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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg was one of my favorite reads in the first half of the year, and now The Unbalancing has taken up it’s space beside it for this half of the year. The Unbalancing follows two characters as they attempt to find out what is causing the star in the heart of their homeland to tremble with nightmares. The nightmares in fact have begun to disrupt and may possibly destroy this land if they cannot stop them in time.
The important thing to remember about the writing in these books - that I’ve found at least - is that R.B. Lemberg is a poet. That reflects in the style of their prose. It’s beautiful and at times leans to the purple, in the best possible way. It can seem slow to read, but ultimately the world it paints and the characters are intense and very real, with meat on them.
The primary characters of The Unbalancing are deeply flawed and nuanced - one clearly struggles with an unspecified neurodivergence. They are quiet, very introverted, and wants more than anything to keep to their safe spaces. Our other character is the opposite, full of fire and quick action. I loved them both though it took me a good chunk of reading with Ranra, the more outgoing of the two. Erígra was by far my favorite. I deeply felt many of their needs and questions and empathized with them throughout the whole book.
Outside characters from our primary ones were equally as nuanced and fascinating. We get frequent references to Weaves, but in an approachable and very fun ‘Ah Ha!’ kind of way. The story of the Birdverse is also explored and explained in a deeper way. From the idea of who Bird is to the seven stars and who they were before they were brought to the world. That itself was heartbreaking, the realizations behind those stars.
Ultimately this book felt to me - and I think it’s one that will feel and hit different for a lot of people - to be a lot about beginnings and endings. Finding out truths about yourself and others. One of the biggest themes for me was also Failure. How to carry failure, and carry pain. The book is heavy at times, Erígra is attempting to learn just who they are and how they identify. Ranra is struggling with a history of abuse from her mother, who suffers from an ‘illness of the mind’. Their world is literally being destroyed at the same time as they’re trying to sort these things out (something the book touches on, when is the right time to find oneself or take care of yourself). So don’t expect a light read.
I adored it. I wish I could break down every theme and character, but I would get lost in the weeds and truly - I’m still sorting them out in my own head. I loved this and deeply recommend it if you want a heavier, more intense read that really grapples with a lot of themes.
The important thing to remember about the writing in these books - that I’ve found at least - is that R.B. Lemberg is a poet. That reflects in the style of their prose. It’s beautiful and at times leans to the purple, in the best possible way. It can seem slow to read, but ultimately the world it paints and the characters are intense and very real, with meat on them.
The primary characters of The Unbalancing are deeply flawed and nuanced - one clearly struggles with an unspecified neurodivergence. They are quiet, very introverted, and wants more than anything to keep to their safe spaces. Our other character is the opposite, full of fire and quick action. I loved them both though it took me a good chunk of reading with Ranra, the more outgoing of the two. Erígra was by far my favorite. I deeply felt many of their needs and questions and empathized with them throughout the whole book.
Outside characters from our primary ones were equally as nuanced and fascinating. We get frequent references to Weaves, but in an approachable and very fun ‘Ah Ha!’ kind of way. The story of the Birdverse is also explored and explained in a deeper way. From the idea of who Bird is to the seven stars and who they were before they were brought to the world. That itself was heartbreaking, the realizations behind those stars.
Ultimately this book felt to me - and I think it’s one that will feel and hit different for a lot of people - to be a lot about beginnings and endings. Finding out truths about yourself and others. One of the biggest themes for me was also Failure. How to carry failure, and carry pain. The book is heavy at times, Erígra is attempting to learn just who they are and how they identify. Ranra is struggling with a history of abuse from her mother, who suffers from an ‘illness of the mind’. Their world is literally being destroyed at the same time as they’re trying to sort these things out (something the book touches on, when is the right time to find oneself or take care of yourself). So don’t expect a light read.
I adored it. I wish I could break down every theme and character, but I would get lost in the weeds and truly - I’m still sorting them out in my own head. I loved this and deeply recommend it if you want a heavier, more intense read that really grapples with a lot of themes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I'm a huge fan of Lemberg's work and this novel is a perfect example of why. Their writing is beautiful, elegantly weaving the scenes so I feel I'm standing with the characters, seeing, smelling, breathing in the world right beside them. Birdverse stories feel like coming home to a place I've never been. The world is richly developed and deep in its history, with fascinating details and nuance that make it feel lived in and very real. I really like how Ranra's and Lilún's personalities and voices differ, and how that informs their different approaches to the crisis on the island. Exceptionally well done. The Unbalancing is a lovely, sad, poetic novel that I'll be thinking about for a long time.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
Okay, so obviously this book was stunning. Like stay on the couch after Shabbat ends because I desperately need to finish it levels of stunning.
Lemberg is very clearly and deliberately writing within the fantastic tradition of Le Guin—they write with Le Guin's passion for thinking about what it means for magic to be in community and how it's used and who can use it and how we bear the scars of our lives and still reach to do good anyway and Lemberg, like Le Guin, understands failure and its place in the story and the need to love the fallen as well as the victorious.
Which is all another way of saying that this fantasy novel is SO JEWISH. Not just the etrog and shofar and growing out of twelve, but things like possibly ineffable names and fixing/healing/repairing and families and forgiveness. And also stories about exiles and leaving home and where we locate our identity and the ways in which we are beholden to those who have come before us and their trauma and...I could go on, but just read the book.
Also, Erígra Lílun may have taken top spot in my list of autistic characters to whom I relate so hard that it almost hurts. "Perhaps I could be the one to do this, but I can't actually do this, not the way you are asking me to, not now, not like this." OOF. Good, but OOF.
Anyway, it was perfect and I can't believe it's done.
Lemberg is very clearly and deliberately writing within the fantastic tradition of Le Guin—they write with Le Guin's passion for thinking about what it means for magic to be in community and how it's used and who can use it and how we bear the scars of our lives and still reach to do good anyway and Lemberg, like Le Guin, understands failure and its place in the story and the need to love the fallen as well as the victorious.
Which is all another way of saying that this fantasy novel is SO JEWISH. Not just the etrog and shofar and growing out of twelve, but things like possibly ineffable names and fixing/healing/repairing and families and forgiveness. And also stories about exiles and leaving home and where we locate our identity and the ways in which we are beholden to those who have come before us and their trauma and...I could go on, but just read the book.
Also, Erígra Lílun may have taken top spot in my list of autistic characters to whom I relate so hard that it almost hurts. "Perhaps I could be the one to do this, but I can't actually do this, not the way you are asking me to, not now, not like this." OOF. Good, but OOF.
Anyway, it was perfect and I can't believe it's done.
I very much enjoyed this book, and one of the reasons was that I felt very comfortable reading it.
Part of it was certainly the way the gender binary is a non-starter in this near-paradise archipelago, which makes me feel safe as a person outside the gender binary myself. This is added to, maybe paradoxically, by the mentions that the world outside of the island nation is not as free from gendered restrictions, and that gendered violence is real and terrifying. The knowledge that this island is a safe haven rather than the norm makes it feel even more special. Additionally, everyone respects each other. Even characters who don't particularly like each other, or have a complicated history, generally treat each other with respect. When characters make each other uncomfortable for any reason, they are tired or read a situation wrong, they apologize. Overall, despite the tensions of, you know, the actual plot, I felt rather cozy reading it.
I also thought that the magical system was intriguing. The concept of secret names which give power is nothing new, but I felt the way it was employed was exceptional. The visual of deep names swirling above one's head like stars as they cast magic added to the wistful, celestial atmosphere of the book.
The only thing that real broke my immersion was the occasional use of the word "style" in relation to how a character does something. It seemed garishly modern against the rest of the setting, to say "that's just not their style".
Otherwise I think this is an excellent start to a series and I am very excited to see how it progresses after the impactful end of this first book.
Part of it was certainly the way the gender binary is a non-starter in this near-paradise archipelago, which makes me feel safe as a person outside the gender binary myself. This is added to, maybe paradoxically, by the mentions that the world outside of the island nation is not as free from gendered restrictions, and that gendered violence is real and terrifying. The knowledge that this island is a safe haven rather than the norm makes it feel even more special. Additionally, everyone respects each other. Even characters who don't particularly like each other, or have a complicated history, generally treat each other with respect. When characters make each other uncomfortable for any reason, they are tired or read a situation wrong, they apologize. Overall, despite the tensions of, you know, the actual plot, I felt rather cozy reading it.
I also thought that the magical system was intriguing. The concept of secret names which give power is nothing new, but I felt the way it was employed was exceptional. The visual of deep names swirling above one's head like stars as they cast magic added to the wistful, celestial atmosphere of the book.
The only thing that real broke my immersion was the occasional use of the word "style" in relation to how a character does something. It seemed garishly modern against the rest of the setting, to say "that's just not their style".
Otherwise I think this is an excellent start to a series and I am very excited to see how it progresses after the impactful end of this first book.
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
TL;DR: A brief literary fantasy rich with meaning, but structurally and stylistically a little confused
(eARC provided by Netgalley)
The Unbalancing is a strange entity, but one absolutely packed with meaning. It explores a queer society, and what it means to be non-binary; it depicts autism, and neurodivergence more broadly, with detail and understanding; and it clearly uses the magical crisis to explore real-world calamity and collective action. All of this is beautiful, but the book does feel a bit caught between novella and novel: it is not quite the stripped back beauty of The Four Profound Weaves, but neither is it a fully-fleshed narrative. The relationships are cute and heartfelt, but can feel a little rushed, and there's a weird mixture of worldbuilding elements that are underexplained with those that get repeated exposition. I don't feel like this book came together into its full potential, but the themes and emotions at its heart make it a nonetheless worthy read.
7/10 in personal rating system
(eARC provided by Netgalley)
The Unbalancing is a strange entity, but one absolutely packed with meaning. It explores a queer society, and what it means to be non-binary; it depicts autism, and neurodivergence more broadly, with detail and understanding; and it clearly uses the magical crisis to explore real-world calamity and collective action. All of this is beautiful, but the book does feel a bit caught between novella and novel: it is not quite the stripped back beauty of The Four Profound Weaves, but neither is it a fully-fleshed narrative. The relationships are cute and heartfelt, but can feel a little rushed, and there's a weird mixture of worldbuilding elements that are underexplained with those that get repeated exposition. I don't feel like this book came together into its full potential, but the themes and emotions at its heart make it a nonetheless worthy read.
7/10 in personal rating system
*Thanks to the publisher for reaching out to me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
TL;DR- I recommend this book albeit with some catch(es?).
This is my second book/ARC by R.B. Lemberg after The Four Profound Weaves & it's inevitable that I begin this review by comparing both the books.
The Four Profound Weaves was a hit-miss for me because while the world building was definitely enticing with really good writing to match it with, it faltered in terms of other aspects- plot, characters. The Unbalancing or TU om the other hand, amplifies my favourite parts while downsizing parts where I could nitpick.
(Now, I think it's obvious from the outset, given that this is an ARC, there's gonna be spelling/editing errors and there were some here too, so, we are not really get into that.)
Synopsis in my words: A slumbering star's recurring nightmares threatens the survival of a city which treats it as a living myth. Undeterred by the attitude of some citizens who refuse to take it seriously as well as the previous Starkeeper who refused to acknowledge how close they were to disaster, the new Starkeeper Ranra is determined to do whatever it takes to save the city and her people.
Meanwhile, there's the poet Erígra whose sublime strength lies in their absolute grasp over their ability to form a poem out of anything-be it their own laboured breathing or just the surrounding. Their ancestor wants them to sacrifice love for quietude in exchange for becoming the Starkeeper and saving the island from their impending doom.
Ofcourse, time will tell us the stories of Ranra and Erígra's lives over the course of the book. But simultaneously with that, sparks fly, labels are shuffled through, poems are read identities are recognised, all aided by an absolutely lyrical prose.
*Drumrolls* The review begins!
The cover is absolutely gorgeous btw!
For me, this book primarily deals with "choices" or more specifically the hero's choice- the choice of the so-called chosen one. The story's beginning and the synopsis presented to me a different hero than the one we eventually get and resulted in a fresh take on the chosen one's dilemma, if you will call it.
The main characters were well written enough to not fall flat, even though, not all of them went through a 'character arc'. Dorod is my favouritest character in this book and definitely a person who invites my admiration and respect regardless of whether they're real or fictional. There's just something so magnetic about them. Ranra and Erígra, my two protagonists, oh how I related to u both even though you were neither my favourite characters nor my favourite protagonists- your choices seemed very realistic when viewed in the face of yor flaws, the very same flaws that made you both dearer to me than I had initially imagined. Veruma, how I detested you first appeared, only to gain some shreds of understanding as the plot progressed. Ular, my nerdy buddy, you are annoyingly cute at times. I feel like I can't talk about my feelings regarding Semberí without veering dangerously close near spoiler territory.
The writing is just aptly beautiful for this story. The narration, though initially felt stilted to me. Erígra's narration would be wonderfully exquisite at times, only to say something that would break my immersion in the world. This went on for a few pages until I either got used to it or the narration got better. Another POV character is Ranra and while I didn't face any problems getting into her narration style, I definitely prefer Erígra's narration over Ranra's.
The plot was not the most original one in the world but it wasn't too bad either. The final hero and the ending definitely were the highlights of the story. I loved the concept of Ichidar variations and how the different chapters/parts were titled according to one of the variations.
The Star-oh my gosh- I just wanted more of/about the Star. I had obviously guessed the actual identity (?) of the Star through Semberí's statement but the reveal, nevertheless, felt good. The slight flashback we got of the Star left me wanting more.
Overall, this was definitely a pleasant read. I binged it in one day, hehe. I thank the Author for writing this story and the Publisher for giving me an opportunity to read and review it. I am looking forward to more stories from the The Birdverse.
TL;DR- I recommend this book albeit with some catch(es?).
This is my second book/ARC by R.B. Lemberg after The Four Profound Weaves & it's inevitable that I begin this review by comparing both the books.
The Four Profound Weaves was a hit-miss for me because while the world building was definitely enticing with really good writing to match it with, it faltered in terms of other aspects- plot, characters. The Unbalancing or TU om the other hand, amplifies my favourite parts while downsizing parts where I could nitpick.
(Now, I think it's obvious from the outset, given that this is an ARC, there's gonna be spelling/editing errors and there were some here too, so, we are not really get into that.)
Synopsis in my words: A slumbering star's recurring nightmares threatens the survival of a city which treats it as a living myth. Undeterred by the attitude of some citizens who refuse to take it seriously as well as the previous Starkeeper who refused to acknowledge how close they were to disaster, the new Starkeeper Ranra is determined to do whatever it takes to save the city and her people.
Meanwhile, there's the poet Erígra whose sublime strength lies in their absolute grasp over their ability to form a poem out of anything-be it their own laboured breathing or just the surrounding. Their ancestor wants them to sacrifice love for quietude in exchange for becoming the Starkeeper and saving the island from their impending doom.
Ofcourse, time will tell us the stories of Ranra and Erígra's lives over the course of the book. But simultaneously with that, sparks fly, labels are shuffled through, poems are read identities are recognised, all aided by an absolutely lyrical prose.
*Drumrolls* The review begins!
The cover is absolutely gorgeous btw!
For me, this book primarily deals with "choices" or more specifically the hero's choice- the choice of the so-called chosen one. The story's beginning and the synopsis presented to me a different hero than the one we eventually get and resulted in a fresh take on the chosen one's dilemma, if you will call it.
The main characters were well written enough to not fall flat, even though, not all of them went through a 'character arc'. Dorod is my favouritest character in this book and definitely a person who invites my admiration and respect regardless of whether they're real or fictional. There's just something so magnetic about them. Ranra and Erígra, my two protagonists, oh how I related to u both even though you were neither my favourite characters nor my favourite protagonists- your choices seemed very realistic when viewed in the face of yor flaws, the very same flaws that made you both dearer to me than I had initially imagined. Veruma, how I detested you first appeared, only to gain some shreds of understanding as the plot progressed. Ular, my nerdy buddy, you are annoyingly cute at times. I feel like I can't talk about my feelings regarding Semberí without veering dangerously close near spoiler territory.
The writing is just aptly beautiful for this story. The narration, though initially felt stilted to me. Erígra's narration would be wonderfully exquisite at times, only to say something that would break my immersion in the world. This went on for a few pages until I either got used to it or the narration got better. Another POV character is Ranra and while I didn't face any problems getting into her narration style, I definitely prefer Erígra's narration over Ranra's.
The plot was not the most original one in the world but it wasn't too bad either. The final hero and the ending definitely were the highlights of the story. I loved the concept of Ichidar variations and how the different chapters/parts were titled according to one of the variations.
The Star-oh my gosh- I just wanted more of/about the Star. I had obviously guessed the actual identity (?) of the Star through Semberí's statement but the reveal, nevertheless, felt good. The slight flashback we got of the Star left me wanting more.
Overall, this was definitely a pleasant read. I binged it in one day, hehe. I thank the Author for writing this story and the Publisher for giving me an opportunity to read and review it. I am looking forward to more stories from the The Birdverse.
hopeful
inspiring
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
I would like to thank the publisher for reaching out to me and giving me this e-arc.
I just finished this, and I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words, but I really loved this. This whole universe (Birdverse) sounds so magical and I wish I could be part of it myself.
First of all, the writing was really good, and there was a nice, natural flow throughout the book. It was easy to tell whether it was Ranra or Lilún talking, as they had very different thought-patterns, but the writing flowed smoothly for both. I also felt like I could see everything that happened, because the writing created pictures in my head and made me almost able to feel what the characters were feeling. I related so much to Lilún and their need to make the world slow down so they could think, and, sometimes, also to Ranra's desperate feelings of wanting to fix everything swiftly.
All in all I think this book is beautiful. Not just in the writing, but also in the themes that are explored, and in the world it creates. The island community of Gelle-Geu is completely open and welcoming to any and all sexualities and gender expressions. I loved the way people would declare their identities to the world through ornaments/tokens weaved into their hair (or in the way they wore their hair, for example). I would have loved for there to be a small list explaining the different words and tokens used to describe people's identities and such. I mostly got the gist of it, but sometimes I had trouble remembering which was which.
I loved the island and its people, I loved the mythology of Bird, I loved the two main characters and I loved the culture of the island community.
I also found it interesting that things didn't turn out the way you might expect, and found it reflective of life in general. Things cannot always be tied up neatly with a bow, but somehow even when things go wrong, we continue on. And even if you put your whole heart into something, it's not always enough for you to succeed; this too is very much like real life.
All in all I loved this whole experience, and I'm excited to see what the author does next
I just finished this, and I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words, but I really loved this. This whole universe (Birdverse) sounds so magical and I wish I could be part of it myself.
First of all, the writing was really good, and there was a nice, natural flow throughout the book. It was easy to tell whether it was Ranra or Lilún talking, as they had very different thought-patterns, but the writing flowed smoothly for both. I also felt like I could see everything that happened, because the writing created pictures in my head and made me almost able to feel what the characters were feeling. I related so much to Lilún and their need to make the world slow down so they could think, and, sometimes, also to Ranra's desperate feelings of wanting to fix everything swiftly.
All in all I think this book is beautiful. Not just in the writing, but also in the themes that are explored, and in the world it creates. The island community of Gelle-Geu is completely open and welcoming to any and all sexualities and gender expressions. I loved the way people would declare their identities to the world through ornaments/tokens weaved into their hair (or in the way they wore their hair, for example). I would have loved for there to be a small list explaining the different words and tokens used to describe people's identities and such. I mostly got the gist of it, but sometimes I had trouble remembering which was which.
I loved the island and its people, I loved the mythology of Bird, I loved the two main characters and I loved the culture of the island community.
I also found it interesting that things didn't turn out the way you might expect, and found it reflective of life in general. Things cannot always be tied up neatly with a bow, but somehow even when things go wrong, we continue on. And even if you put your whole heart into something, it's not always enough for you to succeed; this too is very much like real life.
All in all I loved this whole experience, and I'm excited to see what the author does next
