Yoke of Stars (Birdverse Books) - Softcover

R.B. Lemberg

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1616964189 ISBN 13: 9781616964184

Publisher: Tachyon Publications, 2024

Synopsis

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.

In R. B. Lemberg’s newest, lyrical Birdverse novella (The Four Profound Weaves; Geometries of Belonging), an assassin and a linguist negotiate their very different languages, past betrayals, and an unexpected bond. 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.

About this title

About the Author

R. B. Lemberg is a queer, bigender fantasist, poet, and professor. Lemberg was born in L'viv, Ukraine, and also lived in subarctic Russia and Israel before migrating to the U.S. Lemberg'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. Lemberg is also an Ursula K. Le Guin Feminist Fellow. Their award nominated first story collection, Geometries of Belonging, came out in 2022 (Fairwood Press). Lemberg'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, and many other venues. Lemberg lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with their spouse and fellow author Bogi Takács, their child Mati, and all of the cumulative books and fountain pens. You can find Lemberg at their websites rblemberg.net and birdverse.net.

Edition details

• Publisher: Tachyon Publications
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1616964189
• ISBN 13: 9781616964184
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208