A review by elliotvanz
The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg

3.0

I wanted to love this novella more than I did. The setting was rich and interesting, I loved how queer it was, and the magic captured my imagination. There were sections I reread because I had never heard certain feelings expressed so eloquently before, especially on the subject of trans identity. At the sentence level so much of this book is gorgeous. However, the writing on a larger scale kept me at arm's length. The passivity of the characters, the similarity in voice, the disjointed feel, and the odd pacing all made this book a bit of slog despite its short length. This is one of those books I didn't enjoy reading but I'm glad I read all the same. I'm left curious about the Birdverse but not certain the author's style resonates with me.