These two novels, the beginning of the Tamir Triad, are written later than the Nightrunner Trilogy, and it's immediately apparent that the author's writing has matured. These are set in the same world as the Nightrunner books, but at an earlier time.
The Tamir Triad tells the story of a ruthless king who seeks to stabilise his throne and succession by killing his female relatives, in a time when the land is overun with plague, famine and war. When his sister gives birth to twins, the boy is killed, and in a working of dark magic, his male form is given to his sister.
Tobin, as she is named, grows up in a remote keep believing she is a boy. She is haunted by the ghost of her brother, and surrounded by intrigue, dark magic, and loyalty. While serving as a knight at the court of her uncle, the king, she discovers her true nature, and plans for her future.
Flewelling's characters are far more realistic in these novels - Tobin and the people who are working to see her on the throne are convincingly torn between loyalities and regimes. Tobin is a particularly endearing character, and I think Flewelling captures the nature of a young mind and voice extremely well, and also Tobin's double nature, of a woman brought up as a man. They are extremely captivating books, and I enjoyed them immensely (although I'm rather annoyed that I now have to wait a year for the next one to be published). 4 out of 5 - they're excellent fantasy novels.
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