Title: The Tamir Triad
Author: Lynn Flewelling
Publication Date: 2001-2006
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
I originally published this review back in the summer of 2010, but I read the first book long before that. I'm excited to revisit it for this year's #TransRightsReadathon.
The Tamir Triad isn't necessarily a transgender story, but it is a story of gender, transition, and coming out. At the time it was published, it was the only mass market fantasy novel I'd ever encountered that made me feel seen, that hit me so hard, I remember how a pivotal moment left me shaking to the point where I had to take a long, late night walk to calm myself.
The Bone Doll's Twin sets-up the story and sends us on our way. In an age of plague and war, a girl child is destined to take her place as the rightful Queen, to reunite the people, and to bring peace back to the land. To thwart this prophecy and ensure his continued rule, the King carefully monitors all noble births and arranges to have the female children murdered.
When a daughter is born into the king's family, the odds of her escaping notice (much less death) are decidedly bleak. However, there is another child - a boy - sharing their mother's womb. Sadly, for one to live (and rule), the other must die. An act of darkest magic binds the twins together, concealing Tobin's true gender with that of her brother. Fittingly, for a night of such dark magic, events do not go as planned. The boy child, who was to be declared stillborn, draws a single breath before his life is cut short.
That bleak mistake leaves the future queen tormented by the angry ghost of her death brother, drives their father into near-exile, and sets their unwitting mother on the path to madness and death. This is a dark, creepy, and deeply unsettling story that will have you questioning whether the end can possibly justify the means. Prince Tobin is brought up believing herself to be a boy, with only her father, her nanny, and a trio of wizards privy to the truth of her gender. We watch as she grows up, alone, isolated from the world, trapped as much in the confines of a gothic castle as in an ill-fitting body.
Perhaps not surprisingly for an author who so tenderly dealt with the intricacies of bisexual romance in her Nightrunner Series, Lynn Flewelling does an absolutely masterful job of handling Tobin's growing gender conflict. As readers who know the secret, the very subtle cues as to Tobin's true gender are as clear as they are heartbreaking, even while it remains completely conceivable how others can remain oblivious. Transgender, genderfluid, and nonbinary readers especially will sympathise with Tobin's plight. For us, the cure may be surgical rather than magical, but that feeling of being trapped in a body that doesn't fit, doesn't reflect who we are inside, is all-too familiar.
Hidden Warrior (and there will be spoilers from here on in!) continues the story, as Tobin tries to fit in at court with her cousin, the Prince, the other noble children, and their squires. By this point in the trilogy, Tobin knows the truth about herself, leaving her to not only to cope with her own destiny, but to struggle with a secret that threatens to change everything and everyone around herself.
While not as dark and gothic as the first volume, this one is equally as bleak. We see a young 'boy' struggling with the knowledge that he's really a girl inside, and fighting the thoughts and feelings of the one, which do not mesh with the other. Confusing matters further is Tobin's awkward relationship with Ki, his long-time, faithful squire. By the end of this second volume, it's clear that they have feelings for one another, even if one can't express them and the other can't really understand them. In Ki, we find the friend every one of us craves - never have I loved a supporting character more.
Once again, for trans/nonbinary readers, Tobin's emerging conflicts really hit home, but Flewelling handles them beautifully. It's a heartbreaking struggle to witness (and to share), but there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. We get the sense that the truth truly will set her free.
The Oracle's Queen brings all the threads together for a triumphant conclusion. War comes to the kingdom, forcing an end to the awkward stasis that has plagued the land. When the King is slain, Prince Korin must take the throne, despite having already proven himself a poor choice to lead the land in battle. In order to save the realm from Korin's failings (and the greater failings of his court wizard), Tobin must reveal herself to the world and declare herself Queen Tamir.
Even though we, as readers, know it's coming - it's inevitable, in fact - the dissolution of the magic, revealing Tobin as Tamir, is absolutely breathtaking. It's bold, it's beautiful, and (for the sake of regal legitimacy) it's a coming out/transition that is very much public. This is an act that needs to be witnessed, and witnessed it is! If her coming out doesn't leave you in tears, then you have my condolences for your absent heart.
Sadly, this magical moment does not mark an end to Tamir's suffering. If anything, it adds to it. Many across the kingdom refuse to believe it, either accusing her (ironically) of being a boy in drag, or simply distrusting the magic used to disguise her for so many years. It's just one more challenge our heroine must face, one more evil to defeat, before our story can come to an end.
As I said, this isn't necessarily a transgender story, and I have no idea whether Flewelling has any transgender friends who influenced this, much less whether she intended to so accurately mirror the experience of a modern day transwoman, but she does a magnificent job.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
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