The Bone Doll's Twin

Tamir Triad, Book 1

By: Lynn Flewelling

Narrated by: Victor Bevine, Lynn Flewelling

Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Long ago, during the dark days of the Great War with Pleinmar, King Thelatimos journeyed to the Oracle of the God Illior at Afra to save his warn-torn kingdom. Here he was presented with a prophecy 'So long as a daughter of Thelatimos's line defends and rules, Skala shall never be subjugated.' And that is how the line of queens ruling over Skala was established...

However, as generations went by, the male heirs to the throne became intensely resentful of the prophecy that emasculated their claim to power. Finally Queen Agnalain took the throne and the people of Skala suffered under her erratic and selfish command. Prompted by the people's outcry over this mad queen, her son Prince Erius claimed primogeniture, and seized the throne. Erius's ascent may have pleased the people of Skala, but a faction of the population, one who had not forgotten the prophecy, were worried. Plague, drought and famine spread throughout the kingdom weakening it's defences and offering easy pickings to Skala's old enemy and neighbour, Plenimar.

As people start to recall the Oracle's prophecy, Erius begins to quietly kill off his female relatives who pose the only threat to his monarchy. Constantly in fear for her life, Princess Ariani the King's sister, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But Ariani is married to Lord Rhius, the patron of the powerful wizard Iya, and Iya has sinister plans for the babes.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and recorded by author Lynn Flewelling.

©2001 Lynn Flewelling (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Spooky and Wonderfully Performed

If you could sum up The Bone Doll's Twin in three words, what would they be?

Haunting, engaging, and emotive.

What other book might you compare The Bone Doll's Twin to and why?

The Tamir Triad in general reminds me of the "Snow White, Blood Red" series of adult fairy tales edited by Datlow and Windling. It has an excellent feeling of prophecy, destiny, and inevitability.

Which character – as performed by Victor Bevine and Lynn Flewelling – was your favorite?

I loved how Bevine did voices. They were wonderful. He's one of my favorite readers in a long while. Duke Rhius was particularly good; I felt the weight of his decisions and love for his family.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wouldn't call crying an "extreme reaction" but I definitely did cry. Despite this being a re-read for me, I left with a feeling of melancholy. The characters in this book had to make some hard choices, and endure some sadness, and I kept some of that with me after reading.

the bone dolls twin

wow this one this one put me right in the people and places loved every bit of it,couldn't stop listening,wonderfully writtin and,theres 2 more all I can say is i'm downloading #2 now...and just can't wait to hear what is next,READ THIS ONE

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What did you like best about The Bone Doll's Twin? What did you like least?

I like the premise of the story. That the story didn't evolve more during the book

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This whole story was a set up for the next book. I kept waiting for the story to evolve into some interesting conclusion but it ended like a dud. In a series - there has to be a complete story and then a cliff hanger for the next book. It shouldn't be one giant set up for the next book. I won't be listening to the rest of the series.

Which character – as performed by Victor Bevine, and Lynn Flewelling – was your favorite?

n/a

Do you think The Bone Doll's Twin needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

There has to be a follow up book as this book was one big set-up for the next book

Any additional comments?

n/a

Great New Fantasy Find!

Wonderful story and characters! I love the themes explored in this book, but it's never heavy handed. Good narration, too. I'm looking forward to the other two books in this series.

beautifully gothic.

This story was an engrossing read. The writing style was fluid and descriptive, holding the reader in each moment. I am moving on to book two right now.

Still like it since first read in 2001

Any additional comments?

I read this story in 2001, way before it became an audio book and find myself coming back to re-read or relisten to it every now and then. It was so far out of the norm when it came out that it was unexpected and satisfying. The world building, the character development still hold up after 15 years. I sometimes find world building tedious, but for some reason Flewelling's descriptions are always interesting to me. Every book goes over different kinds of things, how castles and cities functions, court life. The magics of each culture are truly different. But at the core there is always a solid understanding of the characters.

The darkness in this book isn't darkness for darkness sake. There is something to this theme of the god who brings great gifts and madness at the same time. And I suppose at the center the main character brings me back, because I always enjoy the characters that have genuine kindness matched with strength, like a Harry Potter or a Katniss Everdeen. Unique people, well drawn, but ones who care about more than just themselves.

The Best Lynn Flewelling Trilogy so Far

While I enjoyed Luck in the Shadows and company, I classify those books as light reading, as we used to call it "a good read." I was somewhat surprised when about halfway through this trilogy I realized that I was thinking of it as a major, substantive work. More than just a good read, but a story that stayed with you and made you think about it long after the last page was turned, the last word spoken.

This trilogy has more gravitas and also more sense of suspense. That Ms. Flewelling is able to maintain the sense of suspense throughout the book is even more impressive because if you have already read the previous/future Nightrunner series, you broadly know how things turn out. But the artistry is in the details.

This is ultimately a story of love, romantic and familial, duty and redemption. If the Nightrunner series was more to the young mature audience side of the scale, this is more to the fully mature audience side of the scale, although both series obviously cross over to both types of audience. I especially loved the short epilogue, which I cannot discuss because I do not want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that it will resonate for anyone who has lived long enough to see the superimposed images of those you love both as they are now, and as they were when everyone was young and beginning their journey.

Victor Bevine did a wonderful job narrating the story. An interesting characterization given the problem facing the main character.

I highly recommend this series.

gothic fantasy

This is a ghost story... A story of prophecy and betrayal the hero/heroine is badly damaged. All the characters in this story are stumbling around blindly just as they should be gone are the days of omnipotent wizards and silly intervening gods. Dragons are where they belong in the books about them. I love fantasy in all it's forms. Especially dragons fairies vampires and werewolves...... This is a ghost story. I absolutely love it. It captured me I have only one complaint ... Where is my emphatic character? I can't identify with anyone in the story.

Chilling gothic scary amazing

The title says it all I love all the books on this series though I advise the squimis to stay away they wer creepy scary sad deep intriguing chilling and honestly so good I love the world and story even if it is one of those books that’s just depressing it’s not something we’re things fo well but its amazing in its own why and I love it

Read After First Three Books in Nightrunner Series

I've found this first book to be very good - more in the Anne Rice vein than typical fantasy, however. Because this series jumps into a unique universe already fully realized, there's not a lot of background explanation of terminology/geography - it assumes you know the world the author has created. I'd highly recommend the first 3 books in the Nightrunner series before starting this trilogy.

I disagree that the book is unrelentingly depressive. It does begin with the murder of a child, but that's the crux of everything that follows and realistically casts the main characters in that plot setting. Also disagree with the comments of plot holes simply because it ignores the fact that even by the end of the book, there's no proof or certainty that the king was actually having female heirs killed - you believe that has happened but complaining that he didn't kill his half-sister ignores the repeated lines that the king did love this half-sister dearly. For me, having a character be completely, 100% evil is silly and the author avoids those kind of black and white depictions for all of the characters.

I think this first book is a great start.