The Deed Of Paksenarrion Trilogy
A novel trilogy by Elizabeth Moon

Years before Elizabeth Moon told us of the escapades of Esmay Suiza, as chronicled in her books Once a Hero and Rules of Engagement (which, handily enough, were reviewed in Issue 9. Head on over and reminisce with us. Ah, those were the good ol' days... remember when... oh wait. I probably can't mention that... ), she tackled the fantasy genre with the adventures of Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter (who is lucky that she doesn't have to fill out those application forms where you are only allowed a certain number of spaces for your name) in the trilogy made up of Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold.

Sheepfarmer's Daughter begins with Paks running away from home to join a mercenary company; Moon wastes no time in getting Paks heavily into training (which is described quite well, due to Moon's own military experience) before throwing the reader an unexpected curveball: Chapter 3. That's all I can say. (Heh heh heh... now you're all wondering what happens in Chapter 3... well, you're just going to have to read the book! Well, that, or send a large check made out to me.) The rest of the book follows Paks and her company as they try and rid of the land of an evil lord... not the most original plot, perhaps, but very well written, with enough elements to keep it exciting. Not surprisingly, Paks turns out to be an extraordinary fighter, with perhaps (and also not surprisingly), something more special about her. The book also introduces the reader to the various religions of the world, as well as several seemingly random events and bits of dialogue, all of which come into play in the later books.

Speaking of the later books (ah, gotta stand up and applaud that segue!), the second book, Divided Allegiance, sees Paks leave her company and set off on her own to find new adventures. And new adventures she does find (which would make sense, for if they were the same old adventures, then you would basically be reading the first book over again, which, while not bad in the least, isn't quite what you expect from a sequel.) She explores some Elven ruins, gets hired to wipe out brigands threatening a town, joins the training grounds for the Knights and Paladins of Gird (one of the prominent saints) and goes on a quest to find a legendary stronghold. This book, while entertaining, does not quite have the quality of the first book, which is somewhat disappointing. Still, it does have a lot of good things about it, and shouldn't be missed, if only so that the third book makes any sort of sense. What the second book does have, however, is an unexpected, and somewhat disheartening, ending, which essentially guarantees that you will read the third book (and if you don't read the third book? Well, I pity you.)

The opening of Oath of Gold is just brilliant. I have never tired of the first several chapters, and I have read those chapters at least twice as many times as I have the rest of the series (which I have read a lot). It's hard to describe what happens without explaining the state of events at the end of Book II (plus, that spoiler chip is acting up again -- I'm waiting to see how Spike from Buffy gets rid of his chip, so that I know what to do about this situation). What I can, and will, say (lucky for you), is that Paks finds her purpose in life (and no, it wasn't hiding in the cushions of the couch like mine was... uh, don't ask) and proceeds to go on a grand quest which will thence be known as the [insert drum roll here] Deed of Paksenarrion! [Insert dramatic minor chord.] However, the rest of the third book is not as good as the beginning, but it is definitely worth reading anyway, if only to finish the trilogy.

While writing this review, I have thought many times of comparing this trilogy to the holy trilogy of Star Wars, even though they don't really have much in common... or do they? In the first book/episode, the main character leaves a farm to find adventure in the world and ends up single-handedly (though with help) saving the day. The second book/episode introduces more main characters, gives more information about the featured religion, and ends in a cliff-hanger. And the third book/episode has the main character find powers within which helps them complete their destiny. I have thought about doing this comparison, but I bet that you, the faithful readers, would think that I was reaching (which I am, of course), so don't worry... I won't... oh, wait.

The bottom line is that this trilogy is very well done, though somewhat inconsistent in its quality. But don't get me wrong -- even the not-as-good-as-other-parts sections are good. It's just that those good sections are excellent! Inconsistency isn't that important when the average quality is so high. Basically, if you like traditional fantasy series, check this one out; you won't be disappointed.

Re-Read Factor: Oh, yeah. This series is definitely worth re-reading. My copy of the first book no longer has a back cover, and its front cover is only intact through the use of lots o' tape (sadly, the front cover of my copy of the second book could not be saved...a funeral service was quietly held, and I have joined a support group). Ironically, my copy of the third book is in the best shape, despite having been read the most.

Sequel Factor: Actually, two prequels do exist -- Surrender None: The Legacy of Gird, and Liar's Oath, neither of which live up to the original trilogy (uh-oh. I feel another Star Wars comparison coming on... quick, someone stop me!) The series has been out for over ten years now, so more sequels are probably not likely -- Moon has moved onto Science Fiction -- but I would read them if written.

Strong Chick Factor: Paks could easily put the smack down on anyone she wanted to. But the series is full of other strong female characters: one of the captains in Paks' company, the leader of the Followers of Gird, etc. Moon does an excellent job of having strong characters of both genders, so that (with a few exceptions) gender almost becomes a non-issue.

-- K. Burtt

The books of The Deed of Paksenarrion Trilogy, published by BAEN Books, are currently available in paperback, and collected in trade paperback.

We welcome your comments on The 11th Hour and this review. Please send letters to: letters@the11thhour.com