If you are looking for a quick read fantasy novel, with lgbtq+ representation, that reads more like a fable written hundreds of years ago, then this might be the book for you.

I will say, this book also reads like a work of art, and like a lot of art, some people might not get what this book is setting out to say. And this is coming from someone who typically does not like books like these. However, this book is short, and it's lyrical style kept me glued to its pages, despite it not being my cup of tea.

I loved this. It had a fluidity to it that just hooked me and pulled me in and didn’t want to let me go. The author wove a stunning tapestry of a story about not just weaving but of listening. Listening to yourself and what and who you are as much as listening to who others are. That our lives are a tapestry that we personally weave and it takes someone special to understand and appreciate it for the beauty it is. The gender fluidity and ability to acknowledge as well as physically change was magical and the way the author portrayed it was lovely. They showed that though some were able to accept the change that sometimes those that are closest and whom we love the most are unwilling to accept and that inability to accept who we are is the most damaging. The four profound weaves, the winds of change, the sands to take you where you wish, hope to honour the bird goddess, and death. This was a melancholic tale of love, loss, acceptance, and coming to terms with who we are. It was very emotionally intense and was just so stunningly beautiful. I recommend this to everyone.

4 stars

Uiziya has waited forty years for her aunt to return so she can finish learning how to make the four great weaves. For the sake of his lover, the nameless man temporarily known as nen-sasaïr has waited forty years to transform into his true body. Both seek Uiziya's aunt, Benesret; Uiziya wants guidance, nen-sasaïr wants a name. They travel across the desert together, only to get caught up in a more dangerous quest to challenge the Ruler of Iyar and take back his greatest treasure.

This book was really different, and in a good way. It's set in a world where people are born with deepnames that determine the strength of their magic. The four great weaves are of wind, sand, hope, and death, and a weave of wind allows its user to transform into their true body. There are different cultures of people, with different customs, especially relating to whether women are allowed to have magic.

Concept-wise, I really loved the book. It has obvious allusions to aspects of the LGBTQIA community, and it really makes you think and see things in a different way. Plot-wise, the story is quite interesting and never felt like it was dragging. I will say that it was a little basic. This book definitely triggered a lot of thoughts, but I don't think that much actually happened. The complexities come from the storytelling, and I was back and forth between loving it and being annoyed by it.

The story alternates between first person POV for Uiziya and nen-sasaïr. To be honest, this was a bit jarring for me in the beginning. The POV switches quite often, with some events being retold from both POVs, and it was kind of hard for me to keep track, especially when there wasn't much difference in their voices for me.

The author made certain stylistic choices (e.g. lots of repetition of phrases) that made the book read almost like poetry. I liked this for the most part, although it seemed excessive at times.

Another thing about the book is that it really throws you right into the deep end. I was quite confused for the beginning of the book, and little by little, pieces about the world came together. I understand the logic behind allowing readers to discover the world for themselves, but it was a little much when I just wanted a relaxing read.

All in all, I would recommend this book. It's a quick read and will make you think afterwards.

Lemberg’s prose is gorgeous and lush. I found myself devouring it whole. The two central characters, Uiziya and the nameless man, are compelling and interesting. Their emotions were raw and real. I felt like I understood them and that they would understand me too. I truly felt for the nameless man and how he had felt trapped, how he could not be his true self where he lived.

This story was a journey for both Uiziya and the nameless man–they both gained, they both lost, and, beneath it all, there was a sense of hope, of survival past the loss of a loved one, surviving betrayals, living because there is still more out there in the world.

I loved the worldbuilding and I never felt lost, though I did jump into the Birdverse blindly. Gender roles were explored within the different cultures and how magic was impacted by gender roles. (Never would I have thought about how magic would be impacted by gender roles until now. Now I can’t stop thinking about it.)

Hope and grief are intertwined within the weaving of this story, as they are in life. This is a book I did not know I needed.

The Four Profound Weaves had great characters that I really enjoyed and connected with! I felt that it was a huge reason why I liked this book. I enjoyed the amazing character arcs that they go through. I liked that there are LGBTQ characters that take the main focus of the story.

The writing style of this book was a bit of a downfall, and why I rated it four stars. I found myself a bit lost at times and had to go back to re-read and understand what was happening. There is some jumping back and forth in the story, and it just didn't flow properly, for me.

Overall, I found this to be a lovely story, and I am interested in reading the other Birdverse books by this author.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I really struggled with this book. It took me awhile to get into the right headspace for a fairytale that requires this type of focus. The story is anything but simple. For me this means I have to be ready to really take it all in...

This is very much a fairytale, one with incredible depth. The themes of change and risk take center stage in this novella. All of the characters struggle with change and stagnation, finding their own way on their own time, but never alone. I loved the way the author made clear the importance of community in navigating change and the unavoidable nature of change. Nothing in our lives can stay the same. Our bodies will morph, our minds will grow, our opinions should change and our knowledge should bring transformation. These moves happen in community and require relationship. This is quite clearly a trans fairytale, but it is also a fairytale for us all. We need to be reminded that staying the same isn't the goal. Thank goodness for R.L. Lemberg. They wove a truly memorable story that, like all good fairytales, will reveal new truths every time you read!

I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this book. It was rambling, but also profound, I suppose. It was a little contrived but spoke honestly and bravely about claiming one's identity. It did not know if it was a poem or a book or a novella, but I didn't mind that so much. It started out slow and dense but resolved itself beautifully.

The Four Profound Weaves is an LGBTQ+ fantasy set in a brutal world full of harsh societies and a hostile desert. The book follows two transgender characters, who, after looking back on a life of pain and longing, set out on a journey to find what they most desire. The novel is prose-heavy, but driven by some semblance of a plot. It is a story about transformation, hope, acceptance, and death. Its imagery is fantastical but its messaging is very real. 

This book will resonate with those who are struggling to be themselves or find themselves in a society that does not accept them. Because of the importance of its themes and the beautiful journey it takes its readers on, I think it is worth reading even if you are not in love with the world or the writing. It is only around 200 pages, so for me, it was worth pushing through what I thought was overly lyrical writing to get to the heart of the story.

I had some trouble adjusting to the story as I began reading. I didn't realize that the headings were the names of the characters to indicate change in POV. Once I realized that, it became easier for me.

There are some wonderful descriptions in here — the rod of the torturer, the locks on the doors. It's a fantastical place, and not in a good way. The villain is "the collector" and his motivation is to keep things from changing. He believes he is doing the world a favor by trying to preserve things just the way they are.

But the theme of this book is that change is good and necessary. There's a saying: If you're not growing, you're dying. Nothing can thrive in stasis and resistance to change is based in fear. Furthermore, the author is clear on the point that if you are unhappy with yourself, you must have the freedom to change who you are. Those who love us will try to keep us the same, but we must resist. True love overcomes any obstacle.

I enjoyed the book, but I didn't love it. It started a bit slowly and I had trouble maintaining interest. However, after a while, I didn't want to put it down.

I have been familiar with R.B. Lemberg's works for a while - Geometries of Belonging and Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds (which should preferably be read before reading this book) are two of those short stories that stuck with me long after I read them. So when a friend brought The Four Profound Weaves to my attention, highly recommending it, I knew that sooner or later, I will end up reading it. Queer books with lovely prose are precisely my kind of thing.

As suspected, I adored it.

The story stars two elderly trans protagonists. Uiziya is a Surun’ weaver whose greatest wish at the beginning is to learn the last of the Four Profound Weaves from her exiled aunt and weave a carpet of death. She transformed very young and has always been accepted. The nameless man, nen-sasaïr, has been living with the Surun’ for three months, ever since his transformation, because his culture isn't tolerant of changers. After a life of denial, he feels unmoored, frustrated, unsure of where he belongs. Together, they go on a quest.

But that's only a part of it. Even though it's a novella, The Four Profound Weaves has so much going on that I don't know where to start. I don't think I can do it justice.

First, the prose is absolutely exquisite. And the story is exactly the sort of fairytale-esque that I'm an absolute sucker for. A quest for the carpets, magical objects, the whole deal. At the same time, the worldbuilding is entirely original and well thought out. Seeing as the author also wrote several short stories set in the same world, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

And then the themes. Someone better at literary analysis could probably write an essay on it. It contains so much. I could say it's about identity and belonging, but that doesn't quite cut it. Or about two trans people with two very different experiences, acceptance, loved ones that smother you, culture clash, of how hard and messy change can be, and how you're never too old to turn your life around...so many things. It's like a tapestry itself, multiple interwoven themes and threads coming together into a beautiful whole.

But to me, by far the biggest surprise was that the length felt exactly right. I found I don't like novellas very much - they often feel as if they're missing something, as if either there's too many ideas or plot crammed into too small of a space or as if there's not enough. Not so here; Lemberg hit the precarious balance perfectly. The Four Profound Weaves feels complete. It needs nothing more and nothing less than what is already there. It's probably safe to say this will be one of the highlights of 2020 for me and I most highly recommend it.

I am a big fan of everything I've read from R.B. Lemberg's Birdverse series, and particularly their Nebula-nominated story of a few years ago, Grandmother nai-Leylit's Cloth of Winds, so on learning that there was going to be a new standalone novella which was a continuation of that series, particularly focusing on the living grandparent of that story, who joins the protagonist Aviya on her journey and winds up finding the change they have always wanted in the desert. The Four Profound Weaves stands well alone, but Grandmother nai-Leylit's Cloth of Winds is a story that's very much worth reading, so if you want to experience that story relatively fresh I'd suggest going to check it out now before proceeding with this review, as the following will contain spoilers (albeit fairly obvious ones if you're paying attention from the start of that story).The Four Profound Weaves opens in the Snake-Surun' encampment, almost directly after the events of "Cloth of Winds". Having been physically changed from their woman-body into the man they've always been, Aviya's grandfather has fulfilled one long-held wish, but things are still far from easy. His people, the Khana, have a strict social segregation and separation of roles between the genders, and while he had been playing the role of a "rebel woman", engaging in work like the creation of artefacts which was supposed to be restricted to men, our protagonist has little frame of reference for being a Khana man, and fears that a return to his people would be impossible in his current form, without which even taking on a true new name will be impossible. Surrounded by a culture whose social acceptance of "changer" (trans) identities leaves little room for empathy as to why nen sasaïr (the interim identifier he chooses to go by) can't just embrace his transition and go sit with the men, his renewed search thus brings him back into the orbit of Uiziya, a Surun' woman he met during his journey forty years ago and who has been contemplating challenges of her own. Uiziya's aunt is Benesret, once a great weaver of the Surun' and now an ancient exile who has spent decades weaving magical cloaks for the Birdverse's assassin cult, trying to master the ability to weave from bones. Uiziya and nen sasaïr both seek out Benesret for their own reasons, and both are left disappointed but with a joint mission: to retrieve another lost magic weave, this one crafted from song, from The Collector, the fascist ruler of the city where nen sasaïr grew up.At the centre of the Four Profound Weaves are, unsurprisingly, four profound weaves: magical artefacts created from wind (for change), sand (for wanderlust), song (for hope) and bone (for death). Bringing together the four weaves is said to call down Bird, the God of Birdverse, and each requires a master weaver to create them using the magic of this world, where characters gain and use "deepnames" in specific configurations for various effects. The deepname magic system feels at once inscrutably mysterious and straightforwardly practical, and characters have different strengths and abilities depending on their configuration in a way that feels like it puts sensible limits and guidelines on what magic can achieve. In nen sasaïr's culture, deepnames are also highly gendered, and his configuration is one which prioritises power and therefore reads "feminine" in a society where men are kept protected in order to maintain connection to sacred song. While we only meet the Surun', the Khana, and the Iyar - the culture which runs the city in which the Khana live, and to which the Collector belongs - the care put into developing each culture makes them feel like part of a much larger, more diverse whole.Once nen sasaïr and Uiziya get on their way, the plot of The Four Profound Weaves is relatively simple: the two attempt a deal with Benesret, return to Iyar, and despite complications figure out how to overcome the Collector's own plan and leave with what they need. What makes the story so good are the different but interlinked emotional journeys each is going on along the way. For Uiziya, whose meeting with her aunt becomes another betrayal, there is a need to move on from her past and re-establish her faith in her own abilities, while also untangling more of the Collector's motivations. Uiziya is drawn into his attempts to get his hands on a weave of bone, and the awful lengths to which he has gone to assemble the materials for one, and the balancing of the loss and death she witnesses with the pull to deepen her craft is done compassionately and interestingly.Nen sasaïr's journey is even more interesting, particularly as I think this is the first book I've read which deals with a man exploring his freedoms and desires as they relate to his gender identity, and forging a path that remains true to both. Like Uiziya, his journey involves questioning events from his own past, particularly his own spouse Bashri nai-Leylit, who he loved but who constantly entreated him to keep his identity secret and limit his queerness to the "rebelliousness" acceptable on the margins of society. Nen sasaïr's return to the Khana quarter of Iyar is heartbreaking, but less straightforwardly so than he expects - because, of course, nen sasaïr is not the only trans man the Khana have ever seen, even if their society doesn't allow for "changers" in any meaningful sense. As his relationship with Uiziya, and unfinished business of his own with the Collector, links the pair's conclusions together, making for a satisfying end that doesn't provide all the answers or right all past wrongs, but does provide a convincing way forward for both of them which stays true to the queer narrative.If you've not experienced Lemberg's prose before, you're in for a treat with this, as the style brings the meditative story of nen sasaïr and Uiziya to life in a way that's readable and yet really makes the most of the rich fable-like qualities of the story being told. This is closer in tone to its predecessor story than, say, A Portrait of the Desert in Personages of Power, which felt further down the axis of nice prose at the expense of easy reading. Split into sections for each of the four weaves, and then alternating between viewpoints for nen sasaïr and Uiziya, the thread of The Four Profound Weaves is generally straightforward to follow between the characters, although occasionally I found myself drifting between transitions and forgetting whose parts I was reading. That was a minor fault in the reader and not the writer, though - in most cases I can wholeheartedly recommend this novella and this series as a world that's well worth spending time in. I look forward to further adventures in the Birdverse soon!

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<p>Review copy provided by the publisher. Also I know the author online.</p>
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<p><em>Hope cannot be given away to you, or to anyone. Hope is the song which arises from silence where all our voices had been; all those locked away against their will one day will surge again, come forth with great exuberance, sweep the world in a reverberation of rainbow....</em></p>
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<p>Do you need a book that has the concept of hope seriously woven through every thread of it right now? I bet you do. I bet you did even in January.</p>
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<p>And here it is, <em>The Four Profound Weaves</em>, centering on transformation, expectation, and hope. This is a story in Lemberg's Birdverse, a place we've started to learn from short stories--and characters we've seen in those stories as well. All the things that I have loved about the stories, the magic of weaving air and sand and more, are developed, pondered, iterated here. The desert and the city beyond it, the people who don't quite fit in one culture or another and have to find their own path, they are all here with space to breathe, to learn to breathe, to care for each other in imperfect human ways and to find their own paths out of the human difficulties before--and behind--them.</p>
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<p>I picked up <em>The Four Profound Weaves </em>after reading a long book about horrible people, and it was incredibly restorative. It was fun and gripping and a very fast read, and the book design was beautiful. But along with all those things it was refreshing at a time when my heart needed to be refreshed. Highly recommended.</p>
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Gorgeously written, engrossing and with special care given to world building and characters. Lemberg deftly brings you into the world and the magical systems and rules are so exciting and unique. I look forward to reading more set in the universe.

The Foute Profound Weaves is a breathtakingly beautiful story set in a lush world with wonderous magic and characters. Thoroughly loved it. Highly recommend.

a very enjoyable and refreshing story. I would be happy to read more from this author in the future, and I'm definitely gonna recommend this to my bookloving friends

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style made me feel like I was reading something incredibly important, and the characters were interesting in a way that I don’t even know how to describe. The experience of reading this book was lovely. I will say, though, that the writing style, while interesting and as I previously said, “important feeling” it also felt a little bit disconnected, which made it hard for me to fall really in love with any of the characters. It was super solid and I really enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get through because I didn’t feel pulled in from the very start.

Two transgender elders must learn to weave from Death in order to defeat an evil ruler--in the first novella set in R. B. Lemberg's award-winning queer fantasy Birdverse universe

Wind: To match one's body with one's heart
Sand: To take the bearer where they wish
Song: In praise of the goddess Bird
Bone: To move unheard in the night

A breathtaking book about claiming one identity in a hostile world, beautiful lyrical Birdverse. A tale of wanderlust, exploration, A journey of discovery.
You will be captivated and immersed within this stunning books writing

Sadly this book was not for me. I couldn't enjoy it as I expected.

The worldbuilding is beautiful and unique, full of magical elements I never read in other fantasy book.
Although, the plot feels slow and repetitive, and I did not connected with the characters personal story either. The prose is rich and complex but at some point it was a little tedious to read.

I would like to highlight the diversity of age, sexuality and gender, both main characters are transgender and old which is something doesn't seen often in books. So I recommend this novella for those readers who are looking for a slow pace emotional story, with profound characters development and a fantastic magic system.

The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg was a truly unique and complex fantasy novella. It is part of the Birdverse. I have not read any previous works set in this world but don't think that you have to in order to understand what is going on.
We follow our two main characters, both transgender and in their sixties, on the journey of self discovery. The Nameless man, nen-sesair,is searching for new name. All his life he was trapped in a woman's body. Forty years ago he found a way to finally transform but his lover begged him not to,saying that she could no longer love him if he changed. And so he obeyed. Now,forty years later, after the death of his lover he finally goes through the change and becomes his true self. Only that brings a lot of problems with it. People often use his former name and keep misgendering him. All that abuse was heartbreaking. Nen-sesair has to try to find a place for himself. Before he used to fulfill a role of a woman but now be has to try and fit in as a man while only knowing womanly things. His story was deeply touching and beautiful and sad.
The other main character, Uiziya, waited forty years for her aunt to teach her the four profound weaves, but time goes on and Uiziya is still waiting. Until she is done with that and decides to go and find her aunt. The Nameless man joined her on this search.
It is astonishing how much was packed into this small novella that is only 110 pages long. The gender roles, different cultures, views on magic and death and change, views on in-betweeners, the transgenders, just so many things. And I loved all of it. Some 1000 page fantasies do not have as much stuff packed into them as this tiny book did. Definitely one of the most unique things I have ever read and I need to read other works from Birdverse like asap.
Huge thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review .

This story is absolutely beautiful, lyrical and cerebral. It helped that I had read some of other stories in this universe because without it i might have been a little lost with the world building. But the world is gorgeous the characters are great and I cant wait for this book to come out!

I first want to thank NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC.

There are several common approaches to introducing readers to new worlds and universes: learning about the world through the eyes of someone who also doesn't know about the world, explicit explanations especially at the beginning, and discovery as we simply experience the world. Lemberg adopts the last of these for their book. And while you can tell that the universe is well developed beyond what we experience in this book, there are times when the reader has to stay very focused to keep up with all the intricacies of what, why and how things are happening. And yet, there are also simple points that are repeated several times and thus they begin to feel redundant. That being said, the concepts and ideas of this story are so beautiful and poignant, that the issues mentioned are often easy to overlook.

The two main characters feel well developed and have many dimensions to them. However, there are times that their actions seem to be a bit awkward because it feels as if the actions were chosen not because they were most natural for the characters, but because it helped move the plot forward. Even though this is the case at times, each scene taken alone paints such wonderful pictures of another world which I would love to visit again.

Since I read the ARC version, I am very hopeful that the few points that keep me from giving it a 5 star now will be improved so that I can later change it to a 5 star.