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The Bone Doll's Twin (Tamir Trilogy, Book 1)

The Bone Doll's Twin (Tamir Trilogy, Book 1)

List Price: $7.50
Your Price: $6.75
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another great book by a wonderful author.
Review: The Bone Doll's Twin, first book in the Tamir Trilogy (yes, trilogy) is the account of one of the past queens of Skala (a ficticious land we're introduced to in Flewelling's earlier books, the Nightrunner series), Tamir II -- though for now, she's only known as Tobin.

The book takes us from her birth, where her twin brother is killed (and, VERY central to the story, she's given the physical appearance of that twin in order to survive to adulthood -- all female heirs to the throne were being murdered by the king) and up through her childhood, into her early teens.

And, as if a gender-identity crisis in the making issn't bad enough, Tobin's murdered twin, Brother, is haunting her, and her mother is out of her mind.

The book is a fantastic read -- the characters are likable and easy to relate to, and the story and writing style are utterly enthralling. Once started on this book, I find it VERY difficult to even fathom putting it down.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's all that, plus feminism
Review: I confess to having bought this book as recommended by a reviewer of George R.R. Martin's "Game of thrones". That reviewer had been outraged because of the numerous ordeals George R.R. Martin makes his feminine characters go through.

Indeed, "Bone Doll's Twin" is far from that. I've read some of the reviews here, and tend to agree to those not-so-favorable. Besides, influenced by the mentioned reviewer, I've noticed some aspects that suggest a strong feminist orientation of the writer.

The plots are carefully shaped so that all abasements of women frustrate the reader. The leaders have to be females (queens); if this does not happen, all kind of disasters happen to the country (Skala). The army contains equally men and women. We are led to consider reproachfully the current situation, when the king disallows this: unhappy, the warrior-women find shelter by the hearths. Iya, one of the most important characters, is an old female wizard; it so happens, that she has a male apprentice, whom she teaches wizardry wisdom. And Iya is the one to forbid or recommend to Arkoniel, the apprentice, to have sexual experiences.

Lhel, a fascinating character by all means, is a female witch initiated in nature magic. She is the sexual partner of Arkoniel. She chose him, hunted him, and eventually rode him in an explicitly depicted intercourse.

Apart from all these, the book offers a rather pleasant reading. I'm mildly interested in the next installment.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A good solid fantasy story
Review: I enjoyed this book. It is not the best fantasy I have ever read, nor is is a formulaic "light read" like so many in the genre. It is a solid story, with enough issues and character development to make us care for the protagonist and her supporting characters. I liked the twists that came from the plot device of the dead "ghost" twin. I also enjoyed the subtle enough commentary on the benefits and drawbacks of matriarchal and patriarchal social systems. The author doesn't beat you over the head with it too much and it's not a subject often addressed in fantasy, only Jennfer Roberson ever addressed it in her Sword Dancer Series.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dark But Enthralling
Review: Fans of Flewelling's incomparable Nightrunner series will be a little shocked when they pick up THE BONE DOLL'S TWIN. It's impressive how different in tone this new series is when compared to her other books. The Tamir Trilogy promises to be much darker, even a little disturbing, but just as brilliant.

THE BONE DOLL'S TWIN is set in the same world as the Nightrunner series, but far earlier in Skala's history. The small kingdom has enjoyed centuries of peace and safety thanks to divine protection which is maintained by a line of warrior queens. When an ambitious young prince decides to steal his sister's throne, he makes sure all contenders for the crown are eliminated. That means all females in the royal family are murdered. When a young woman married to the King's nephew gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl, the children's father takes desperate steps to ensure a return of the divine protection. He brings in an earth-witch to cast dark magic on his daughter, an act that necessitates the death of his son. The girl is magically made to appear male and is raised believing she is a boy.

The girl/boy Tobin must survive much before she can become Queen however. Her mother has gone mad, her twin brother still exists as an angry, bitter ghost, and if anyone should discover that he is really a girl, she would be quickly eliminated.

The book is amazingly original; I've never read anything remotely like it. Lynn Flewelling has proved herself a master at world building and character development and she doesn't let us down in either case with her latest series. Once again, all her characters, both good and bad, are richly developed and complex. The story, while dark and sinister, is enthralling and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good but great with the sequel
Review: When I first read this book I enjoyed it but was left with a sense of emptiness by the ending because I didn't know there was a sequel coming. Now that I've read the sequel(and am awaiting the third one) I would recommend it for everyone. But don't read it without reading the sequel (or the third one). Hope you like it as much as I did...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Story Is a One of A Kind Fantasy Read!
Review: This is the first book in the trilogy, and was incredible. It is imaginative in a day and age where sci-fi/fantasy books seem to all have the same sort of storyline to them. In this book, things you would never think of happen, and it is so well written. Some say it is disturbing, and I suppose I agree, but that should not discourage anyone from reading it. The characters are so well formed that you feel as though you know them. The tale moves quickly, and the book leaves you wanting more. Luckily, the second book, The Hidden Warrior, is available and just as good. I recommend reading this book first, and I promise you will run out to get the next one as soon as you put it down!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I'm one of those rare, fortunate souls that can read whatever, whenever. (I own a tiny used book shop.) And this work is truly awe-inspiring, far beyond the others.

With this series, Lynn Flewelling has managed to craft a totally new, totally unique, and totally believable fantasy universe. Her characters are so real they inspire our love and loyalty, even while they horrify us with their capacity for evil in the name of good. We feel genuine sympathy for the villain and pity for the wronged. And, most of all, we know the terrible weight of prophecy, of Destiny unfulfilled.

I hear the second book has finally been released. I'm going to go order it, then add this series to my top shelf, to stand with Tolkien, Elizabeth Moon, Patricia McKillip, George R. R. Martin, and the rest of the truly wondrous works of fantastic fiction. I don't make much money on new books, but I'll order these, and gladly. Lynn, you have drawn the highest praise of all - my wallet!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent prequel to the Nightstalker series
Review: Wow. This book (and the sequel, The Hidden Warrior) are excellent prequels to her Nightstalker series (Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, and Traitor's Moon). These two tell the story of Tamir, hidden for most of her young life in the body of a boy, Tobin, and brought up as Companion to her cousin Prince Korin.

The magic of Skala, its wizards and hedge-witches, is believable and the beginnings of the Third Oreska (which we see in later years in the earlier series) is fascinating.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An excellent tale of death, identity, and destiny.
Review: As a fan of Lynn Flewelling's "Nightrunner" series, I was eager to see what else Lynn was capable of outside of the adventures of Seregil and Alec. I was by no means disappointed by "The Bone Doll's Twin." Ms. Flewelling has crafted an intriguing, chilling, and thoroughly engrossing tale.

Why only 4 stars, then? While "The Bone Doll's Twin" is an excellent book as is, there is still much room for improvement, and the story doesn't quite live up to its full potential.

The story follows young Tobin. Even before her birth she is destined to become one of the greatest queens in Skalan history. She is prophesized by the god, Illior, to rule the land and end the tyranny of King Erius, who usurped the throne from Tobin's Grandmother. Erius, fearful of the long-standing prophesy of a woman being the only rightful ruler of Skala, has all women with connection to the throne assassinated to solidify his position as king and assure the ascension of his son, Prince Korin. Tobin, who was born a girl, is made into a man by ancient magic to protect her from the King until she is of age to rule.

We follow Tobin's life from birth to adolescence. This is one of the book's weak points. Since the book is pretty much about Tobin's day-to-day life in his household, there is very little sense of conflict and virtually no sense of the plot progressing. This is counterbalanced, however, by Tobin's unusual circumstances. His brother--who was murdered when he was born so that Tobin could be made into a man--haunts the house as a poltergeist. His mother, who was driven insane by the death of her son, haunts the household also, as disturbingly as any ghost. There are some genuinely creepy moments here that will have you nervously turning pages.

There are, sadly, some plot elements that could have been done better. Tobin's dead twin, for example, could have been portrayed better. There is so much potential for conflict between Tobin and his dead brother, but such a conflict never happens. She really should have experimented with the prospect more, and thought up a better role for him aside from the classic poltergeist.

The characters are done very well in this book, though a bit shy of the masterfully human characterizations of the Nightrunner series. Some of the characters play the classic Fantasy archetypes--the fretting nanny, the strong woman, the conniving noble--but most of the characters stand out on their own and grow as the story progresses. Some will even surprise you. For example, King Erius, who is supposed to be an insane tyrant of a king, comes off as a pretty likeable, even-tempered gentleman.

All in all, "The Bone Dolls Twin" is a more than worthy tale for lovers of fantasy. I particularly recommend this book to anyone with a taste for the macabre.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Noble effort, but really nothing new in the genre
Review: I was drawn to this work from a recomendation from George RR Martin, who is my favorite fantasy writer. But, I was bitterly disappointed in this book. The writing is competent, the atmosphere chilly and she tries to build up momentum for the main story, a few subplots, and fills in a backstory. But, very little seems to get accomplished in the first 250 pages. There were no characters that I actually cared about and no sense of wonder at any mystery that made me want to turn the page. By way of contrast, GRRM's works by that point had at least 5 characters that I wanted to learn much more about and had started half a dozen story lines that captured my interest. Bone Doll seems to put almost all its eggs in one basket with its main story, and it's not as interesting as one of the top 3 of GRRM's subplots. A very competent writer, but there are better books.


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