Very creative, original fantasy novella. It was hard for me to stay focused on it throughout (even though it was so unique), but I did enjoy it when I could buckle down and sit still. I wish I could rate this higher because I do think it’s a special work, I just didn’t enjoy it enough to give it the “loved it” rating. At times it was confusing to follow the dual perspective first person narrative that jumped back and forth rapidly. That's the main issue I had with <i>The Four Profound Weaves</i> and why I can't rate it higher. I think if I had read any books from the Birdverse I would have enjoyed this book a lot more, so I'm placing some blame on myself. I don't think you have to have read any other books to understand this, it works as a standalone, but I do kind of wish I had.

The gender fluidity/transformation aspect of the story was bigger than I initially thought, but I found that part of the culture to be fascinating. The transformation was accepted in one culture and frowned upon in another, and we see how that has affected one of our narrators. The nameless man <spoiler>,nen-sasair,</spoiler> was originally from Iyar, the place that is not accepting of body/gender transformation. His really is a beautiful story.

Then we have Uiziya, a woman in search of her Aunt, despite the terrible things she’s done. Her story was interesting as well, it just felt very distant to me. I couldn’t get a good fix on her personality and didn’t really connect with her like I’d hoped. I liked her though. From a distance.

The most interesting thing about this story is the weaves… the four profound weaves, obviously. People weave carpets our of wind or sand or song or bones, each one having their own specific purpose. If that sounds interesting to you, check out this novella.

I really wanted to love this bit just couldn't get into it. Really struggled with the names, they kept slowing me down, and didn't get attached to the characters at all. Love the idea of everyone changing their sex, definitely great to have another in the LGBT canon.

Lyrical, multifaceted, and complex, <i>The Four Profound Weaves</i> delivered on every expectation I had from it going in. It blows me away I had the privilege of enjoying a queer, speculative narrative that dissects issues of identity, particularly that of the trans experience, told with such craft and skill.

The novella follows the journey of two characters. One point of view is that of Uiziya e Lali, a woman who has been stagnating in her craft of magical weaving for decades waiting for her outcast mentor Benesret to return and teach her the last of the Four Profound Weaves. The other point of view is from the nameless man; three months have passed since he departed his longtime home of Iyar and completed the ceremony of change, aligning his body with the truth of self he has always known. The journeys of Uiziya and the nameless man intertwine throughout the course of the novella in uplifting, painful, hopeful ways. As I was reading, I found myself wishing I was able to listen to this story on audiobook; the gorgeous prose and flowing paragraphs would lend themselves well to being read aloud.

One of the themes I appreciated the most throughout the <i>The Four Profound Weaves</i> was the idea that it’s never too late to find yourself and your voice. Both Uiziya and the nameless man’s journeys explore this theme in different (but no less poignant) ways. I could spend another four paragraphs pulling quotes from the text I found relevant, but like many of the other amazing novellas I’ve read in the past year, I think the journey is best experienced by the individual reader. Every person will have a different takeaway from <i>The Four Profound Weaves</i> thanks to R.B. Lemberg’s rich, imaginative universe and amazing storytelling.

The only two reasons this wasn’t five stars for me personally was that I found certain parts underdeveloped or hard to grasp and some characters underdeveloped, such as Benesret. This was my first introduction to the Birdverse, so it could have been my lack of context, but I had to go back and re-read some sections to try and piece together the full breadth of the scene.

Also, it’s not about the text itself per se, but it’s worth mentioning the illustrations between the different parts/acts were absolutely to die for and added to my enjoyment. I’d love to own prints or merchandise with the designs on them if that were a possibility.

Overall, <i>The Four Profound Weaves</i> spins us a tale as deep as it is beautiful, one that deals with the brightest and darkest parts of the human experience—and especially that of the queer human experience. It will be a book that goes in my LGBTQIA+ recommendation toolkit, particularly for people who are trans, who are struggling with their sense of self or purpose, or who simply want to experience a profound and magical journey.

Thank you to Tachyon Publications and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novella. I love magic and I love textiles, so I figured I couldn't go wrong here and I was right. The Four Profound Weaves is set in a society where magic is woven and gender is not rigidly enforced. People who are transgender are able to make the decision at any age to live as their true selves.

This book follows one mtf and one ftm from vastly different tribes in regards to acceptance of the change of gender. They are both looking for the sign or act that legitimizes them in their own eyes and makes them feel fully their new gender.

I can't say more without spoiling so I'll just say that this beautiful book is a must read for anyone who is moved by beautiful words and people finding their own magic in a harsh world.

I hope the author writes more in this magical world of birds and weaves.

My biggest problem with this book is that it wasn't clear that you have to read some of the author's other novellas first, and I really think you do. I read Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds several years ago, so I vaguely remembered some of the things they walked about in this book, but that honestly only made me more confused, because things seemed familiar yet didn't make any sense. It wasn't until I went back and read the previous Birdverse stories (you can find a full list and reading order for them on Goodreads) that I truly understood what was happening in this one.

Now, the Birdverse stories are fantastic. I highly recommend them. They're beautiful and original and full of lesbian, trans, and nonbinary characters. Almost all of those things apply to this book too, except it's longer and doesn't stand alone. I think if you read all the previous stories first, you'll have a much better experience reading this and avoid unnecessary confusion, and the experience will be richer with all the context.

I don't think Lemberg's writing style works as well in this book as it does in the other Birdverse stories. The characters are more passive in this one, just following along as the plot drags them places. And the whole logic of the story is less solid. When magic stuff happens, the characters will afterwards be like "ah yes, of course, I understand," but neither they nor you had any way to understand how the magic works before it happened. You just need to accept it afterwards. That way of writing has a sort of dreamy feel to it which can work very well in some cases but, combined with the lack of worldbuilding (because that happens in previous stories, not this one) and the lack of active characters, did not work here.

I'm disappointed, because I do love the Birdverse, and there were some fantastic parts to this story. It's an incredibly rich and inventive world, and this story is very emotional. If you think of The Four Profound Weaves as another short story or novella to be read in the same way as the rest, it's very good. But I wish the publisher and author had put more thought into crafting it as a Book rather than another Story, and made it stand on its own as a less wispy, more logical narrative.

R. B. Lemberg’s first foray into long-form fiction has left me breathless. The Four Profound Weaves is a love ballad sung straight into the hearts of those who most need to hear it. I was instantly captivated by the poetic, lyrical prose and drawn in with dreams of sandbirds. It’s the queer, Middle-Eastern fairy tale we’ve been waiting for.

The story is told via the voices of two trans main characters whose fates are entwined with one another. They are old - their joints ache, and their bodies are beginning to fail them with so many years weighing down on their bones. Uiziya made her transformation when she was very young, as is the way of her people. She has always been loved and accepted for who she is, and her carpet of transformation was woven by her friends and family for her when she needed it. The nameless man, nen-sasair, son of sandbirds, had a very different experience.  In his culture, he’s still viewed as a particularly rebellious woman who is interested in manly pursuits. His people, the Khana, view him as a particularly old tomboy and reject his chosen identity.

"It was here, at this very place, in this dust, on the outskirts of the snake-Surun’ encampment, I had stood in my cloth made of winds, the weave of transformation my friends and my grandchildren had woven for me out of love. I’d lifted my arms to the sky and the sandbirds had come to me, sent to me by the goddess Bird and summoned by the cloth of winds. They were birds of bright fire that fell from the sky and cocooned me, until I could see and hear nothing except the warmth and the feathers enveloping me and the threads of the wind singing each to each until my whole skin was ignited by the sun, my body changing and changed by the malleable flame. And when it was done, I sang. I sang as the wind and the feathers dissolved into sand under my feet; I sang because my transformation was complete. I sang the dawnsong—the sacred melody that the men of my people sing, standing on the roof of the men’s quarter every morning."

Change and transformation are consistent themes throughout the novella. The weaves themselves represent it - one thing may be worked and woven into a new form, but at the price of losing its previous form forever. Uiziya’s people, the snake-Surun’, know this well. They are traders, creating beautiful weaves of sand and wind. When they trade their weaves, they understand that this is not something that can be undone. Each weave has their heart and soul poured into it, but to keep it would be to stagnate - much as Uiziya has done. 

Uiziya knew from a young age that she wished to follow in the footsteps of her aunt, Benesret. Benesret, however, was exiled from the snake-Surun’ for her crimes against their people. She has waited and waited for forty years for Benesret to return and seek her out, to teach her the last two of the Four Profound Weaves. She waits and waits to no avail. She stagnates, unchanging and lifeless. Benesret does not return. She, too, has stagnated in her own way. 

It is not until nen-sasair and Uiziya seek out Benesret by their own volition that they come closer to understanding the final two Profound Weaves. When they reach her in the high desert, they find that she has woven her own encampment of death. By devouring the souls of those who come to her, she steals their essence and weaves their bones into her own designs. Uiziya begs her to teach her again, to teach her to weave from Hope and Bone. Benesret makes her a deal: she will teach her, but only if she gives herself to her aunt. Uiziya agrees, and Benesret’s diamondflies begin to devour the threads of her body. Her body begins to disintegrate, bit by bit, until nen-sasair negotiates to save her life in a desperate plea: he will go and retrieve Benesret’s great weave, a carpet of Hope, from the Collector. 

The Collector holds the Khana in a vicious grasp. He rejects change and seeks to freeze both himself and his collection as they are in the moment. The journey Uiziya and nen-sasair must undertake to liberate the carpet of Hope from his clutches is harrowing, and it will change both of them irrevocably. They must face the changes they’ve denied within themselves and accept who they were, who they are, and who they will be. Until they can do that, there is no path for them to move forward. Moving forward is only possible through change.

“Change is the world’s greatest danger. Around the world you and others, old woman, chafe at my rule, forever desiring a change, yet change destroys all. If not for that power of change, we would not need to die. But you people do not understand. You rebel, you wander from place to place, you chafe at my rule, thinking that something else, somewhere else, would be better. It isn’t. But I save you. I am the one who is centered and stable, anchoring the whole world from my rainbow-tiered court, unmoved by world’s wildness, contained in my birdcage throne. The best of the world comes to me, and I save it from change and I save it from you, who know only dirt even as you make treasure. The treasure is only safe in my palace. Separated from your stench and squalor, forever locked in my coffers. Are you satisfied?”

This tale is told with some of the most beautiful, evocative prose I’ve encountered. It creates an underlying, rhythmic fugue beneath the story, allowing the sense that there is an additional, meta layer to the novella. RB Lemberg weaves words into a thick, luxurious tapestry even as the characters it depicts weave sand, wind, hope, and death. The goddess Bird perches atop the fabric, lending it a sense of gravitas and purpose, even as her brother Kimri lurks in the shadows. 

This was my first introduction to RB Lemberg’s Birdverse stories, and it served very well in this regard. I’ve left this novella hungry for more, and I fully intend to read her short fiction over the next few weeks. Her world is beautifully realized. I could feel the edges of her short stories peeking out beneath the narrative of The Four Profound Weaves - never so much that it distracted, but just enough to pique my curiosity. It’s the feeling of having eaten a full, satisfying meal… and then discovering that you have just enough room left to take a bite of dessert to finish it off.

Many novellas feel like a novel that was scrunched and shaved and warped to fit into a smaller format. The Four Profound Weaves has not had this treatment. It feels whole - it is one singular piece of cloth. It is not a patchwork. It is not shoehorned into a short format. It is a myth that was embroidered within an existing weave. It is beautiful, delicate, and ephemeral. I can genuinely say that I will be talking about this book for a long time to come. I loved it.

A story that carries three sisters who fight against an evil that is devastating the desert amid so many strange creatures, carpets and prophecies that can provide powers. Especially one of them who is a trans person who lives in a society divided only between men and women. This book carries an atmosphere of Aladdin with powers and flying carpets, in search of a bird song that says the legend that can save the desert. In addition, it is a Novel that deals a lot about discoveries and how to deal in full chaos with the acceptance of the body itself.

Lemberg's fantastical novella takes us to the city Iyar where we meet the nameless man and Uiziya-e-Lali, two "changers," now past midlife and both with hopes still to be fulfilled. Uiziya seeks her aunt, Benesret, a great weaver, in hopes that the latter will teach her the last of the Four Profound Weaves: death. The nameless man seeks a name to fit his masculine form, recently changed through another of the Four Profound Weaves: song.
The story is refreshingly unique: magic is comprised of names and geometry, characters are diverse and thoughtfully and complexly written, and domestic crafts contain great power. It’s easy to write a fantasy novel that’s based on well-worn, and much-loved fantasy tropes because there already is a history, a canon, into which one's story fits. Lemberg creates a new universe for the reader to explore, and one that’s diverse from its conception. Sure, we all love high fantasy, but how many more white men can we tolerate? At some point, we are reading variations of the same story. Thankfully, Lemberg brings something completely new to the fantasy genre.
While this novella did not grab me as powerfully as I’d hoped I am really looking forward to more writing from Lemberg. The universe they have created is so imaginative I wanted to know more about it in this story. I know there are other short stories Lemberg has written set in the Birdverse (more information can be found here: http://rblemberg.net/?page_id=319), however, I wish there was more world-building and character-development in this novella. That being said, readers can certainly read this novella as their first introduction to the Birdverse, and enough context is provided for a baseline understanding, but overall not enough context is provided for a rich standalone novel. In this way, The Four Profound Weaves reminds me of James S.A. Corey’s short stories, which accompany their Expanse series – readers wouldn’t read these without reading the main series because while the short stories are well-written, they would fall flat without the background knowledge of Corey’s Expanse universe. I wouldn’t say Lemberg’s story falls flat, but it would be improved with more detail.
Additionally, I wish our two main characters had more… character! I wanted them to be fully realized beyond their actions in this story. I really liked both main characters, but I wanted to know so much more about them! I think more detail and context would have enriched this novella, at least for me.

Like I said, I can’t wait to read Lemberg’s next project. Consider me a fan.

This was such an amazing and profound read. I loved the story telling and the characters. The world jumps off the pages and encompasses your imagination to the point you think of nothing else, but the world this author have woven. Creative. Original and breath taking.

All I can say is WOW.
Loved the writing, the world building was amazing and the magic system so unique.
What more can I say? Highly recommend this book if you're a fantasy lover.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Four Profound Weaves follow two characters as they deal with life altering transformations and find new roles in their world of magic.

This is my first dive into the Birdverse and I really enjoyed it. The two characters we followed were great from start to finish and kept me sucked in the entire ride. I loved the concept of the weaves and how important and involved they were with each person. I loved the magic system and all it entailed with the power in names. The gender norm swap was really neat to read about in that the women go out and trade and travel while the men stay behind closed doors, I just wish we got more of a look at what the men went through behind the walls. It wasn't imperative to the story, so I understand why it was skipped over, but getting to see both sides of the gender swap would have been pretty cool. Perhaps this is something that was covered in one of the previous novels, so it's hard to dock a star for this.

Overall, I give this read 4 stars. I would highly recommend it to anyone and don't feel it necessary to read the other novels in the Birdverse first. It was a fun, quick read that was super well paced. Look for this one when it is published!

Beautiful writing and prose, and a wonderfully described original fantasy world with it's own system of magic. Recommended for any lovers of magical fantasy!

I was really excited to read something different from what I normally read and the concept seemed really interesting. However, I couldn't finish the book because the writing style just did not mesh with my brain. I don't want to give this a star rating so I'll just put it at 4/5 because I think for some people this would be a beautifully written and amazing story, it just didn't mesh with me.

On the surface, this story appears to be a fantasy tale; a well-crafted myth of fictitious people. But it is so much more than that. This story is about self-acceptance, learning to cope when loved ones let us down, encouraging and nurturing a younger generation (and how to make it right when you make mistakes), and having the courage to stand up to corrupt leadership with whatever skills you possess. Most of all, it's about never giving up hope and not overlooking what you DO have in life in your desire for something new/better/different.

I don't know if it was the author's intent, but each of the characters seemed to represent a human tendency that, taken to an extreme, can be wildly unhealthy. Benesret had woven an amazing cloth but it wasn't the one she REALLY wanted to create. Uiziya wanted to learn what Benesret had wanted to teach, but never took the initiative to pursue the promised lessons. The nameless man was convinced that his transformation had been the right thing to do, but couldn't seem to forgive himself for leaving his old life behind. The Ruler of Iyar was so terrified of change that he kept things and people that might cause change locked away. But the overall message that I walked away with is a simple one - you can always find a reason to hope if you are willing to search for one.

This was the first book I have ever read by this author. The imagery was breathtaking. Uiziya and the Nameless Man were crafted in such a way that I couldn't help but feel empathy for the struggles they faced; even the struggles cause by their own choices. It's an impactful story with a profoundly beautiful lesson.

Beautifully written, and deeply moving. The world is delicately crafted and a truly joyous discovery.

Two elders, both changers, travel together to find something they are looking for: one, a name, the other, her craft. It's a story about love, death, despair, the journeys we take (both literal and metaphorical), and ultimately, hope.

It reads like an old time fairytale - the lore and the worldbuilding is so unique and beautiful that it just draws you in. Although short, the story has a certain weight to it, a sense of lyricism or poetry, and I wish I could share some of my favourite quotes (there were many and they're all beautiful).

The book is divded into three sections, each detailing a part of the four profound weaves; wind, sand, hope and death. The first two set up the story nicely, the third concerning hope I found very uplifting is a sense, and the fourth, death, was so moving and touching.

I really liked how the book took a craft that has been viewed as feminine and therefore not 'great art' and made it powerful and something to be desired. It really is a feminist folk tale that is just gloriously emotional and feels true.

It actually sort of reminded me of Circe by Madeline Miller, the tone and the writing seemed similar in some way, both books containing great myths of wronged women and people excisting outside the 'main narrative' of society.

If you're in the mood for some LGBTQ+ fairy/folk tales and an own voices book to booth, this is for you!

I was given an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I've absolutely no clue what was going on in this novella, but some things were extraordinary and beautiful. R.B. Lemberg is a queer bigender author and an immigrant from Eastern Europe / Israel, using they/them pronouns. In their story, two transgender elders must defeat an evil ruler by weaving from Death.

There are four things to weave: wind, sand, song, bone. Wind for example allowed our two protagonists to "match one's body with one's heart" and that was so beautiful. Otherwise the world building confused me even though it was detailed and I think well crafted, the story was wonderfully queer, and the magic system was weird.

But I'm still impressed by how effortlessly Lemberg offers good representation in their book: old protagonists are not often seen, two transgender protagonists with magic that allowed them to be who they are, desert settings without falling into Orientalism... Great! Maybe I would've gotten more from this story though if I had read / known more of the Birdverse. But I'll check it out.

3,5-4 Stars

I enjoyed this book. It is something I have never read before. It was something that took me out of my usual comfort zone reads and I was quite taken with the novella. I like the message that it is about discovering yourself, finding your true core no matter how long the journey takes or when it actually begins or happens.

"The first of the Four Profound Weaves is woven from wind. It signifies change."

This book left me positively surprised.I was attracted first by the blurb, which I thought was one of the most intriguing and original premises to a story: two transgender elders doing magic and kicking villains' asses? I'm in.
So, yes: I came for the blurb, stayed for the amazingly captivating universe The Four Profound Weaves is set in. I didn't know anything about the Birdverse when I approached this book, but I grasped the basic concepts of that world. Let me just say that this setting - this desert full of life and poetry and strength - is one of the most fascinating things I've read about in quite a lot of time. Here the desert is not deadly, but accepting and encouraging. It's not a place like any other. It's the home you need.

This book will teach you how to accept yourself for who you really are - doesn't matter if you don't fit anywhere. If you don't fit the scheme, you ARE the scheme. Or better, who needs schemes?

It will teach you the importance of change, and why it must always be allowed.

The Four Profound Weaves truly is a wonderful, heartfelt story. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to be reminded there is always a choice, real change is becoming truly what you've always been and hope is the song that arises from silence where all our voices had been.

Such an imaginative tale! I loved the unique characters. A magical story with familiar elements but it kept me guessing all the way through. Looking forward to more from this author. I’d love to see these characters develop more!