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Aug 07, 2010

Elizabeth rated it:

This is my macaroni and cheese book.

There are certain books that are just comfort food. You've read them a dozen times, they have enough substance to fill you up, and they are completely enjoyable. They are also high in calories, and you know that a steady diet of them would turn your body to mush.

Sheepfarmer's Daughter is great fun. Paksenarrion, a (surprise) sheepfarmer's daughter, runs away to join a mercenary company and fulfill her dream of becoming a soldier, and More...

10 comments like (11 people liked it)

Aug 11, 2011

Stephen rated it:

4.5 stars. An excellent beginning to what looks to be a superb epic fantasy series. Elizabeth Moon writes a great story with well-drawn, interesting characters and a tightly focused plot that grabs you from the beginning of the novel and never stalls. That is tough to do in a 500+ page book, but I was engaged the entire time. Highly recommended!!!

Winner: Compton Crook Award.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 07, 2012

Carol rated it:

Like a microscope on a game safari, Sheepfarmer's Daughter focuses on exactly the wrong details for me. I enjoyed the writing style and the quality, but felt I would have liked a little more character development: the times we hear Paks' inner dialogue are too far apart, and there is too much description without reflection.

I can appreciate that the lavish details of the road are pertinent to an infantry soldier, and I give Moon credit for attempting to capture some of the necessary More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Aug 27, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it:

I have read and reviewed the text version of this book. My daughter got me this (and the next 2 parts of the trilogy) for Christmas this year (2010).

I want to review this in that a wonderful book can be read by a "not so wonderful reader" and be then in audio form...not so wonderful. That isn't the case here. While not the best reader I've ever heard in an audio book Jennifer Van Dyck does a fine job on the book and only in a couple of places does she miss a cue or fail to More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 25, 2011

Anke added it

This is available to download for free from the Baen website, if you want to try it yourself.

The prologue tells us of a written account of Paksenarrion's (here not specified) deeds delivered to her humble family. It amazes them. Since chapter one jumps back to when she ran away from home, that prologue smells to me like a cheap ploy to build interest.

In the following, we get rather a lot of detail about basic training in a mercenary army. While we hear how to handle a spe More...

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Feb 16, 2011

Monica! rated it:

I vaguely remember reading this as a child, but the plot in my mind consisted solely of "Some girl with blond hair is all 'I'm off to be a soldier bye dad!' and then she rides a donkey." So I thought I would give it another go fifteen years later and see what I thought.

There's something sort of refreshing about a heroine who is also a mercenary soldier. From the looks of the storyline, the next couple books will probably quickly become bogged down in "Paks becomes a pa More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 28, 2011

Jessica rated it:

I really, really liked this book when I read it in high school. I loved the idea of a history of a hero, from her humble beginnings on through her greatest deeds. I remember Pakse and her companions so well, and I thought the descriptions of army life: recruitment, arming, training, were well done, with just enough detail to be thorough, not enough to drag the story down. There was no rush to spit the story out, it had clearly been plotted for three books, and I looked forward to two and thre More...

8 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 25, 2010

Nancy rated it:

Paks runs away from an unwanted suitor to join the mercenary army. She trains with other recruits in close fighting and swordsmanship and soon tests her mettle in battle. When one of her friends is injured and Paks heals the gash with her touch, this comrade leaves Paks her sacred medallion after a subsequent mortal wound. The amulet appears to protect Paks, even against a powerful mage. Her own commanders begin to question her destiny, but Paks wants only to stay with her friends. She may have More...

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Aug 19, 2010

Ross rated it:

This book begins with an 18 year old girl leaving home to escape a forced marriage. She joins a mercenary fighting unit as a recruit to be trained as a sword fighter. At this point I thought the book was going to be a fantasy like "Xena, Warrior Princess." After reading a little more, however, it became a sort of combination of "Nancy Drew" and "Harry Potter" in Tolkien's middle earth. If you liked those books then this book could appeal to you. This is not a bad More...

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Jun 11, 2010

Liz B rated it:

I was definitely engaged in this book, although upon reflection I'm not entirely sure why. Paks is a pure and almost childlike character throughout--she believes ardently in honor and good, and for the most part, her belief in her leader and comrades is justified. I like heroes and heroines who present as more complex and tormented, generally.

Next--this novel is very much the first book in a series, and nothing much important happens. Paks learns to fight; she overcomes a few problems More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 05, 2011

Gavin rated it:

The first book in the Deed of Paksenarrion series (One noun, five sylables, instant red alert).

I have to preface this by saying that I found Lord of the Ring's unbearably tedious, and that every time I read -or try to- 80's fantasy (Wheel of Time in particular) I am struck by a profound sadness that Tolkien's ludicrous Middle-England populated by gay midgets, gay elves and gay... men became the template rather than Le Guin's Earthsea.

Sheepfarmer's Daughter really is eight More...

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Sep 06, 2010

Lindsay rated it:

It wasn't tremendously ground-breaking or anything, but it was solid enjoyable D&D-style fantasy, medium magic level, with good action, good description, good characters. I don't need everything to have a twist, i.e. to be fantasy but with (insert odd addition to setting or race here), and it's nice to see a new fantasy that doesn't make me feel like it's trying too hard.

I liked the prologue, which foreshadowed the story with a nicely mythic tone. The first chapter begins in an awk More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 16, 2011

Steven rated it:

A very compelling read. The story of Paksenarrion is long and involved, but ultimately quite compelling. The promise at the start of the book is never really fulfilled, but that's probably why this is "book 1". I'm sure the following books eventually bring the story of Paks to a close.

What I liked: a strong female central character, and compelling relationships with other warriors. I also like the slow learning of the world's mysticism --- that really did seem like how someon More...

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Mar 15, 2010

penny rated it:

I found this as a free downloadable ebook on Suvudu. I wish I recall how I found Suvudu, but...

I enjoyed several of Moon's other works, and was in the mood for something standard so I downloaded and transferred it over to my reader.

I was wrong. Sadly. Since a woman joining a man's world and kicking complete arse is still fantasy and not overly mundane in the real world.

Yes, if you strip away any reference to gender of the lives that are written or of the li More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Engineous rated it:

The first fifty pages are pretty good; from that point on, the author devolves into a logistical obsession that almost completely prevents any joy or interest in the book. The idea that this book has a "gritty realism" (as printed on the back in my copy) is self-indulgent navel-gazing; the military structure in this is a Mary Sue in every way, from the dropping of trivial and easily-solved "safe" conflicts to the surprisingly unrealistic details of the recruits eating dairy f More...

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Mar 22, 2011

Ross rated it:

I liked this book a lot, and think that it is unique in many ways.

For one thing, the realm of the fantasy novel, particularly the sword and shield variety, is so thoroughly dominated by men that a woman protagonist struck me as refreshing. Yes, the details, the point of view, are different for being told from the female perspective. This is a good thing.

For another, as someone who has spent time in the military, I found Moon's descriptions of basic training, milita More...

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Apr 04, 2011

MrsJoseph rated it:

Sheepfarmer's Daughter is book 1 of

.

Paksenarrion is the daughter of a sheepfarmer. Her father plans to marry her off to a local pig farmer but Paks has other ideas. She dreams of being a valiant soldier on a trusty warhorse. She and her father fight, then she runs off and joins Duke Phelin's mercenary army.

Once Paks joins the army she learns much of what it really means to be a soldier. She is often tired and hurt - and several of her friends die. Paks also learns More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 07, 2011

Meg rated it:

If anyone had told me I would like a book all about battles of a mercenary troop as they strive for revenge, the tale being heavy on tactics and light on deep personal character moments, I would have thought they were insane.

But Sheepfarmer's Daughter is an excellent, engaging read. It keeps your attention, it does not waste your time with extraneous details, and always keeps moving from one thing to the next. Not every fight in a heart pounding moment where you wonder how they will More...

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Apr 18, 2011

Eric rated it:

I finished this book really quickly. It’s another book that I read quite some time ago and have now had the opportunity to re-read. This is really a 4 ½ star book. It holds up under the harsh reality of the re-read, even when that re-read is years later.

The story is a well done coming of age tale. There is a significant amount of violence interspersed between long bouts of walking and talking about various countries and their relationships in the world setting. This is about as accu More...

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Feb 06, 2010

Flint rated it:

Paks joins a mercenary military unit partly to get away from her overbearing father and partly for the adventure. After signing up she trains, gets beaten up by a fellow recruit, trains some more and goes on campaigns against other mercenary units and then eventually against an evil overlord.

This is basically the whole book and although it isn't bad it's not great either. Pacing was fine, but what slowed it down for me was the lack of characterization. Paksarnarrion doesn't have More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 20, 2011

Tracy rated it:

How am I just now discovering these books that were written in the late 80's, and thank you, Mere, for introducing me! Elizabeth Moon has crafted a spell-binding story that just gets better and better. I've actually read this twice and loved it just as much the second time.

*Small note: The third book in the series has a scene that only for a paragraph goes into things too graphic for teenagers, in my opinion. This book is great alone, but the second book needs to be read with the More...

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Jul 08, 2010

David rated it:

This is an off-the-shelf AD&D adventure, with the names (barely) filed off. If you like that sort of thing, it's a decent story and Elizabeth Moon's writing is better than average. But it's basically about a sheepfarmer's daughter (duh) who joins a mercenary company and becomes a fighter, and the whole book is about her training and her first few military campaigns. There's only a little bit of magic, but it's obvious Paksenarrion is destined to become a paladin. Although I'm slightly curious to More...

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Oct 04, 2010

Eric rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Mar 21, 2011

Linda rated it:

If you believe the rave reviews, this is the best fantasy since Tolkien. Don't believe the reviews -- not unless you are a glutton for never ending descriptions of weapons training and little else. I've read 200 pages of this book in the hopes that it would improve, but I still don't know much more about the characters than their names -- even the main character is little more than a cardboard cutout. And if there is any plot, I have yet to discover it. I'm not wasting any more of my time slo More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 19, 2011

Contrarius rated it:

I gave up on this one. I freely admit that I may be treating this book unfairly, since I didn't invest the time to read it all. I didn't even get half way through. But what I did read was BORING. BORING BORING BORING. Even things that could and should have been interesting -- seeing elves or dwarves for the first time, entering battle for the first time -- were written in such a tedious, ho-hum sort of way that I didn't care at all. There's so many other books waiting for me, that I just can't j More...

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Mar 25, 2011

Catherine rated it:

This is my favorite series from Elizabeth Moon. Which surprised me at the time, because I wouldn't have expected the slow build up from beginning mercenary to...well, I won't spoil it. But these are the things that made it, in fact, so satisfying. My husband and I despite both loving sci-fi/fantasy, rarely find the same author to our taste. This was one of those times. We also both like McCaffrey, which this resembles in some ways, though without the romantic soap opera aspects. I think readers More...

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Dec 10, 2011

Yvonne rated it:

All Paksenarrion wants is to be a soldier. When her father tells her she is going to be married, she runs away from home and joins a mercenary group led by The Duke. Paks loves the life, makes great friends and continually practices her weapons training. But Paks may be more then she appears to be, whenever there is trouble she is in the midst of it.

I read this years ago and had forgotten how good it actually is. I am currently turning my house up and down trying to find books 2 and More...

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Jan 30, 2012

Traci rated it:

First half low to mid three stars.
Second half mid to high three stars.

I liked it. It just wasn't a book that "spoke" to me. I found it a little clinical. Cold. Paks wants to be soldier with every fiber of her being but I never once felt that desire. None of the characters really came to life for me.

I did like that this book's heroine was a strong young woman who knew her own mind. If it had been written today she would have followed her first love into the More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Sep 17, 2011

James rated it:

I have read some of Elizabeth Moon's work and enjoyed every book, but going into this I was wary about how well she would do crossing over into another genre. I need not have worried though, this was a good book and whilst I may not agree with some reviews saying it is the next best thing to Tolkien, it is definitely a good, solid fantasy read.

However, while I do not know if this was her first book ever it does come across as a first-time book with the language she uses and all the ot More...

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May 18, 2011

Sally rated it:

I was rather disappointed with this book. There were good possibilities, but I found it either prolonged tense situations and unresolved questions, bored me with descriptions of swordplay and battles, or made me scoff at the unbelievable recoveries Paksenarrion had from some pretty serious injuries (including her need to sleep a lot).

I have to say the conclusion of the book was good enough, considering it is the first in a series (The Deed of Paksennarion). Certainly there is more to More...

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