The Bone Doll's Twin (2001)

Not self contained. Have the next book readied before you get to the end. ( )

It was a faster and easier read than I expected since the characters, setting and names are all fantasy-based types. I thought the premise was very interesting, for the first 1/4 of the book, then I realized that nothing actually was happening other than more exposition on the same topic and a bit more filling out of some characters. It seemed as though most of the writing/story was spent explaining/exploring the relationship between different characters, and how the King was exploiting his rule... not too much actually happened.

In fact, the only thing that really happened was at the very end of the book, and then the book just ended. There was no conclusion, we're just left hanging around so I'd strongly suggest you have the 2nd book of the series in hand before you finish this or you'll feel very let-down.

All in all, it had a great opportunity to be a great fantasy story, but it would have had to have some story in it in order to do so. ( )

The first book of the fantasy series ‘Tamir Triad,’ which follows the life of Tobin, the rightful queen of Skala whose gender was magically switched to keep her uncle, the King, from killing her at birth. It is the sister/prequel series of Lynn Flewelling’s ‘Nightrunner’ series, set several hundred years before it. I came across this series while searching for The Nightrunner series, but I was uninterested in reading it due to the poor copy of my edition, though after completing Ms Flewelling’s original series I was less picky.

Her style remains consistent – it lacks anything distinguishing and comes off as quite bland at points, though she does have her moments of brilliance in several areas. The Bone Doll’s Twin is a lot darker than any of the novels in her Nightrunner series, but despite that I found its pace dragged for much of the book. It’s a coming-of-age series, following the protagonist from before her birth to her 13th (ish) year.

There seems to be a lack of plot that is contained within the scope of the novel. A lot of stuff happens to the characters, but there is no tangible build-up, nothing that peaks the curiosity, no climax. The book ended but it didn’t feel like it should have done.

There is also a lot of angst. Good things rarely happened and when they did it only heralded something worse to come. I don’t believe every book or movie should have a happy ending – but to ask a reader to get through 400+ pages of woe and anguish surely some reward should be given to them for making it that far instead of adding to the despair. It has dissuaded me from picking up the next book, as many of my favourite characters died with very little page-time.

There are good parts to the book – the dialogue never feels dry or forced, the characters are vibrant and deep, the history and worldbuilding is a joy to explore… but there is little action or intrigue or, as I said, plot to flavour the experience.

I wish I had more positive things to say as I think Ms Flewelling is capable of brilliant, beautiful work – but this isn’t one of them. I feel it’s a jumping block for the rest of the series and she did an injustice to herself and her work by not making the plot of this novel something more compelling. Watching characters develop is great, but it does run dull without any action happening.

I think I will give Lynn Flewelling a break for a month or so, as I crave something crass and gory.

Characters: 6/10
Setting: 7/10
Plot: 2/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Overall: 4/10 ( )

Beware, this is some dark fantasy. This is also great fantasy! I've been meaning to read this book for ages, ever since I finished Flewelling's Nightrunner series, but never got to it. I saw it in my library the other day and grabbed it. A girl who grows up in a boy's body, thinking she's a boy. There's got to be a great story behind that, right? And I love Lynn Flewelling's writing. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed in the least. There were a few characters in the beginning of the book that I didn't particularly like but most grew on me as I read on. There's still one character I don't care for, but it's only because she has to make the hard decisions that seem so unfair to the other characters; the kind of person who doesn't really care how unhappy you are as long as her actions and yours are for the good of the world. Maybe that’s unfair of me, but oh well. She's not a prominent character so I didn't have to dwell on her long. Mostly I grew up with Tobin. It makes for a long book but I am totally invested in him now. Definitely worth the time to read for a fantasy reader. Even George R. R. Martin commented on it, saying it was "thoroughly engrossing". I already have the second book and am dying to get into it, but alas I have a few other library books that are due soon and need to be read. So instead I read the first chapter to help me get over the 'omigod what's going to happen' spell - you'll get it after reading the end of the first book too - and set it aside (although closely) to read in a week or two. Great book. ( )

The Tamir Trilogy is truly a `proper' trilogy - that is, a single story, broken up into three volumes, as opposed to a series of self-contained, interconnected books. Book 1 (The Bone Doll's Twin) sets-up the story and sends us on our way. In an age of plague and war, a girl child is destined to take her place as the rightful Queen, to reunite the people, and to bring peace back to the land. To thwart this prophecy and ensure his continued rule, the King carefully monitors all noble births and arranges to have the female children murdered. When a daughter is born into the king's family, the odds of her escaping notice (much less death) are decidedly bleak. However, there is another child - a boy - sharing their mother's womb. Sadly, for one to live (and rule), the other must die. An act of darkest magic binds the twins together, concealing Tobin's true gender with that of her brother. Fittingly, for night of such dark magic, events do not go as planned. The boy child, who was to be declared stillborn, draws a single breath before his life is cut short. That bleak mistake leaves the future queen tormented by the angry ghost of her death brother, drives their father into near-exile, and sets their unwitting mother on the path to madness and death. This is a dark, creepy, and deeply unsettling story that will have you questioning whether the end ever really can justify the means. Prince Tobin is brought up believing herself to be a boy, with only her father, her nanny, and a trio of wizards privy to the truth. We watch as she grows up, alone, isolated from the world, trapped in the confines of a gothic castle. Perhaps not surprisingly for an author who so tenderly dealt with the intricacies of bisexual romance in her Nightrunner Series, Lynn Flewelling does an absolutely masterful job of handling Tobin's growing gender conflict. As readers who know the secret, the very subtle cues as to Tobin's true gender are as clear as they are heartbreaking, even while it remains completely conceivable how others can remain oblivious. Transgender readers especially will sympathise with Tobin's plight. For us, the cure may be surgical rather than magical, but we are no less trapped in the wrong sex than her. ( )