Customer Reviews

Oath of Gold

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I have enjoyed each of the three books in Paksenarrion's Deed, and each has been harder to put down. I've also noticed that the power, magic, and contrast between good and evil grows more pronounced with each novel in the series. 'Oath of Gold' tells the tale of dramatic evil and powerful good, and Paks' role is exciting and impressive. In the third and last installment of Paks' amazing adventure she manages, with a little help from her friends, to recover from her fear and pains, and reach the destiny that has been hinted at from the beginning.

Paks' growth and newfound strength enable her to embark on a new set of daring adventures, and meet challenges and evils with a new sense of self. Along the way many of the characters we've met in the past re-enter the story, and the growth and changes of these characters adds another dimension of familiarity.

I loved this book, and had a really hard time putting it down in the middle (contributing to many hours of missed sleep!), but at 500 action packed, detailed pages it was impossible--and ill advised--to rush through. The first book in the series introduces Paks' story with a scroll of extolling her deed, whose song/story ends mid verse, suggesting that her story is ongoing. I would love to see more adventures including Paks', and am looking forward to reading the prequel to this series.

The second book of the Paksenarrion trilogy was a very good read but highly unsatisfying with its ending. Young Paks had proved her mettle as a soldier and was learning about more eldritch things and progressing nicely on the road to becoming a paladin of Gird. Then she was captured and tortured. The book ended with her as a shattered wreck and a coward afraid of her own shadow. It was a cliffhanger that outraged after investing so much time and care about her character.

It was well done and forced the reading of the last volume. I would have done it anyway but the ending of book 2 certainly speeded up the process.

OATH OF GOLD begins with Paks still a shattered wreck. She is ready, even eager to die and end the misery. By happenstance, she finds herself in the same town when her journey towards the miraculous began. To avoid meeting with anyone she knows, she ducks into the grove of Master Oakhollow, the shepherd of the trees. He recognizes that her healing was incomplete and sets himself the task of completing it. In doing so, she becomes stronger than ever before and actually becomes a Paladin, thereby reminding everyone that Paladins are chosen by the gods and not by the military orders. All of her ordeals thus far have been to prepare her for a quest.

The quest is not an easy one. It is her task to restore the rightful ruler to a kingdom in chaos. The forces arrayed against her are vast and they are evil. Even with her miraculous powers, it will not be easy and, ultimately, it will require a sort of paschal sacrifice of her.

It is an engrossing read. It is well done and I am sorry it is over.

`Oath of Gold' is the culmination of one of the greatest science fiction/fantasy trilogies ever written. The first two books of `Deed of Paksenarrion' trilogy were very well written, and this book is no exception. Elizabeth Moon has told this story in such a way that you can not help but fall in love with the main character. Once I picked up this book, I could not put it down until I was finished. The book is beautifully written and has a plot that will keep you involved till the very end. I found my heart breaking with each adversity Paksenarrion was put through, and I found myself soaring with joy each time she overcame her obstacles. I could go on and on giving praise to this book and to the entire trilogy. Let me just say that everyone who enjoys science fiction/fantasy needs to read the whole story of Paksenarrion from the beginning to the ending.

The final book in The Sheepfarmer's Daughter: The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy is not my favorite book of the three, but an excellent fantasy novel nevertheless. Author Elizabeth Moon's writing is faultless. Dialouge and descriptions both flow so naturally that the book comes alive. The books starts out great. Paks is despondent, almost suicidal. She turns to the Kuakkgan, a mysterious Druid-like figure for help. The Kuakkgan is one of the most intriguing and original characters in this fantasy series or any other.

My main beef with Oath of Gold is that as the book progresses, Paks becomes less human and more of a legendary hero in a painting. Her relationships with the Duke, other soldiers and commanders become more stiff. One things I am upset with is that the trilogy has NO sex or romance. There is not even a kiss. So many promising mates for Paks just end up admiring her and calling her "Lady." The most passionate relationship she has is with her horse.

OATH OF GOLD is the third and final book in Elizabeth Moon's gripping fantasy trilogy DEED OF PAKSENARRION. As much as I love this series as a whole, it is this third and final volume that I re-read most frequently, as it is resonant with hope and with meaning that only deepens down through time.

GOLD opens with Paks, broken from her horrific adventures and the failed healing in DIVIDED ALLEGIANCE, arriving in springtime at a town that she recognizes. It is Brewersbridge. She is known here as the successful adventurer who saved the town from a band of thieves and who went on for advanced training with the Girdsmen in Fin Panir. She realizes she can't show herself in Brewersbridge as she is now: craven, wounded, poor and broken in spirit. The realization brings Paks to her low ebb--she is in fact ready to die.

This then is the story of Paks's healing and redemption beyond hope. To say that she realizes her dream of becoming a paladin of Gird is NOT a spoiler because the reader can see it right on the cover. She learns to face her fears and is healed by the Kuakgan of Brewersbridge. He recommends her to the rangers of Lyonya where she spends the summer regaining her strength and learning the ways of that kingdom, unique in that humans and elves share in it. Finally the gods call her on a quest to find the lost prince of Lyonya and restore him to the throne.

On the way she finds dire adventure. There's grand action and also much that can provoke quiet reflection in this marvelous fantasy. ***POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT*** Her quest leads her to the expected places of courts and palaces, but the gods have an additional task for her. In order to redeem the true king, she must submit herself to torture by the priest of Liart. These torture sequences can be tough reading as nothing is spared. What redeems them is the courage with which Paks faces her fate and continues to witness for her gods. One sees in these scenes how a true hero might be measured not by the brightness of her sword and the glory of her triumph, but by the steadfast faith that marks a saint. Paks achieves this level only because she has fully accepted her prior suffering; she holds to the belief that this too will reveal its meaning in time. *** SPOILER OVER ***

One note on the cover: the bay horse pictured is a notable individual, modeled after a favorite horse of the author. She confided that she had insisted that if the art department was going to put a horse on the cover they should use the horse who had inspired her conception of the paladin's horse. I think that this is one of the more striking covers I have ever seen.

Oath of Gold (1989) is the third fantasy novel in the Paksenarrion series, following Divided Allegiance. In the previous volume, Paks was captured by iynisin -- evil elves -- and forced to fight against orcs and maybe other enemies. When her friends came to rescue her, Paks was dressed in cursed black armor and released behind the orc lines. She killed the orcs in front of her and was about to swing on her own friends, but finally managed to call upon Gird and was frozen in mid-movement. She was brought out of the iynisi caverns and provided with some healing, but the wounds on her body could not be completely healed by anyone in her party.

Later, Paks was taken back to Fin Panir and passed to the healers for more healing, but her wounds still could not be fully healed. When she mixed with the trainers and trainees, she showed signs of irritation and temper. The Marshall-General was disturbed by this personality change and suggested that she had suffered more from her captivity than suspected. The Marshall-General wanted to do a thorough examination of her mind for evidence of hidden evil and then clean out such influences as much as possible. Nonetheless, she warned Paks that such treatment might destroy her effectiveness as a warrior.

Duke Phelan was invited to the conference on Paks and stayed for the discussion with her. He was very disturbed by the recommended treatment and offered her a position as one of his captains within the Company. Angered at their seeming distrust of her, he declared that he will always trust her no matter what. But Paks agreed to undergo the mental surgery.

The psychic operation wiped out all traces of the evil within her mind, but left her fearful of her weapons and even animals. She refused to stay in the school, so the Marshall-General got her a job tending sheep. The shepherd was not impressed and neither were her fellow herders, so she was fired and wandered across the north country as a vagabond.

In this novel, Paks wanders into Brewersbridge and, despite her desire to remain anonymous, finds herself within the Kuakkganni grove, facing Master Oakhallow. He provides her with food and rest, holding most questions until she has time to relax within his grove. The trees and birds soon calm her and gradually the story comes out.

Master Oakhallow slowly leads her into examining her feelings, ignoring the fear itself, but focusing on her understanding of courage. He points out that the fear she feels is much like that of ordinary people when faced with the misfortunes of life, yet they continue with their lives as best they can, working for better times for themselves and their families.

He teaches Paks that courage is not the lack of fear, but the doing of that which must be done despite such fear. When her mind is ready, Master Oakhallow completely heals her physical wounds. After Paks learns to overcome her fear, Master Oakhallow gets her a position with the Lyonyan rangers.

After six eventful months with the rangers, Paks comes back to Brewersbridge. She renews old friendships and proves her courage by her behavior. She only stays a few days, for she feels compelled to go to Duke Phelan.

At the stronghold of the Company, Paks declares herself to be fully recovered from the iynisi conditioning and the subsequent treatment. The Duke offers her a position as one of his captains, but she demurs, stating that it wouldn't be fair to those who have been with him so long. She also tells him that she may be returning to Fir Panir for more paladin training. He suggests that some of that training will be available within his Company.

In this story, Paks now knows that she is already a paladin, chosen by the gods themselves and given the capabilities of sensing good and evil directly, calling light, and healing. Paks is not yet sure whether she is protected from evil attack, nor does she know if she has any other talents. She is not even certain how she will explain her paladin status to the Marshall-General.

Paks has gained a valuable lesson in empathy, for she has been there with the common people in fear and trembling. She has also learned to trust her own thinking and feelings; she will never again blindly obey anyone, even the Marshall-General. Her loyalty is first to the High Lord and then to Gird himself and only afterwards to any human authorities.

This novel is the conclusion of the trilogy. Although other volumes -- Surrender None and Liar's Oath -- have filled in the backstory of this series, the author went on to write science fiction. If you have not read Hunting Party, I suggest that you do so. Her SF is just as good as, if not better than, her fantasy

Highly recommended to Moon fans and to anyone else who enjoys tales of personal development, quests for missing royalty, and perseverance in the face of adversity.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I have read countless fantasy series where the conclusion was less than good. With this series, it just keeps getting better. I was moved to tears by the ending (it's a good one, really!) and was overwhelmed by her sense of honor and goodness. Anyone interested in the development of a paladin MUST read this book!

This is the best book ever. Paksenarrion is finally a hero, and gets to be one in the most exciting and worthy manner possible. This book makes me grin every page, except in the one part that I won't say about for the benefit of those who haven't read it yet. It ends perfectly, and contains only one problem: it ends.

This book will probably not win an award for best author, or best story.
It may never be the most profound fantasy book you've every read, but it is very good.
I've often found myself talking about this book with friends, and have even loaned out copies of the book, and I have on more than one occasion thought about the series overall with fondness and wished that Elizabeth Moon would write additional novels to further develop the universe she created.

Overall, a story that gets better over time, especially when compared side by side to the sheer amount of pulp - fantasy that chokes the shelves of modern day bookstores....

After the traditional 'down' of the second book of the series (our character is on the ropes), Paks becomes the Heroine she is destined to be. The believable detail and and well constructed plot deliver Paks to end of her first major quest as a Paladin. The excellent construction of this series makes the best reading (for me) fantasy trilogy of the last 20 years. No one likes to see a character written to death, but Ms. Moon, there is a lot of life left in Paks yet (not to mention Arvid and others). If you have given up fantasy for good, my loss. If not, please tell us more of Paks's story.