“In all their fiction from the fascinating Birdverse world, Lemberg centers marginalized identities: queer, trans, neurodiverse, elderly, and more. —Buzzfeed
In the School of Assassins, Stone Orphan waits for a first assignment. After their first kill, they will graduate, and attain the coveted cloth of bone. But instead of a commission, Stone Orphan gets an inquisitive linguist, Ulín. And Ulín is far more interested in learning Stone Orphan’s language than deciding whom she wishes to kill. In this newest novella from the queer, mystical Birdverse, an apprentice assassin and an inquisitive linguist share their tales in order to make a fateful decision. Lush and lyrical, this cross-cultural tale of the beauty of language is a gift to anyone who appreciates the transformative power of storytelling.
Available Format(s): Trade paperback and digital formats
In this newest novella from the queer, mystical Birdverse, an apprentice assassin and an inquisitive linguist share their tales in order to make a fateful decision. Lush and lyrical, this cross-cultural tale of the beauty of language is a gift to anyone who appreciates the transformative power of storytelling.
In the School of Assassins, Stone Orphan waits for a first assignment. After their first kill, they will graduate, and attain the coveted cloth of bone. But instead of a commission, Stone Orphan gets an inquisitive linguist, Ulín.
Ulín has heard the Orphan Star’s song of despair, mirroring her own, and drawing her to the School of Assassins. But Ulín is far more interested in learning Stone Orphan’s language than deciding whom she wishes to kill.
Unable to contain their curiosity, Stone Orphan offers to exchange stories with Ulín to help her decide the fate of three men. By turns, Stone Orphan and Ulín narrate tales of love, suffering, exile, and self-determination, and two hurt souls find hope in each other through a radical act: listening.
Praise for R. B. Lemberg’s Birdverse
“Lush lyricism of the mythology, culture and history . . . an enchanting world of star lore, magic and gender identity.”
—Tlotlo Tsamaase, The Silence of the Wilting Skin
“In all their fiction from the fascinating Birdverse world, Lemberg centers marginalized identities: queer, trans, neurodiverse, elderly, and more.
—Buzzfeed
[STARRED REVIEW] “Lush, dreamlike prose and nuanced explorations of trans and queer identity.”
—Booklist
“The world-building is full of deep lore and casual queerness, and Lemberg’s magic system is appropriately wild and poetic.”
—Washington Post
“Lemberg writes movingly and magnificently about disaster, survival, and hope.”
—Kate Elliott, author of the Crown of Stars series
“Beautiful and queer and challenging and tender.”
—Autistic Book Party
“It made me cry, and gave me strength.”
—Trans Narrative
“Imagery that glows on the page.”
—Patricia A. McKillip, author of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
[STARRED REVIEW] “A beautiful, heartfelt story of change, family, identity, and courage.”
—Library Journal
“The anti-authoritarian, queer-mystical fairy tale we need right now.”
—Annalee Newitz, author of Autonomous and The Future of Another Timeline
[STARRED REVIEW] “This diverse, folkloric fantasy world is a delight to visit.”
—Publishers Weekly
“R.B. Lemberg writes with a luminous pen, spraying light all around their words and ideas.”
—Jewelle Gomez, author of The Gilda Stories
R. B. Lemberg is a queer, bigender fantasist, poet, and professor. R. B. was born in L’viv, Ukraine, and also lived in Israel and subarctic Russia before migrating to the US. R. B.’s Birdverse novella The Four Profound Weaves (Tachyon, 2020) was a finalist for the Nebula, Ignyte, Locus, and World Fantasy awards, as well as an Otherwise Award honoree. They are also a Le Guin Feminist Fellow. R. B.’s poetry memoir Everything Thaws was published by Ben Yehuda Press in 2022. Their stories and poems have appeared in Lightspeed Magazine’s Queers Destroy Science Fiction!, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, We Are Here: Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2020, Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology, and many other venues. R. B. lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with their spouse and fellow author Bogi Takács, their child Mati, and all the cumulative books and fountain pens. You can find R. B. on Twitter at @rb_lemberg, on Patreon at http://patreon.com/rblemberg, and at their websites rblemberg.net and birdverse.net.
Yoke of Stars
R. B. Lemberg
“In all their fiction from the fascinating Birdverse world, Lemberg centers marginalized identities: queer, trans, neurodiverse, elderly, and more.
—Buzzfeed
In the School of Assassins, Stone Orphan waits for a first assignment. After their first kill, they will graduate, and attain the coveted cloth of bone. But instead of a commission, Stone Orphan gets an inquisitive linguist, Ulín. And Ulín is far more interested in learning Stone Orphan’s language than deciding whom she wishes to kill. In this newest novella from the queer, mystical Birdverse, an apprentice assassin and an inquisitive linguist share their tales in order to make a fateful decision. Lush and lyrical, this cross-cultural tale of the beauty of language is a gift to anyone who appreciates the transformative power of storytelling.
Yoke of Stars
by R. B. Lemberg
ISBN: 978-1-61696-418-4 (print); 978-1-61696-419-1 (digital)
Published: July 16, 2024
Available Format(s): Trade paperback and digital formats
In this newest novella from the queer, mystical Birdverse, an apprentice assassin and an inquisitive linguist share their tales in order to make a fateful decision. Lush and lyrical, this cross-cultural tale of the beauty of language is a gift to anyone who appreciates the transformative power of storytelling.
In the School of Assassins, Stone Orphan waits for a first assignment. After their first kill, they will graduate, and attain the coveted cloth of bone. But instead of a commission, Stone Orphan gets an inquisitive linguist, Ulín.
Ulín has heard the Orphan Star’s song of despair, mirroring her own, and drawing her to the School of Assassins. But Ulín is far more interested in learning Stone Orphan’s language than deciding whom she wishes to kill.
Unable to contain their curiosity, Stone Orphan offers to exchange stories with Ulín to help her decide the fate of three men. By turns, Stone Orphan and Ulín narrate tales of love, suffering, exile, and self-determination, and two hurt souls find hope in each other through a radical act: listening.
Praise for R. B. Lemberg’s Birdverse
“Lush lyricism of the mythology, culture and history . . . an enchanting world of star lore, magic and gender identity.”
—Tlotlo Tsamaase, The Silence of the Wilting Skin
“In all their fiction from the fascinating Birdverse world, Lemberg centers marginalized identities: queer, trans, neurodiverse, elderly, and more.
—Buzzfeed
[STARRED REVIEW] “Lush, dreamlike prose and nuanced explorations of trans and queer identity.”
—Booklist
“The world-building is full of deep lore and casual queerness, and Lemberg’s magic system is appropriately wild and poetic.”
—Washington Post
“Lemberg writes movingly and magnificently about disaster, survival, and hope.”
—Kate Elliott, author of the Crown of Stars series
“Beautiful and queer and challenging and tender.”
—Autistic Book Party
“It made me cry, and gave me strength.”
—Trans Narrative
“Imagery that glows on the page.”
—Patricia A. McKillip, author of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
[STARRED REVIEW] “A beautiful, heartfelt story of change, family, identity, and courage.”
—Library Journal
“The anti-authoritarian, queer-mystical fairy tale we need right now.”
—Annalee Newitz, author of Autonomous and The Future of Another Timeline
[STARRED REVIEW] “This diverse, folkloric fantasy world is a delight to visit.”
—Publishers Weekly
“R.B. Lemberg writes with a luminous pen, spraying light all around their words and ideas.”
—Jewelle Gomez, author of The Gilda Stories
R. B. Lemberg is a queer, bigender fantasist, poet, and professor. R. B. was born in L’viv, Ukraine, and also lived in Israel and subarctic Russia before migrating to the US. R. B.’s Birdverse novella The Four Profound Weaves (Tachyon, 2020) was a finalist for the Nebula, Ignyte, Locus, and World Fantasy awards, as well as an Otherwise Award honoree. They are also a Le Guin Feminist Fellow. R. B.’s poetry memoir Everything Thaws was published by Ben Yehuda Press in 2022. Their stories and poems have appeared in Lightspeed Magazine’s Queers Destroy Science Fiction!, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, We Are Here: Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2020, Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology, and many other venues. R. B. lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with their spouse and fellow author Bogi Takács, their child Mati, and all the cumulative books and fountain pens. You can find R. B. on Twitter at @rb_lemberg, on Patreon at http://patreon.com/rblemberg, and at their websites rblemberg.net and birdverse.net.