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saracat's review
4.0
I first want to thank NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC.
There are several common approaches to introducing readers to new worlds and universes: learning about the world through the eyes of someone who also doesn't know about the world, explicit explanations especially at the beginning, and discovery as we simply experience the world. Lemberg adopts the last of these for their book. And while you can tell that the universe is well developed beyond what we experience in this book, there are times when the reader has to stay very focused to keep up with all the intricacies of what, why and how things are happening. And yet, there are also simple points that are repeated several times and thus they begin to feel redundant. That being said, the concepts and ideas of this story are so beautiful and poignant, that the issues mentioned are often easy to overlook.
The two main characters feel well developed and have many dimensions to them. However, there are times that their actions seem to be a bit awkward because it feels as if the actions were chosen not because they were most natural for the characters, but because it helped move the plot forward. Even though this is the case at times, each scene taken alone paints such wonderful pictures of another world which I would love to visit again.
Since I read the ARC version, I am very hopeful that the few points that keep me from giving it a 5 star now will be improved so that I can later change it to a 5 star.
There are several common approaches to introducing readers to new worlds and universes: learning about the world through the eyes of someone who also doesn't know about the world, explicit explanations especially at the beginning, and discovery as we simply experience the world. Lemberg adopts the last of these for their book. And while you can tell that the universe is well developed beyond what we experience in this book, there are times when the reader has to stay very focused to keep up with all the intricacies of what, why and how things are happening. And yet, there are also simple points that are repeated several times and thus they begin to feel redundant. That being said, the concepts and ideas of this story are so beautiful and poignant, that the issues mentioned are often easy to overlook.
The two main characters feel well developed and have many dimensions to them. However, there are times that their actions seem to be a bit awkward because it feels as if the actions were chosen not because they were most natural for the characters, but because it helped move the plot forward. Even though this is the case at times, each scene taken alone paints such wonderful pictures of another world which I would love to visit again.
Since I read the ARC version, I am very hopeful that the few points that keep me from giving it a 5 star now will be improved so that I can later change it to a 5 star.
mxsallybend's review
4.0
Powerful, magical, lyrical, and beautifully original, The Four Profound Weaves is one of those books where you linger over each paragraph, admiring the flow of words almost as much as the flow of ideas. R.B. Lemberg weaves – quite literally – a tale of change that encompasses the transformation of bodies, families, and identities.
This is not a coming-of-age tale but one of facing-your-own-mortality, an epic fantasy featuring two elderly characters from different cultures, connected by their changes, their magic, and their families. Uiziya changed when she was young, becoming a woman in a culture that accepts and embraces her, which welcomes her as part of a community. Nen-sasair changed much later in life, becoming a man rejected by his culture and his lovers, an outcast who struggles to find his place. Both are seeking Benesret, exiled for weaving death, leading them to the Ruler of Iyar, a madman who seeks to end the ultimate change, death.
Gender permeates every page of this, from cultures to people to magic. We are introduced to a culture where gender is fluid, where men and women mix openly, where women weave magic but must give up both agency and magic in marriage; and another where gender is rigid and segregated, a world where men are isolated and veiled, where women live and love together, forbidden to sing or build.
Like gender, magic infuses every page of this as well, beginning with the mythology of Bird and Kimri (which I’m curious to know about) and ending with the magic of weaving. Flying carpets and ravenous diamondflies. Weaves of change and hope. The magic of death, of bones, of lives stolen and spirits captured. It’s a beautiful story, but a dark and sorrowful one as well, marked by pain, sacrifice, and love.
While I don’t re-read a lot of books, I’m looking forward to sitting down and immersing myself in the paperback of The Four Profound Weaves once it’s released. There’s such a depth of meaning to it all, I’m confident I’ll uncover a whole other reading.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/07/23/book-review-the-four-profound-weaves-by-r-b-lemberg/
This is not a coming-of-age tale but one of facing-your-own-mortality, an epic fantasy featuring two elderly characters from different cultures, connected by their changes, their magic, and their families. Uiziya changed when she was young, becoming a woman in a culture that accepts and embraces her, which welcomes her as part of a community. Nen-sasair changed much later in life, becoming a man rejected by his culture and his lovers, an outcast who struggles to find his place. Both are seeking Benesret, exiled for weaving death, leading them to the Ruler of Iyar, a madman who seeks to end the ultimate change, death.
Gender permeates every page of this, from cultures to people to magic. We are introduced to a culture where gender is fluid, where men and women mix openly, where women weave magic but must give up both agency and magic in marriage; and another where gender is rigid and segregated, a world where men are isolated and veiled, where women live and love together, forbidden to sing or build.
Like gender, magic infuses every page of this as well, beginning with the mythology of Bird and Kimri (which I’m curious to know about) and ending with the magic of weaving. Flying carpets and ravenous diamondflies. Weaves of change and hope. The magic of death, of bones, of lives stolen and spirits captured. It’s a beautiful story, but a dark and sorrowful one as well, marked by pain, sacrifice, and love.
While I don’t re-read a lot of books, I’m looking forward to sitting down and immersing myself in the paperback of The Four Profound Weaves once it’s released. There’s such a depth of meaning to it all, I’m confident I’ll uncover a whole other reading.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/07/23/book-review-the-four-profound-weaves-by-r-b-lemberg/
verimythe's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
hannah_fink_'s review
4.0
While I do think this book can be understood and enjoyed by someone who hasn't read the rest of the Birdverse, after finishing this book, I think that would have enhanced my experience.
The Four Profound Weaves is set in a universe with a magic system based on weaving the four profound weaving types, but there's a quest that must be completed. I picked this book up because I heard it was really LGBT inclusive and the magic system was based on weaving.
As a weaver, I wanted the actual act of weaving or working at a loom to play a greater role in the overall story. In terms of plot, it felt like a lot got jammed into a novella, but if you're like me and read for world building and characters, I think you'll really enjoy this!
The Four Profound Weaves is set in a universe with a magic system based on weaving the four profound weaving types, but there's a quest that must be completed. I picked this book up because I heard it was really LGBT inclusive and the magic system was based on weaving.
As a weaver, I wanted the actual act of weaving or working at a loom to play a greater role in the overall story. In terms of plot, it felt like a lot got jammed into a novella, but if you're like me and read for world building and characters, I think you'll really enjoy this!
hsinjulit's review
3.0
Content warnings: heavy theme of trans rejection (misgendering, deadnaming, general transphobia), blood, death, bones, loss of spouse
This story deserves a better rating for its theme and execution, but given that I was close to DNFing due to the heavy transphobia one of the main characters was going through, it was a very uncomfortable read that I simply couldn’t rate it higher.
The Four Profound Weaves is an adventure of Uiziya e Lali (63, trans) searching for her aunt Benesret to teach her the craft of weaving from death and the nameless man (64, trans, polyam?), nen-sasaïr, wanting Benesret to name him after his change.
Being transgender is one of the most important things in this novella. While the word “trans” is never used in the fantasy setting, it is clear that both characters are binary transgender. Told in both first-person POV, neither character is particularly likable, and at times, reactions to events and dialogues were slightly abrupt, yet the narration was very slow. Though this is part of a series, reading it as a standalone, as I did, wasn’t confusing.
I admit that I reached my limit a little before the 50% mark and semi-skimmed the rest of the book. It also took me two more days than I had anticipated because I had trouble pushing through. The misgendering and trans rejection running throughout the whole story had made it painful and discomforting to read. The worst thing is that there is no found family, only the two mains who accept each other. It certainly doesn’t help that nen-sasaïr couldn’t/didn’t do much about that. He delayed his transition for a woman he loved, someone who couldn’t accept him for who he is, and I am still very angry about this.
The struggle of socially growing into who one is meant to be is very real and strong in The Four Profound Weaves. I love that this story with two trans main characters in a fantasy setting exists, but reading it was too upsetting for me to rate it as it deserves. I rate on the enjoyment and love I have for a book, and honestly, it probably should be lower. Yet this story is important, a depiction of trans struggle, that I do not want to rate it solely on rereadability. Read at your discretion.
The Four Profound Weaves is about finding one’s true self, Uiziya for her craft and the nameless man for his manhood, within oneself and not seeking validation from the outside. While the journey is difficult, everything is guaranteed to come full circle.
I received an e-ARC from Tachyon Publications via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Are you ready to weave from death?” — Benesret
This story deserves a better rating for its theme and execution, but given that I was close to DNFing due to the heavy transphobia one of the main characters was going through, it was a very uncomfortable read that I simply couldn’t rate it higher.
The Four Profound Weaves is an adventure of Uiziya e Lali (63, trans) searching for her aunt Benesret to teach her the craft of weaving from death and the nameless man (64, trans, polyam?), nen-sasaïr, wanting Benesret to name him after his change.
Being transgender is one of the most important things in this novella. While the word “trans” is never used in the fantasy setting, it is clear that both characters are binary transgender. Told in both first-person POV, neither character is particularly likable, and at times, reactions to events and dialogues were slightly abrupt, yet the narration was very slow. Though this is part of a series, reading it as a standalone, as I did, wasn’t confusing.
The Four Profound Weaves. A carpet of wind, a carpet of sand, a carpet of song, and a carpet of bones. Change, wanderlust, hope, and death.
I admit that I reached my limit a little before the 50% mark and semi-skimmed the rest of the book. It also took me two more days than I had anticipated because I had trouble pushing through. The misgendering and trans rejection running throughout the whole story had made it painful and discomforting to read. The worst thing is that there is no found family, only the two mains who accept each other. It certainly doesn’t help that nen-sasaïr couldn’t/didn’t do much about that. He delayed his transition for a woman he loved, someone who couldn’t accept him for who he is, and I am still very angry about this.
“You see other lives as easy because you don’t see them. You see your story as complex and hard because you know it best.” — Uiziya
The struggle of socially growing into who one is meant to be is very real and strong in The Four Profound Weaves. I love that this story with two trans main characters in a fantasy setting exists, but reading it was too upsetting for me to rate it as it deserves. I rate on the enjoyment and love I have for a book, and honestly, it probably should be lower. Yet this story is important, a depiction of trans struggle, that I do not want to rate it solely on rereadability. Read at your discretion.
The Four Profound Weaves is about finding one’s true self, Uiziya for her craft and the nameless man for his manhood, within oneself and not seeking validation from the outside. While the journey is difficult, everything is guaranteed to come full circle.
I received an e-ARC from Tachyon Publications via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
tellingetienne's review
This took me a long time to read, it's dense and heavy for a short novella. It's also quite lovely. It's very different from anything I've read before, following the story of two older people (both trans) on a strange adventure. I'd say it's a story about discovery of yourself, of learning to own who you are fully. It's so rare to see a story about older self discovery and I think it's something that's very needed. The diversity of bodies, experience, and culture were expertly woven into the story along with the world building. I look forward to reading more in this setting.
upsidedownything's review
3.0
I wanted to like this SO MUCH (dreamy dense queer fantasy!) but the world was so poorly fleshed out for a first time visitor to this complex society that none of the plot points had enough weight to make the story meaningful.
dharshanirymond's review
2.0
In the world where bird-deity is worshipped and weavers can weave magical carpets, the story follows 2 older protagonists Uiziya and nen-sasaïr. Uiziya is a weaver who after more than 40 years goes in search of her master weaver aunt to finish her training and nen-sasaïr is a trans-man who transitioned late, accepts his identity and struggles to live in the not so supportive society. There were moments of surprises but otherwise the dreamlike/poetry-like writing that should've entrapped the reader just pushed me off the pages without much depth. I failed to care for the characters as I did not connect with them in their entire journey. The idea/intention behind Uiziya's carpet and the right for a person to transition in their own timeline are 2 worth mentioning details that were the highlights of the story. I wish the book was more alive to me to keep me trapped in the unique weaving magic world.
genderqueer_hiker's review
2.0
My thoughts on this book: 1) the author and editor seemed to assume that, despite this being the author's first book, we all were supposed to have read all the other short stories connected to this book (published in literary journals of course). So we start this book completely unfamiliar with the world, characters, religions, and magic system - nothing is EVER explained. We just started a book and are told we didn't do the homework?? So we're left disoriented, with no opportunity to understand offered to us. Honestly, it just pissed me off and seemed like lazy writing/editing. 2) the book shifts between two people's perspectives, though they're often traveling and interacting together. But the voices aren't very different - it was often hard to tell them apart. 3) I'm so over including trans characters just to spend the entire book reading endless, exhausting experiences of transphobia. Do better. Trans people aren't your trauma fodder.