect Lilun's needs even when it didn't come naturally to her.
Overall the vibes were there for me but the execution not quite.
I liked the way they talked about the connecting of the deepnames but the magic system as a whole wasn't quite established enough for me (maybe it is more in the first book but I haven't read that). I did however like all the bird imagery - still on the fence about the replacement of 'fuck' as a swear word with 'pluck'.
I also felt like I wasn't made to care enough about Veruma for how much it kept coming back to her.
I thought the diversity in terms of gender/relationships was cool obviously, esp the canonically aspec characters were cool for me. I thought the exploration of gender was really interesting, and there are so many non-binary characters which is great (Disclaimer: I'm not nb so coming at it from an outside pov, while I liked the little tokens I was a bit confused about to what extent there became set ways of presenting yourself in terms of gender? But I mean they established that their society is super accepting and none of the characters seemed to feel pressured to work things out to maybe I just see too much disk horse and again outside pov so if it works for NB people great and I rescind my questioning).
(Again outside pov but) it seemed to me a good portrayal of an autistic main character and it was good to have that in it and also to see Renra having to make conscious choices about how to respect Lilun's needs even when it didn't come naturally to her.
Overall the vibes were there for me but the execution not quite.
laurenbastian's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really wanted to love this book but I found it terribly slow despite a breakneck timeline of events. I had difficulty connecting to Ranra, and felt that she and the most of the other side characters were somewhat vague in her characterization. Perhaps if the book were longer I would have grown to like the characters, but the story takes place in so little time, it was difficult to care much about the character or understand whether they actually developed over the course of the story or not.
I did really love the creativity of the world building and magic system. The fantasy elements really worked here, and my favorite parts were of Lilún learning the origin of their people and culture. I probably won't read the second one, but I appreciated the read.
I did really love the creativity of the world building and magic system. The fantasy elements really worked here, and my favorite parts were of Lilún learning the origin of their people and culture. I probably won't read the second one, but I appreciated the read.
geo81's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
gealach's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wisechild14's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0