The Deed of Paksenarrion (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #1-3)

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The Deed of Paksenarrion (Paksenarrion #3-5 omnibus)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 4,895 ratings · 298 reviews

The Deed of Paksenarrion revolves around the life of Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter, known as Paks. It takes place in a fictional medieval world comprised of kingdoms of humans, dwarves, and elves. The story begins by introducing Paks as a headstrong girl of 18, who leaves her home (fleeing a marriage arranged by her father) to join a mercenary company. Through her journeys a...more

Paperback, 1040 pages

Published February 1st 1992 by Baen

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Jun 16, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

I want to say first that I've read hundreds if not thousands of books and the largest percentage of them are probably fantasy. I love this book and rate it as one of my top 3 or 4 favorite novels. I can't recommend it too highly. I really don't think I can recommend it highly enough. Please read this book. I keep multiple copies on my shelf and have loaned out (read given away) many copies. This one is great.

I read the omnibus edition of this book. It’s actually a trilogy. The Deed of Paksenarri...more I want to say first that I've read hundreds if not thousands of books and the largest percentage of them are probably fantasy. I love this book and rate it as one of my top 3 or 4 favorite novels. I can't recommend it too highly. I really don't think I can recommend it highly enough. Please read this book. I keep multiple copies on my shelf and have loaned out (read given away) many copies. This one is great.

I read the omnibus edition of this book. It’s actually a trilogy. The Deed of Paksenarrion contains Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. I find it a truly exceptional high fantasy read. I rate it five stars as it’s in many ways (in my opinion of course) the best of it’s type. In a time when “attempts” at epic fantasy are a dime a dozen, a good (or great) one should be noticed.

I don’t want to include any spoilers in this (and I know some actually look for them)***(note that I edited in a spoiler tag below. I decided that I had included a spoiler and came back to hide it under a warning. You may want to read the book before you read the part I hid.)*** but, let me mention what the book is actually about. It follows the life and career of a young woman who wants to be a soldier (the author Elizabeth Moon was military) from her beginning training throughout her life (view spoiler) *****I came back and edited in a spoiler tag, I decided something I said here is sort of a spoiler.*****

(view spoiler)

I have read this book (trilogy) many times and love it. It compares well to the “proto-epic fantasy", The Lord of the Rings, and I can and do recommend it (as well as The Lord of the Rings) highly. As I said, I can't recommend it highly enough. Great Book. I own all the books in print and audio versions. Highest possible recommendation.

As noted above, this omnibus edition contains:
Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold.

One of my top favorites, 5 stars+.(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Terrible. I hoped that the author’s experience in real combat would make this an interesting novel, but instead it just bogged the story down with boring and completely unnecessary details. She feels the need to describe every type of mud, but Paks’ training to be a soldier still somehow feels like a montage. Add to that unrealistic dialog, a plot that *still* hadn’t started at page 131, evil characters who are VERY VERY evil and good characters who are VERY VERY good, and you have yourself a pi...more

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Mar 20, 2008 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: veronica belmont

Shelves: fantasy-sf

This is in my opinion the best fantasy novel ever. I actually read all three of the individual books before this omnibus came out, but they are really one complete story.

It has fantasy elements done in a deep way I haven't seen anywhere else. If you want to understand Paladins, this is the place to do it. If you want to get an idea of how a God or gods could use someone's life through pain and trial, this is the book.

Did I say it was the best fantasy novel ever? Go read it now.

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Dec 19, 2010 KevinB rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, military-fantasy, heroic-fantasy

If you aren't bothered by fantasy clichés and are looking for a good story with a strong, female lead you should consider The Deed of Paksenarrion.

This book is an omnibus edition that combines the books Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold into one volume. The trilogy was written as one story and tells the tale of Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter, or simply Paks to her friends.

Paks is the daughter of a sheepfarmer from a small hamlet in the middle of nowhere. In order to escap...more If you aren't bothered by fantasy clichés and are looking for a good story with a strong, female lead you should consider The Deed of Paksenarrion.

This book is an omnibus edition that combines the books Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold into one volume. The trilogy was written as one story and tells the tale of Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter, or simply Paks to her friends.

Paks is the daughter of a sheepfarmer from a small hamlet in the middle of nowhere. In order to escape her betrothal to a pigfarmer and a boring life in insignificance she runs away from home at the age of eighteen and joins a local lord's mercenary band. We follow Paks as she goes through her training and her first years on campaign and we see what happens after her military years. We see her change from a young peasant girl, head filled with dreams of glory and fame, to a veteran scarred by many battles, scars both mental and physical. We follow her as she makes friends for life and as she loses those friends to war and betrayal. We follow her as she goes through moments of intense joy and triumph and as she lives through undescribable horror. And slowly, through loss, pain and mistakes but also through her inate strenght of character, the goodness of her heart, and an unwavering loyalty to her friends, the naive sheepsfarmer's daughter grows into something much more.

I liked this book, Paks makes for a credible, rich and engaging main character. The other characters all have their own personalities, strenghts and flaws, though none are as developed as Paks.
Through the realistic depictions of strategy, battles, armies on march and weaponplay Elizabeth Moon lets her background in the military and as a historian shine through. All the combat has a gritty sense of realism to it without being overly gory.

There are, however, a couple of points that could potentionally turn people, especially more experienced fantasy readers, off this story.
First of all it is very clear that the world that Moon has built is based on roleplaying settings like D&D. It is obvious from the magic system, both arcane and divine and a lot of the characters fall into clear roleplaying archetypes: the wizard, the rogue, the cleric, the paladin, ... There are also elves, dwarves and orcs who all fullfil the classic stereotypes.
Further there are descriptions of barely relevant landscapes that seem to go on for pages in certain parts, especially in the middle book. Also, something that really bothered me personally, there are the archaic speach patterns in the dialogues. It all comes across a bit contrived to me and can turn reading into a bit of slog at times.

Granted the reason that most of these 'flaws' are there is that these books were written in the late eighties. The fanasy genre and its readership has evolved since that time, and what worked or what was commonplace then can sometimes be a turnoff for modern readers.

All in all this story of self discovery and growth has more positive points than negatives and I enjoyed reading it.
(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Terri rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Robin McKinley communicates with Elizabeth Moon (@emoontx) on Twitter a lot, and I figure if Robin likes it, it’s worth a read.

I did not finish this book, but not because it was bad. It was, in fact, a very interesting book, but there was a major flaw that kept me from finishing.

The story of Paksenarrion, or “Paks” as the reader comes to know her, is essentially a good one. She’s a mistreated daughter who runs away and joins the army … and that’s pretty much all that happens in the first book (t...more Robin McKinley communicates with Elizabeth Moon (@emoontx) on Twitter a lot, and I figure if Robin likes it, it’s worth a read.

I did not finish this book, but not because it was bad. It was, in fact, a very interesting book, but there was a major flaw that kept me from finishing.

The story of Paksenarrion, or “Paks” as the reader comes to know her, is essentially a good one. She’s a mistreated daughter who runs away and joins the army … and that’s pretty much all that happens in the first book (this particular edition is three books crammed into one volume). One reviewer on Amazon describes the book as “relentlessly linear” and I’m inclined to agree. Moon describes everything, and I mean everything, that Paks does. If she’s walking to the tent, there’s a whole page of what she sees and who she passes, not just once, but every time she walks somewhere. It’s as if you’re following her around but you have no idea what she’s thinking. Because the story is told in 3rd person, you don’t get reflection from Paks’ point of view, and you don’t get the viewpoints from any other characters. Usually, in stories of this length, the author has a main character, but also has supporting characters whose thoughts and feelings the reader is privy to. This moves the story along and helps the reader connect with the characters. In The Deed, the reader watches Paks move along her path without ever really connecting with her. I like her as a character, but the book is just too boring. Every tree, every ridge that Paks passes is described in detail and the plot never seems to be going anywhere because you’ve been inundated with descriptions of her mealtimes, her training times, her sleeping patterns, and every other mundane detail.

And yet, this book is a steadfast favorite among many. Perhaps it’s just not my kind of reading, but I checked this book out months ago, have renewed it twice, and have finally given up. I’ll be taking this back to the library, and I won’t lose any sleep over the fact that I dropped it during a war. I like Paks as a character, but her story just wasn’t told in a way that suits me.(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Kapi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those new to Fantasy

I came upon this saga purely by accident, because I was testing out the Baen free Library (many thanks to them) on a new PDA. After reading a few pages I was hooked, and could not get to the second and third books fast enough. I completely got caught up in her trials and battles and victories. Ms Moons writing style captivated me and didn't let me go until I turned the last page. This is a story that when I finished it, I held the book close to me and sighed, sad that it was over. Paksenarrion i...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Lori (Hellian) rated it 1 of 5 stars

ANOTHER LABOR DAY WEEKEND FAIL! I was so excited to finally get to this, and have a wonderful escape. I have a line that I haul out to make fun of people who must have simplicity in their art, the line from Amadeus where the Emperor dismisses Mozart's music because of "too many notes." Well, one good thing about getting older is the ability to laugh at ourselves, and I'm gonna say this book has too many words! Really, 3 chapters for what could have been dealt with effectively in maybe 2 pages? Y...more

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Mar 16, 2012 SoloSetup rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nobody!

Shelves: adult-fiction

This is difficult book to get through and it's not because the language is particularly difficult, in fact, the language is simple and direct. Is the language direct because the characters involved are soldiers and simple sentence structure just comes with the territory? I have no idea, but there is a lack of description in the writing which means there's a lack of rhythm to the sentences and the narrative itself. And that gets under my skin like nothing else.

And then there's the characters. I'm...more This is difficult book to get through and it's not because the language is particularly difficult, in fact, the language is simple and direct. Is the language direct because the characters involved are soldiers and simple sentence structure just comes with the territory? I have no idea, but there is a lack of description in the writing which means there's a lack of rhythm to the sentences and the narrative itself. And that gets under my skin like nothing else.

And then there's the characters. I'm actually finding it difficult to describe them because there's so little that I remember about them. There's a few side characters here and there but during reading I struggled to remember who they were and which position in the cohort they occupied. Paks herself is a boring vehicle for "strong female character" who...wow I can't remember what she's done besides kill a few people in battle and get injured a few times. Oh and she's not interested in having sex (with anyone), which is all fine and good, but if that's your only defining character trait...? In short, Paks is not an interesting main character and the world she inhabits isn't interesting enough to excuse her lack of personality. This makes me sad because there are so few female warrior characters in the first place and Paks is just a lump of coal with the label "strong female warrior" taped to it. She's not a bad example of a female warrior character, but she's nowhere near a good one either.

I don't know if I can finish this book. The descriptions are flat and boring and the characters (including the main character) are forgettable. Just another Flat Fantasy.

EDIT:

I should mention that the edition I'm reading is an omnibus of all three books in the Paksenarrion series. I just finished the first book, today. Well, "struggled through it" would be a more accurate description. I didn't know it was possible to keep the same flat pacing through an entire book rich with battles and fight scenes but Moon manages it! The fight scenes are bogged down by description and they don't flow at a natural, believable speed. This kills any suspense in the book. The flat pacing does work well for describing the drudgery involved with sieges and marching, but not for anything else that happens.

As I said before, the book suffers from shallow characterization but add that on top of the flat pacing and it becomes a struggle to read. I found myself more concerned with finishing this book than with what was going on. I know, technically, that there was a climax but it didn't feel like one; I wasn't excited or tense about what was happening at all. Paks remains dull and boring. The side characters remain forgetful and the villain, Siniava, was a throwaway character. I won't remember this book because of a thrilling storyline or fascinating characters, but because the execution was so lifeless.(less)

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Jan 28, 2008 Annie Bellet rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone with taste

Recommended to Annie by: my mother (she doesn't fail all the time)

Shelves: fantasy

This has been one of my favorite books since I was 11. I reread it just about every year (though I often skip certain parts because they make me cry, so I save the pain for every few years). This book is one of the best D&D-esque fantasies ever written. Sure, Paks gets hit in the head more than seems possible for someone to survive, and the bull-headedness she displays is at times annoying, but these are qualities of an interesting and dynamic character.

Elizabeth Moon writes entertaining an...more

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Dec 18, 2007 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teenage girls

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

OK, I loved this book when I was twelve. Paks was my first screenname and hell I even named a cow after her. Yes, I said a cow, I grew up on a farm and that's what you do when you love something on a farm. You name a cow after it. My dad once named a cow after an ex-girlfriend of his and it pissed my stepmom way off. Ok I digress. This book is about a paladin. What's that you say? Only a holy knight! Only a divine warrior of good! And what else is Paks? A sheepfarmers daughter! Do you see why I...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Kiera rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was more familiar with Elizabeth Moon's sci-fi books, and picked this up in a charity shop as a punt. At nearly 1200 pages, it was an intimidating size book, even for a fanatical reader.

This book drew me in from the start. The characters are protrayed with a fine eye for detail and interpersonal relationships. The dialogue is well written and believable, the plot nicely full of twists, and the protagonist's training in a mercenary company in a medieval-style society is written compellingly and...more

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Oct 20, 2012 E. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

The one and only reason I haven't flung The Deed of Paksenarrion out of the window, drowned it in a vat of potassium hydroxide, or taken it to Half-Price Books and then used the resulting nine cents to buy myself a much-needed aspirin, is that I haven't reviewed it yet.

Tomorrow, D of P, prepare to meet your richly deserved fate: sent in disgrace and ignominy to the nearest used book store, there to stew in your own fetid juices until some other poor fool staggers along and reads you.

It will surp...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Sibylle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy

This book was given to me by our neighbors who were moving from their large colonial house to a smaller townhouse. He gave us literally boxes of books. This one was among them. I picked it out when I was 13 because it was neat; it had silver writing on it. And the girl looked bad-ass.

The story is really, really, really good. I don't think I have the capacity to describe to you how much I loved the story. When people lament that there are no great science fiction or fantasy novels out there with...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Jemma rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book made a criminal out of me.

...let me explain.

This was the first fantasy novel that I remember reading -- the first that wasn't a school library find, aimed at children. This is not a children's book. I was around eleven or twelve and was visiting a neighbor, and saw this cover of a lady in armor on a horse swinging a sword.

And I thought: "Wow. That lady's cool. And she's not wearing a bikini."

So I asked the neighbor if I could borrow it. This is a pretty big book, mind, and I think he d...more This book made a criminal out of me.

...let me explain.

This was the first fantasy novel that I remember reading -- the first that wasn't a school library find, aimed at children. This is not a children's book. I was around eleven or twelve and was visiting a neighbor, and saw this cover of a lady in armor on a horse swinging a sword.

And I thought: "Wow. That lady's cool. And she's not wearing a bikini."

So I asked the neighbor if I could borrow it. This is a pretty big book, mind, and I think he didn't think I'd finish it.

He might still think that, actually, because I never gave that book back. I read it cover to cover in four days, all 1024 pages of the Baen omnibus version, and then I tucked it away on my shelf. Over the years I'd pull it out and read it again every so often, whenever I was feeling a bit blue.

When I found out that the author was writing more novels in the universe, ones that actually followed what happened _after_ Paks had her adventures, I did a little happy dance around the room. And they are indeed also fantastic.

So. To recap: This is straight up epic fantasy, no bones about it, featuring one of the strongest (and most truly paladin-y) female characters I've ever bumped into. And yet for fantasy it's remarkably grounded. The story starts with the life of a working soldier, the trench-digging, supply-hauling pikemen of pre-gunpowder warfare. That this soldier evolves into the type of person who alters the face of kingdoms is a remarkable and wholly believable story, I think -- it's a hard thing to do without crossing into Mary Sue territory, but it's deftly avoided. Paks is flawed, but _true_, and I heartily recommend her tale to anyone in the mood for an epic yarn.

And then go pick up the recently released follow ups, which follow everyone else that's involved in Paks' world, and what happens when she waltzes through and shakes everything up. They're fantastic and show how the author's craft has evolved in the last twenty years, and they're appointment reading for me these days. Highly recommended.(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Sybil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Paks has stayed in my mind since I first read Sheep-farmers Daughter in 1988. I have found myself re-reading the trilogy about once a decade since. Perhaps it is because Paks was the first believable female warrior, who was neither a magician nor invincible. Paks is first of all human. She makes mistakes, works hard to learn her skills, doesn't always understand the people around her and experiences both faith and despair. Most of all, Paks is honorable, ethical, steadfast and a true Paladin. Th...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Lorena rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This book is interesting to me primarily for its description of the main character's military training. The author is a former Marine, and as such, her creation of a female warrior has more credibility than most. However, as technically accurate as this series may be in terms of military training and strategy, it is seriously lacking in emotional resonance. The main character, Paksenarrion (Paks), never really connects emotionally with anyone else. We are told that certain other characters are h...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Heather Crabbe rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading numerous reviews on here, I have a few things to say. One: I had no idea this was a D&D book until I read these reviews! Hilarious that I never caught that. (Probably because I haven't thought about D&D since I was about 12, and didn't think much about it then). Two: Lots of people are complaining about all of the description in the book. I find that to be a strength rather than a weakness, but then I'd claim Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of my favorite authors, so I guess des...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Burgandy Ice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hints more than Spoilers:

My first unforgettable impression was that Moon had a crazy-realistic grasp of what life would feel like as a pawn in a military troop. Paks is a stubborn, passionate, true-to-herself sort of person - she is so great! But she doesn't know these people over her at all, she doesn't know their character or goals or why they are marching over a mountain pass, she is just doing the best she can from where she is. From her point of view the mud is mucky, the fights in the yard...more Hints more than Spoilers:

My first unforgettable impression was that Moon had a crazy-realistic grasp of what life would feel like as a pawn in a military troop. Paks is a stubborn, passionate, true-to-herself sort of person - she is so great! But she doesn't know these people over her at all, she doesn't know their character or goals or why they are marching over a mountain pass, she is just doing the best she can from where she is. From her point of view the mud is mucky, the fights in the yard hurt, the stew tastes delicious, and she makes some good friends and enemies. It was so easy to picture myself in her place.

Paks grows and adapts. I was thrilled when she left the comfort of the familiar over inner convictions. She takes what help she can get, but her Elfen help is no help at all, which is again, so true to reality and it thrilled me with the danger.

There are elves and counter-elves who are dangerous because of how long they live and how much they know. There's an intricate belief system with churches that have fighting platforms to train local militia. There are dwarves, dragons, ogres... and if I say anything at all I feel like I'll prove my ignorance to hard-core followers of Paks' world, but as new fan, it is all so intricate and fun and dangerous.

So, Paks tangles with the elves and ignorantly passes on a message to opposing religious leaders, which gets me to my favorite part of the story, the Kuagan. They are so different, a complete freshly created religion surrounding nature. The followers of Gird make more sense sort of like modern churches who follow someone's specific teaching to follow God, if that makes sense, but the Kuagan are so different even when they're recognized as following the same God. I was immediately intrigued with the quiet wood in the middle of town, where entering the first line of trees blocks out all other sound. (And not just b/c I'm an Oregonian. Ha.)

Just when things were bad enough (or rather, almost looking up), Paks loses her own grip on reality. I don't know about anyone else, but this was so realistic for me. At the time I blamed the size of the volume and living more in Paks world than mine. Maybe so. But Moon took me right through insanity and then out the other side. When Paks found healing, I was sobbing.

*sigh*

I wouldn't say you have to read The Deed of Paksenarrion before the current books, the new series stands by itself and Paks is actually a smaller character in 'em. But I would say that this is one of those books for the library, one of those must-haves, one to reread.(less)

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Jun 13, 2010 Kaelee rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I don't think I can stress enough how amazing this whole series is. I read it in the omnibus edition, so I think of the series as one whole book. Which, given the scope of the story, can be daunting when trying to tell someone about it.

The title character, Paksenarrion, is the daughter of a sheepfarmer who longs for greater things; specifically a career as a mercenary (yay for strong female characters!). She joins a particularly respected company, and shows great talent as a soldier. The book fo...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, military

Elizabeth Moon writes some kickass female characters. And this is the first woman character I ever encountered who was a no-nonsense, practical soldier who operated in a military story without any weird little feminine flairs. Too often writers feel the need to feminize their soldiers, or introduce some sort of stereotypical "women's issue"-driven plot. With Moon, that doesn't happen. She just tells a kickass story where the lead is a woman, and deals with things as they come.

Moon herself was pa...more

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May 26, 2009 Dev Null rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: gritty fantasy fans

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy

These books are one of the things she is most famous for, and I like her other stuff, but I avoided these for ages because the jacket blurbs make them sound like such unadulterated schmaltz. As is often the case, said jacket blurbs were probably written by someone who had done no more than look at the (terrible) cover art; the books themselves were quite good. Here Moon turns her talent for making the fantastic feel "normal" and everyday - which I much enjoyed in her sci-fi stuff - on a world of...more These books are one of the things she is most famous for, and I like her other stuff, but I avoided these for ages because the jacket blurbs make them sound like such unadulterated schmaltz. As is often the case, said jacket blurbs were probably written by someone who had done no more than look at the (terrible) cover art; the books themselves were quite good. Here Moon turns her talent for making the fantastic feel "normal" and everyday - which I much enjoyed in her sci-fi stuff - on a world of fantasy and magic. The first book follows a new recruit into a mercenary company on a fantasy world, and the day-to-day barracks life, as well as the battles, has the feel of realism to it. All is not the slaying of dragons and heroic rescuing of maidens; mostly its drill, polishing, and slogging through the mud.

In the later two books, once she has you believing in this world, more elements of fantasy creep their way in. And here we get an interesting twist. In some fantasy - usually, but not universally bad - you can practically hear the dice rolling in the background it sounds so much like a transcript of a role-playing game. They end up strings of unrelated events sounding like one of those "And then I rolled a 20!" geek stories that you desperately tried to save yourself from by faking your own death. Moon does the opposite; she paints us a picture of paladins that is so the cardboard stereotype that I swear she must have been working from a DND manual, and then fleshes it out to put real characters in it and tell an interesting story about them. All the wacky pointless details are there - from preternaturally shining armour, magic warhorses, and high charisma, to the old classic of "laying on hands" - but all given reasons and woven into a background to make sense. And then she messes about with some of the real issues like belief in god vs. belief in a church, but does it as an undercurrent in what is otherwise an action tale, so you can be intrigued by it without getting bored.

On the whole, I rarely (except for Speed of Dark) find that Moon's writing draws me in so completely and compellingly as some of my other favorites, but she has a talent for selling the fantastic as gritty and real which I always enjoy. Couple that with her poking here at genre stereotypes - and poking by simply doing the stereotypes right, for once - and these books are well worth the read.(less)

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Mar 12, 2009 Lia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, partial-reads

I know of a woman who loves this book the same way I love Juniper and Wise Child. There is, I grant, a moment of great truth where the main character reaches into herself to find her own essence when she is in the most horrible and vile of circumstances---and this is inspiring in a way. But the majority of the book is a tremendous amount of numbed heart and violence (including a violent rape). As I read this book, I found myself thinking that the author must have helped someone work through the...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Monika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-will-read-over-and-over

Out of all the books I have read, this is probably(ok IS) my favorite. I actually was slow and bought the omnibus having not read any of the 3 books. I bought it because I have read and liked Elizabeth Moon's other books. I actually need to buy another copy as mine is so worn and tattered, held together by cardboard and duct tape.
Elizabeth Moon is a very strong writer with the ability to make you see her words in your minds eye not just on the page. Paksenarrion is the heroine of this trilogy a...more

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Sep 08, 2011 trishtrash rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-fiction, omnibus-or-collection

This is the omnibus edition of the Paksennarion trilogy, and first of the ‘Paksworld’ series, a fairly hefty tome, yet I raced through it at speeds that would, if you compared it to a meal, have left me with fatal indigestion. What can I say; I’ve been starved of truly engaging reading material all year.

At first I didn’t even know if I was going to warm to it; Paks herself was a little too dutifully eager, the story and world a little too straightforward… other reviewers suggest a link to D&D...more This is the omnibus edition of the Paksennarion trilogy, and first of the ‘Paksworld’ series, a fairly hefty tome, yet I raced through it at speeds that would, if you compared it to a meal, have left me with fatal indigestion. What can I say; I’ve been starved of truly engaging reading material all year.

At first I didn’t even know if I was going to warm to it; Paks herself was a little too dutifully eager, the story and world a little too straightforward… other reviewers suggest a link to D&D rules which, as I’ve never played, I can’t comment on, but there’s a definite discipline going on, not just with Paks, but with the author too… her protagonist had to go through training as a recruit, innumerable marches, daily drills and the confusion of fighting as a private; and that, with some increasingly important battles towards the end, is the first book. At which point, Paks still isn’t even a veteran fighter, although she’s earned some respect and some responsibility. And I think it’s this realism that hooked me, that and the sense that her journey of discovery would be extended over the course of the three books and tightly woven into the plot.

The more that seemed ordinary about these books, the closer I started to look… firstly, although she’s a female protagonist who acquires skills and powers written by a female author, Paks is no Mary Sue … why in the world would Elizabeth Moon need one? She’s a US marine with several other skill sets and a writing career under her belt. Paks is written entirely for the story, and the reader’s satisfaction, earning everything she gains. Secondly, there’s no romantic sub-plot; a strong loyalty to the Duke who first enlists her, a close friendship with another young private, but Paks states herself ‘not interested’ in bedding anyone from the company, and there it rests. No male crutch to hold her up in ‘weak’ moments (although she accepts help when she needs it) and no over-compensating by sleeping around casually as a sop to ‘equality’. Elizabeth Moon is going to the top of my ‘great writers of female characters’ list (which she was already on for Remnant Population). Then there’s the slow unfolding of Paks’ career… such focussed storytelling ought to have sent me to sleep, but it’s exciting… the reader gets caught up in Paks’ eagerness to fight and to learn, and most of what’s revealed about the world which she inhabits comes as she discovers it herself, slowly acquiring more than just a view of the enemy in front of her… by the end of the second book, it’s shaping up into a richly imagined landscape of allies and looming dangers, using every possible leeway and advantage in the ‘dwarves, elves, magical artefacts’ base-line; and by the end of the second book, Paks has met with real trouble.

This trouble is the catalyst for a series of hard life-lessons at the beginning of the third book, and it’s this balance that makes this trilogy of stories a great ‘omnibus’ collection, (although the series now extends beyond this trilogy, I don’t believe they follow Paks except as a recurring character)… read separately, I don’t think any of the stories would be as satisfying, but taken as one long series of adventures with a overreaching purpose, they work very well.

I’ve enjoyed Moon’s writing in the past, but on a sort of well, it’s there so I’ll read it basis, and never so thoroughly... I’m now going to have to find the rest of the ‘Paksworld’ books and dedicate myself to some prolonged fantasy-fiction immersion.(less)

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Apr 23, 2010 Arian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks

This ended up being a very satisfying fantasy series. Much like ... really good cupcakes. Yeah, not a lot of nutritional value, and there's no big surprise to cupcakes, but when what you want is a cupcake, then you're infinitely satisfied with it, and would turn up your nose at, say, honey oatmeal bread.

My fantasy tastes run, now, to high levels of political intrigue, and labyrinthine plots. (Kate Elliot and Jacqueline Carey, I'm looking at you.) But once upon a time, I read David Eddings voraci...more This ended up being a very satisfying fantasy series. Much like ... really good cupcakes. Yeah, not a lot of nutritional value, and there's no big surprise to cupcakes, but when what you want is a cupcake, then you're infinitely satisfied with it, and would turn up your nose at, say, honey oatmeal bread.

My fantasy tastes run, now, to high levels of political intrigue, and labyrinthine plots. (Kate Elliot and Jacqueline Carey, I'm looking at you.) But once upon a time, I read David Eddings voraciously. And Katherine Kerr. And others whose job was simply to tell a hell of a good yarn. These books are not diminished by my changing tastes, and should not be seen as juvenile or unpolished, much as cupcakes should not be derided for what they are not, but celebrated for what they are.

The Deed of Paksennarion (treated here as one book, since I'm awful at remembering where individual books start and stop) is a Quest novel. If you listen, very faintly, you may hear the ghostly rattle of 20-siders long gone. This is not a flaw. The novels follow the development of a very special young woman into a very special young paladin. And think "lawful good" paladin here, not "paladin with really gripping flaws and questions of faith." This is also not a flaw.

What Elizabeth Moon does, in very good prose and format, is to give us a very good Quest novel - that happens to feature a girl. Who's a warrior. And (apparently) asexual. This is uncommon enough now, and it was uncommon then. It's a good, solid story, using good, solid prose. If you liked Dragonlance, early Terry Brooks, or David Eddings, you will probably like this. If you turn your nose up at "escapist" fantasy, or won't deign to step foot in the YA section of your bookstore, then no, you probably won't like it. Equally if you think GRR Martin is the next thing to god. There are no surprises here. There is "good" and there is "evil" and there's no real question of what side of the line anyone in the novel is on.

My quarrels with this book are few, and generally easily ignored. The chapters break at often really odd moments, as if someone had told Moon "no, no. You must break your chapters when the readers desperately want to know more!" Chapter breaks and scene breaks rarely coincide and, when they do, are likely to be ways to remove tedious "get there from here" periods of time. The confusing part is that so many of those "get there from here" scenes are still there, and it feels a bit random which ones are left in.

Equally, you may find yourself irritated with the discussion of fauna, flora, and geology. While I like description writing probably more than most, it was a little offputting to hear the exact quality, quantity, color, texture, shape, and sometimes even smell of the mud the company was tromping through - each and every time there was mud. Description sets atmosphere, but if there is so much description that I can't keep track of it all, I'll skim.

Despite the picture I've painted of it, this novel is not necessarily for the faint of heart. It's no GRR Martin, thankfully, but there are long passages of torture and other physical humiliations inflicted on Paks. These are neither lovingly described, nor gratuitous, but they are there. There's absolutely no sex in this novel outside of one attempted rape and one actual rape - neither presented for titilation in any way.

Really, the problem I had most was that Paks came off just like a good paladin in the grand old tradition of D&D should - sexless, asexual, and remote. You could slap male pronouns on her and take away the long braid that's frequently mentioned, and end up with a story about your typical teen-wants-to-adventure novel. The book, despite it's female main character and quest structure, is emphatically not a "coming-of-age" novel for girls, nor is it an equivalent to a boy's adventure tale. The story would certainly read differently if the main character were male, but if you're coming to Moon from the "girl kicks ass and makes snarky comments" urban fantasy camp - you'll not find a great deal for you here.(less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Megan Lillian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-hero, read-in-2010

I chose to read this book based on reviews, and sheer length of both individual books and the entire series. Love me some 500 plus page books! I made it through Deed of Paksenarrion, and felt that neither length nor the high opinion of others could make this into a series I found interesting. I'm as partial to a good fight for justice/good/light etc. as the next fantasy fan, but being buried in the minutiae of military life for mercenaries? Can't do it. There just seemed like there was no "point...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this a while ago and have just re-read it. I vaguely remembered it was good, but not much else. I was right about that.

The title blurb calls this "the greatest trilogy of the decade" or some such, and while reading the first volume I was thinking, "Oh, come on. The story just wanders vaguely around, there's too much irrelevant description - and besides, put lipstick on a pig if you want, but this is, let's be honest, a D&D book. Even though it isn't in any of the Wizards of the Coast...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Elizabeth Moon is more recently recognised for her epic military space operas, rather than her fantasy fiction, but military-style fantasy is where she launched her career as a bestselling novelist 21 years ago. The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, her first novel, is where we first meet Paksenarrion Dorthandotter and the world of the Eight Kingdoms.

The Deed of Paksenarrion is an omnibus comprising The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiances and Oath of Gold. This classic coming-of-age tale centres o...more Elizabeth Moon is more recently recognised for her epic military space operas, rather than her fantasy fiction, but military-style fantasy is where she launched her career as a bestselling novelist 21 years ago. The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, her first novel, is where we first meet Paksenarrion Dorthandotter and the world of the Eight Kingdoms.

The Deed of Paksenarrion is an omnibus comprising The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, Divided Allegiances and Oath of Gold. This classic coming-of-age tale centres on the character Paksenarrion, who rebels against her father and runs away to avoid an arranged marriage. She joins a mercenary company and becomes a soldier, where we follow her on a journey from naivety to worldliness. Populated with a wide cast of characters, the land of the Eight Kingdoms bears a weighty feel of deep history, yet this epic is primarily about the journey of a single character, and grippingly so. Although often compared to The Lord of the Rings, Moon’s work leans more towards military fantasy than high fantasy. She draws deeply on her own experiences in the marines to provide a powerful picture of military life, and while such a thing would not appeal to me at all, Moon fills her world with magical creatures and powerful gods, both good and evil, as well as enough magic that, while never overpowering, offers a subtle balance to her martial themes, proving to me just how gifted a writer she is.

The plot of this tale is not groundbreaking within the context of its genre, but Moon’s strength lies in characterisation and world-building. Paksenarrion grows before our eyes from a simple farm girl with a dream to a seasoned warrior of the ‘gods of light’. While her life experiences deepen her character and make her a more complex person (Moon doesn’t shy away from the harder realities that a female soldier may face), ‘Paks’ always seems to retain an innocence of spirit that shines brightly on the page and in the mind. To my mind, this omnibus is a true classic and a worthy addition to the bookshelf of any avid reader of fantasy fiction, or even simply good fiction.

For the last 20-odd years, Moon has been asked by her faithful followers if she will be writing any new Paks books. She has said many times that she does not have any new Paks stories to write, but she has embarked on a new journey in the world of the Eight Kingdoms, the first book of which is due in April and looks to pick up where The Deed of Paksenarrion left off. The information I have suggests Paks’ presence in the story, although we’ll see her through the eyes of different characters.(less)

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May 12, 2013 Rosemary Tizledoun rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of high fantasy and strong female protagonists.

This is how I first encountered this series. I think I was 12 when I started reading it, and it was the longest thing I'd ever read. I was completely transported by the experience. I've never found a description of elves I've liked better. I adored the military descriptions which seemed accurate and gritty to me without bogging down the story. Most of all I adore the protagonist, who needs no one to tell her who and what she is, whose life is defined by what she DOES, not by her relationships --...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

brilliant book, very well written.
Paks, a sheepfarmer's daughter has always dreamed of being a hero. she's got a solid head on her shoulders so she knows that she needs training first, and joins a mercenary company where she learns the realities of being a warrior (Elizabeth Moon was a US Marine, so I suspect she's drawing on some of her own experiences about the joys of cleaning the toilets and standing guard duty :) )
I found the book gripping - there are so many different experiences that Paks...more

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About Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon was born March 7, 1945, and grew up in McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School in 1963. She has a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975) with graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

She served in the USMC from 1968 to 1971, first at MCB Quantico and then at HQMC. She marrie...more

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Books by Elizabeth Moon

Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #1)

Oath of Gold (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #3)

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Quotes from The Deed of Paksenarrion

“Even if a tamed wolf makes a good sheepdog, he will never understand how the sheep feel....You are most fortunate. For having been, as you thought, a coward, and helpless to fight - you know what that is like. You know what bitterness that feeling breeds - you know in your own heart what kind of evil it brings. And so you are most fit to fight it where it occurs.” — 9 people liked it

“By all the gods, that one's prickly," said Vik. No one had to ask what he meant.

"She's a good fighter," said Paks, temporizing.

Vik snorted. "Paks, sometimes I think you'd forgive the Webmistress herself if she was a good fighter. That's not all that matters."

Paks felt her face growing hot. "I know that, Vik. But being touchy isn't all that matters, either—Barra's good at heart."

Vik gave her a long green stare, one of the few serious looks she'd had from him. "Paks, for once let a city-born runt give you a bit of advice. It's possible to like bad people, but liking them doesn't make them good." Paks opened her mouth, but he held up his hand and went on. "I'm not saying Barra's bad, exactly, but I am saying you think she's good at heart because you like her and want her to be good at heart. It doesn't work that way. If you don't learn to see people as they are, you'll get hurt someday."

Paks felt confused and angry. "I don't understand. It certainly sounds like you're saying Barra's bad, and she's not."

"No. I'm not really talking about Barra, but about you. Paks, my father was a harper. Harpers have to learn about people, or they can't sing with power. Even though I can't harp or sing, I learned a lot about people from him. They're complicated—being good at one thing doesn't make them good at something else: a good fighter can be treacherous, or cruel, or a liar. Do you see that?"

"Yes, but Barra—"

"I'm not talking about Barra. Listen to me. You've told us you always wanted to be a fighter, a fighter for good, right?" He waited for her nod before going on. "Well, you're so intent on that—you don't see other things. You see people as good or bad, not in between; as fighters or not, and not in between. And since you're basically a good person, you see most people as good—but most people, Paks, are in between—both as fighters, and as good or bad. And they're different. If you don't learn to see them straight—just as you'd look at a sword, knowing all swords aren't alike—you'll depend on them for what they don't have."

Paks nodded slowly. "I think I see. But what about Barra?"

Vik threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, Paks! Barra's all right; she's just prickly, as I said." Arñe and Saben were both chuckling, and Paks finally grinned, still unsure of the joke.” — 5 people liked it

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