Rating: 
Summary: Overlong, unnecessary, and incomplete
Review: The Bone Doll's Twin employs a nasty bait-and-switch tactic of not actually informing the reader that it's the first of a trilogy on the cover or back cover. So I expected a complete story and only got, what, one-third of one?The story itself feels remarkably generic. It's set in a basic feudal society, replete with travelling and consulting wizards having prophecies and trying to guide the future. The essential hook of the story - that Tobin is a girl unknowingly in boy's form - is intriguing, but almost ignored by the story's substance (it briefly rears its head at the end, in a rather contrived manner, but is otherwise a side issue). Instead, the book focuses on Tobin's youth shelted at his father's remote keep, learning to be a warrior and bedeviled by a demon. Not particularly novel stuff, it's competently told, but so are many such fantasies. Two-thirds in, it became clear that Flewelling wasn't going to resolve the story in the next 150 pages, and my interest flagged. The story that is here could easily have been edited down to half its length with little of import lost. The characters are fairly bland, sticking to some tried-and-true stereotypes involving honor, duty, and loss. And the tension is all in the background - there's fairly little true confict for Tobin to face, and very little that he can do about anything directly himself. In that way - and with the shifting point of view the novel employs - there's no true protagonist, and it's hard to care about any of the characters as characters - just as pawns in a game. Contrast this with Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series, which tread similar ground of duty and honor in the name of one's father, but which do so with dramatic, eloquent characterizations and tense conflicts where the character faces the chance of real loss - and doesn't always win. The Bone Doll's Twin is tame by comparison. (More obviously, this book feels like a second-rate version of Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana, or George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, both of which - thought flawed - don't flinch at presenting conflict, pain and loss..) What ultimately sinks the book is that it's just a prologue, and yet it's long enough for a whole novel, but the premise certainly lacks the meat to carry through to a trilogy. Feeling like I've already read more about Tobin and Iya and Ki and Arkoniel than I really needed to, I can't see any reason to proceed to the second volume. The first is plenty.
Rating: 
Summary: Lynn just gets better and better
Review: Wow, this book was awesome. The story is compelling and the characters complex and fascinating. Lynn handles the challenge of writing about a girl who thinks she is boy with amazing style and intelligence. I did not want this book to end, and have been anxiously awaiting "The Hidden Warrior" and the continuation of the story. It is one of the most unusual stories that I have read, a great concept, magnificently carried off.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This book is a masterpiece. I have read Lynn Flewelling's previous books, but this goes far beyond them. It is deeply disturbing and meaningful. Each character in this book is painfully real as they wrestle with internal struggles. Tobin is a character so intricately woven that you lose yourself in his world of rumours and whispering. The Bone Doll's Twin drew me into the Three Lands and I am anxiously awaiting the second installment.
Rating:
Summary: a very good read indeed
Review: I came across this book via Robin Hobb's website, for which I shall be forever thankful. The first few opening chapters of the Bone Doll's Twin are some of the darkest I have read in some while, circling around the theme of how far people are prepared to go for a common good. The later chapters are much more of a coming-of-age type of story, following the progress of the young prince(ss) Tobin as he grows up under rather exceptional circumstances. Character development is rock solid, and fulfills main criteria for success in building a person in a tale - regardless of whether or not you like them, you want to find out more about what happens to them. This Flewelling has done in bucketloads, and I cannot wait for the sequels to come out. If you want an exceedingly good read, this is the one.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: "The Bone Doll's Twin" begins with two wizards, Iya and Arkoniel, who are charged with an unpleasant task. Erius, the King of the land of Skala, has been exterminating all of his female relatives in order to prevent them from challenging his claim to the throne. To save Erius' infant niece, Iya and Arkoniel must employ a form of magic to transform the child's body into a male for an indefinite period of time. Unfortunately, this action necessitates killing the girl's twin brother, and the two wizards are unable to prevent his spirit from escaping and haunting the household. After this introduction, most of the book is spent showing the girl, raised as the Prince Tobin, growing up in a small castle in a remote part of the country. This book has quite a bit going for it. Flewelling does an excellent job of capturing a sense of gritty reality. Life in a medieval society, even for lords and royalty, was never as pleasant as the way that many authors portray it. There was always a threat of disease and hunger, and, of course, people in those times lacked many of our modern conveniences. This books spares no details in presenting the truth about life in those times. All of the characters in this book are solid. I particularly enjoyed the portrayals of Arkoniel and Iya. Instead of just using the stereotypical wizard character (old, wise guy with beard and funny language), Flewelling gives each of them a unique and unpredictable personality. Tobin is also quite different from the overused 'young boy who's destined for greatness' character. I should also say that the writing has a very nice flow, and that the author does a good job a covering large amounts of time in relatively little space. And yet, there's something a little bit unsatisfying about "The Bone Doll's Twin", particularly during the final fifty pages or so. I think that what really bothered me was that the author didn't explore the book's full potential, and didn't manage to create a truly dark and frightening mood. Now there are a few genuinely creepy scenes in here; see especially one near the end where Tobin encounters the evil wizard Niryn in his family's graveyard at night. But for most of the time there just isn't enough of a sense of imminent danger. In particular, the scenes featuring the ghost of the murdered child fall short of what they could be. And then there's the concluding scene. I don't want to give it away, so I'll just say that it rings false. Flewelling builds up a fascinating situation for one of the characters, but then that person's reaction to it just isn't believable. So, what's the final analysis? Well, "The Bone Doll's Twin" is an excellent book, and I'll be the first in line when the sequel comes out. In my opinion, however, the author did pass up some good opportunities.
Rating:
Summary: Lynn Flewelling Does It Again!
Review: Damn, this girl can write! I thought I was blown away by her Nightrunner series. The Tamir Trilogy promises to be as textured and riveting as Serigil, Alec and Nysander. LYNN, YOU'RE THE BEST!
Rating:
Summary: This Book Kicks
Review: This Book totally rocked, I, literally, stayed up until midnight reading it. The style that this author uses is, well, perfect. I Loved and I recommend this work of art to any Fantasy enthusist that is tired of the same old same old.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Book! - Wholeheartedly Recommend
Review: I first stumbled upon this book after reading some of Anne Bishop's work and having Amazon tell me that I might enjoy Lynn Flewelling stories also. For a long time, the book sat on my shelf - neglected and steadily collecting dust. I had read the back cover probably ten times, and while the book proved interesting, it seemed a little eccentric for my tastes. I picked up the book one afternoon and read the first few chapters and found myself having a hard time getting into the world Flewelling was trying to create for me. Again I discarded the book to the far corners of my room and vowed to try again in a couple of weeks. When the time came for me to once again pick up the book, I threw myself in headfirst and found myself swimming in Flewelling eloquent, but challenging writing style. Chapter by chapter, I found myself becoming more and more enthralled with a young boy named Tobin and his unconventional upbringing. The realm of wizards, kings, and war pulled me in and I found myself not wanting to escape. I throughly enjoyed reading this book; the plot was different from the other books I had engrossed myself in and the suspense and foreshadowing the novel created was facinating. By the end of the story, I was disapointed that I was left hanging right when things had reached the peak of their climax. One thing is for sure, Lynn Flewelling has gained herself another loyal fan.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended read
Review: I highly recommend this book not only for those who have tried her Nightrunner series, but also for those who worried about the gay romance in the Nightrunner series. This book is like a mixture of witchcraft and adventure. The Nightrunner series was more of the wizards feel, but Bone Doll's Twin is more of an earthy-witch feel. The plot is fast, the details are great, and the characters are definately not like the ones from the Nighrunner's series. The ghost brother is an interesting touch--something completely different from what most heroines dressed as men have for companions, anyhow. I like it. I definately like the ghost. Creepy as he may be at first, I like how Flewelling uses him to add a different view. Those that have read Nightrunner, reading this book is like stepping off the airplane, and walking to a Buddhist temple, only to find that the fragrance there-sandalwood-is the same as you smelled once upon a time somewhere, perhaps passing by a shop in the mall. Those that have not read the Nightrunner series, I'd suggest that also. That series, and this one, in particular, are excellent. Shiny silvery baubles woven into a magnificent web. The book is, as I said, fast paced, but those baubles, those places she does pause at, are very beautifully narrated.
Rating:
Summary: Happily Surprised!
Review: I looked at this book because of the jacket art, read the story line and thought "hey,i'll give it a try" and now i am glad i did. I could not put this book down. Normally these kinds of books bore more so bad i cant make it through the first chapter, but the characters in this book were so easy to get into and the story was not so complex and so far out there as to just loose my interest completely.
I cant wait for the next one to come out.
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