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A review by ggwweenn1
The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg
4.0
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.