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A review by anna_hepworth
The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really love the world building and some of the ideas explored in this story. I'm a little less sold on the characters, who I found a little too uncanny valley (and I don't think that this is because some of them are neurodiverse), and who didn't seem to really interact with each other in a plausible manner.
The writing is good, and the magic system well integrated. The belief system was mostly fine -- there was obviously a lot of thought there, and things like the way that the language reflected it was great--but I didn't feel like I quite understood the relationship between the people and their faith. Where the whole story fell down for me is that I didn't find the people, their behaviour, or their motivations convincing. I think it would have been a great play or film, but it didn't work for me as a novel.
The writing is good, and the magic system well integrated. The belief system was mostly fine -- there was obviously a lot of thought there, and things like the way that the language reflected it was great--but I didn't feel like I quite understood the relationship between the people and their faith. Where the whole story fell down for me is that I didn't find the people, their behaviour, or their motivations convincing. I think it would have been a great play or film, but it didn't work for me as a novel.