Such a beautiful cover, and the blurb was really intriguing!

I saw that it was part of a universe already established by the author, but it honestly felt like starting in the middle of a series. There is almost no worldbuilding, no descriptions, I couldn't really picture much.

For me, there was too much focus on gender identity, particularly all the variations of non-binary. It was more a contemplation and essay than an actual novel. Also a huge focus on the idea of consent; not necessarily in a relationship, but in general like "will this entity that I don't really understand (the star) consent to my being its keeper?". It felt like the plot was secondary, which may very well work for some readers, but didn't for me.

Another thing that didn't work for me was the use of made-up swear words. Because there is a Bird goddess, swearwords are bird-themed, so people will repeatedly say 'pluck you!', which sounded a bit silly to me.

I liked the idea of the magic system, which was quite innovative, but I also couldn't fully grasp it. So just by saying their deepnames in their head, they could summon magic and do...pretty much anything? And there were grids of deepnames all around, not just in people?

I also liked the idea of the characters: a shy and reclusive poet, versus a brash and loud starkeeper. It was thought versus action. Unfortunately, their relationship developed far too quickly to be believable or for me to get invested in it.

Overall, I just didn't really get to care about any of it (yet somehow the ending was still quite unsatisfactory).

THE UNBALANCING is an unbalanced work (heh). I’ve previously liked much of Lemberg’s other works, including their novella THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES as well as many Birdverse poems. They’re delightfully original, depicting a very queer and diverse world. The worldbuilding is quite interesting, if abstract—I felt a bit lost at times, but if I got it right this book is about a sleeping star having nightmares, threatening a nearby city- which means a starkeeper and a poet have to try and heal the star.

It's a very magic-infused book, definitely easier to read than THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES, but it still feels a bit too much for me. An extended version with more of a focus on the plot and the characters would do wonders, I reckon. But if you’re willing to forgive its somewhat ramshackle plot, you’ll be enraptured by its mythology (still the main appeal to the Birdverse, for me), the tremendous amount of diversity and the way people express it (not just queer, but also neurodiversity, and cultural).

If anything, it’s an interesting read. I think it will grow on me on a re-read. It’s a poetic and fleeting work—unique, inspiring wonder, feeling like a small story in a much bigger world.

The Unbalancing is a strange entity, but one absolutely packed with meaning. It explores a queer society, and what it means to be non-binary; it depicts autism, and neurodivergence more broadly, with detail and understanding; and it clearly uses the magical crisis to explore real-world calamity and collective action. All of this is beautiful, but the book does feel a bit caught between novella and novel: it is not quite the stripped back beauty of The Four Profound Weaves, but neither is it a fully-fleshed narrative. The relationships are cute and heartfelt, but can feel a little rushed, and there's a weird mixture of worldbuilding elements that are underexplained with those that get repeated exposition. I don't feel like this book came together into its full potential, but the themes and emotions at its heart make it a nonetheless worthy read.