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A review by lezreadalot
The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg
4.0
It is wrong to make a treasure of another, however tenderly kept.
3.5 stars. Certain events over the last couple of years have just really made me love and appreciate fiction that follows older people, having adventures, living their lives, struggling with some of the same decisions as younger protagonists. It's even more impactful when they're older queer and trans protagonists. So I really really liked this, especially the fantasy, the gods, how queerness and transness is a part of the world. Two trans elders, Uiziya, a woman who transitioned as a young girl, and a nameless man who only very recently underwent the change, go on a journey to find her aunt Benesret. Uiziya, a weaver, wants to learn the final weave from her, and the nameless man wants her to name him.
I'm definitely glad I read the prequel novelette, which gives us more insight into the man's relationship with this grandchildren (one of whom is nonbinary) and his past relationships, especially the one that basically emotionally blackmailed him into delaying his transition for forty years because she didn't want to be with a man. Transphobia and cissexism play a big part of the story, so definitely tread lightly. But I really liked how the author wrote about it, especially how the nameless man navigated his manhood as a person brought up in a very gendered society, where men and women had very strict roles and lived apart; he was never a part of the men's quarters in all his 60-odd years. We get some interesting conversations about gender roles and belonging. I really liked the friendship that grew between Uiziya and the man. The magic system is interesting, though I still don't think I quite have a handle on deepnames and how they work. There's a bit of action and intrigue, a lot of cool cultural stuff and world-building (I really like the concept of the assassins and their garments) and a satisfying ending.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Paul Boehmer, and enjoyed it quite a bit. It was really emotional but also lively narration, and I always felt like he was giving it 110%. It made for an intense listen. This was a great story in an intriguing world; I'll probably check out their other short stories!
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