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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Destined for Great Things, July 5, 2006
How long I've been waiting for this book. It feels like an eternity, and now it's over, and I'm sad. It's been quite awhile since I've felt like that over a fantasy novel.
Okay, were there some flaws? Yeah, sure, a little. Like most of Flewelling's readers, I'm truly rabid for more about Tamir and Ki's relationship. But I liked the way she handled it. As Tamir slowly severed the connection between herself and Brother, she became more and more female. The confusion and awkwardness in Ki's reaction to her was right on. It seems a bit rushed on the surface, but Flewelling built a strong bond between these two from the very beginning. They grew together, fought together, bled together, and their connection went beyond just male and female.
There was, of course, the predictability factor, most especially for those of us who'd previously read her Nighterunner series. But she still manages to put it quite a bit of tension, surprisingly. Even knowing what's going to happen, you can still see points where things come dangerously close to taking a turn for the disasterous. Anyone who hasn't read the Nightrunner series previously would probably suffer from uncertainty at some places in the book.
I've always enjoyed Flewelling's villains. The big baddie in this book was particurly fun, especially when you learned more about him. The "villains" are very human, and often difficult to hate. Many of them have good points as well as bad.
My first reaction to her dispatching of the main villain was that it was a cop out. But when I sat back and thought about it, I realized it was really quite fitting. What better way for a gloryhound to die than the least glorious way imaginable? It was karma in the purest sense.
No matter her flaws, Flewelling writes with such sincerity that you can't help but be drawn in. Her characters are so genuine and real; there's always at least one you can connect with on a deep level.
More importantly, she did something that many authors fail to pull off. She took a legend that was only mentioned in passing in her previous books, and turned it into a wonderful, fully fleshed-out story of its own. The only thing that could be more delightful would be more books about Tamir and Ki. Or at least ONE more.
Whatever she does next, I'm definitely looking forward to it.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
it was worth waiting for -- but it's different from the previous two books, August 21, 2006
I greatly admire the world that Lynn Flewelling created in the Tamir trilogy. This third book -- in which Tamir (a girl raised as a boy) becomes responsible for her kingdom, and battles her cousin to prove who the "real" ruler is -- will undoubtedly gratify those of us who have waited for closure to the story. (If you haven't read the first two books, don't even think of starting here.)
However, it may help you enjoyment to keep in mind that this story is "about" something else entirely. The first two were exploring identity and gender roles: what does it mean to be a son (much less a prince) instead of a daughter (or princess)? At what point is it right to sacrifice one life for another (i.e. killing Brother at birth)? Those were interesting questions, but The Oracle's Queen only deals with them in the way that Tamir responds to the issues.
Instead, this book is about relationships -- with oneself and the people one cares about. Tamir and Ki were close as boys, but suddenly, Tamir has... *other* body parts? Is it still the same person? Much of the book is about the relationships that Tamir creates, or re-creates, or tries to create. It's extremely well done (I suspect that Flewelling could make her grocery shopping list interesting), but it's definitely a different theme.
I very much enjoyed the fact that the author kept in mind that Tamir is 15, going on 16. She acts like a 15-year-old -- complete with moments when she pulls herself together and behaves as an adult.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. If you've read the previous two books, do not hesitate to buy this one.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Completely Expected - Yet Still Good!, June 28, 2006
I have waited nearly five years Ms. Flewelling to finish the Tamir Trilogy... and I must say, the wait was worth it. All in all, this was a novel that tied up loose threads, which I appreciate, but I would have loved to have seen more character interaction and plot development. Unlike the previous novels, this one covered a short span of time, only six months or so.
My observations:
- the resolution was completely expected - Tamir wins, of course!
- the relationship between Tamir and Ki developed too slowly at the beginning ("He used to be a boy!"), too fast in the end ("She's not a boy any longer!"), and left you feeling just a little bit cheated. Personally, I would have liked to have seen their marriage, and perhaps their first sexual encounter.
- the bad guys... weren't really all that bad. The only true big baddie got offed pretty early on. After that, Tamir's cousin was the bad guy, but he was so confused that it was more like beating up on a deluded person. It had to be done, but he was just an obsticle, not a roadblock.
I wish she could be convinced to go back and write a forth novel. I really want to know how Tamir and Ki's life changed in an everyday setting, the rebuilding of the palace, etc.
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