The Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling - These three books follow the story of a girl who has been hidden in the body of a boy. Let me start from the beginning. In this high fantasy, it has been prophesied by the Oracle of Afra that as long as a daughter of Thelatimos' line rules, Skala shall never be subjugated. Fast-forward a few centuries and male has usurped the throne and named himself the king of Skala. After the reign of a treacharous mad queen, the people of Skala see no harm in the recent turn of events, ignoring the words of the Oracle. But Illior Lightbearer, one of the four main deities of Skala, will not have it, and as plague, famine, and war threaten Skala, the Oracle forsees the one who will come to reclaim her rightful place on the throne. Erius, the Usurper King, has been killing off all his female relatives to ensure the succession of his line, but little does he know that with the help of a couple of wizards and an outlawed hill witch, his youngest sister's daughter has magically been given the form of a boy, to spare her the same fate as the rest of her family. Growing up a boy, Tobin has no idea who he really is and his fated destiny, but after a series of disastrous events and leading a sheltered upbringing in the country side, Tobin is forced to go live in the capital city Ero with his trusted squire and companion, Ki. Can Tobin stand to learn the truth about his real identity, and will he be able to wrest the crown from the only family he has left? Will Skala accept the rule of a hidden queen, or will she been seen as a creation of necromancy rather than the chosen of Illior? Stay tuned!

I was a little apprehensive picking up the first book in this trilogy - I had randomly stumbled accross this book on listmania on Amazon.com, and was, at the time, trying to expand my horizons, so I've had this book for a while and just picked it up to read recently. After reading the first book, I was left feeling a little ambivalent about the whole thing. The author spends a long time setting the scene and developing the characters, so there's very little in terms of plot sequence in the first book, but by the end I was definitely intrigued, since the story picks up pace in the last couple chapters. I wanted to know what happens to Tobin next, and let me say I'm glad I picked up book two. Book two is much more exciting and the speed of the plot is more what I'm inclined to like, but looking back I think I can appreciate how much slower book one is. Flewelling takes the time to carefully craft characters and places to ensure that the readers feel a connection, so that later in books two and three the story has more emotional impact. I can't really say much more about the pacing of the plot without really revealing why book one is slow and why the subsequent novels immediately pick up speed. One other comment I'd like to add is in reference to Flewelling's writing style. It's sufficiently dated to give the impression of a medieval fantasy realm, but it's fluid and beautiful, without being dense, and makes reading her books a real treat.

I'd say this is a definite must-read for those really into a good fantasy that's not too hoaky. There is some romance, which is obvious since I rarely read things without even a hint of it, but it's very appropros to the story, and mostly plays in the last book, so don't be turned off by that. It's a well-done coming of age story about trying to fit into your skin, when, surprise surprise, your skin isn't really yours.

****4 stars

Triad Includes:
1. The Bone Doll's Twin
2. Hidden Warrior
3. The Oracle's Queen