For THE FANTASY HIVE, James Latimer praises R. B. Lemberg’s THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES.

The prose is simple but elegant, unafraid to use repetition for emphasis or rhythm, or to leave other things to the reader’s imagination (description is sparse, for example). The story wears its themes on its sleeves, so to speak, tackling head-on the challenges of change vs. stasis, and the danger of being chained to a past, or to people who don’t want what’s best for you. It’s a story about trans characters and trans experiences, but a story that (I hope) anyone can understand, relate to, and enjoy.

In conclusion, THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES is modern speculative fiction at its best, exploring important issues through compelling characters, fantastic settings, and exciting stories. It’s also a gorgeous book, if the illustrations in my digital ARC were anything to go by

The fine folks at M1 BOOK REVIEWS are giving away a copy of THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES.

The publisher for THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES has offered one free digital copy of this book to someone of my choosing. To have a chance of winning, just send me an email at mibookreviews@gmail.com saying you want it and what the best email address for getting it to you would be. That’s it. I will pick a random person from who emails in and get the email address to the publisher to email you your book.

A winner will be announced on September 4th (which is publication day).

CIVILIAN READER interviews Lemberg.

Let’s start with an introduction: Who is R.B. Lemberg?

I am a queer, bigender immigrant writer, editor and academic originally from Ukraine, Russia, and Israel, now living in Kansas. My favorite genre is epic fantasy, but I write science fiction, magic realism, slipstream, and sometimes even horror. I also write poetry and non-fiction. I have a wide range, and I’m rarely bored!

Your debut novella, THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES, is due to be published by Tachyon in September. It looks really interesting: How would you introduce it to a potential reader? Is it part of a series?

THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES is a novella that follows two transgender elders on a journey of identity and adventure — they must learn to weave from Death itself to defeat a tyrant who hoards the bones and souls of his victims. The book is a stand-alone, set in my Birdverse universe. I’ve been publishing in this world since 2011, but only short work so far. Each story set in Birdverse stands alone, but together they add up to something greater — a rich tapestry of many perspectives, stories, and lives. The Four Profound Weaves is the first Birdverse book in print — the rest of the published pieces are online. It’s a good gateway into the world — you do not need to know anything else.