Review of SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER by Elizabeth Moon (see her website)

DEED OF PAKSENARRION Book 1

Baen Books, 1988

When her father insists that she marry a local farmer, sheepfarmer's daughter Paksenarrion (Pak) runs away to become a mercenary. Enrolled in the Duke's army, she learns to march, dig latrines, and eventually to fight. Although she's a woman, Pak is larger than most of the other recruits and gradually develops into a strong warrior. First, though, she must overcome the prejudice some have against women--and their willingness to use and disgrace her.

Paksenarrion's career takes a strange turn when, while she's part of a garrison at a small fort, a leader who wants to rule the entire land takes her party captive--with Paksenarrion escaping only because she was hunting berries at the time. Pak manages an epic journey across the country--with the enemy lord, Siniava the 'Honeycat' desperately hunting for her to prevent her from getting warning to the Duke. On this journey, skeptical Pak seems to develop some kind of linkage to a long-ago hero and saint--Gird. Gird's help saves her several times, but it's always Pak's own determination that drives her.

Author Elizabeth Moon (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Moon) creates a compelling sense of adventure and character growth in SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER. Pak, with her drive to become a soldier rather than accept the life of a farmer, is a sympathetic character and the world she finds herself in, while familiar to fantasy fans with its paladins, orcs, and dark gods, is fully realized and interesting.

SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER was Moon's first novel and is a compelling one that launched her into a successful career. This is the first of three books that make up the DEED OF PAKSARRION (which can be bought as a single volume collection). I read this book when it came out and was blown away. On re-reading in 2007, nearly twenty years later, I'm still impressed by the strong characters and action that Moon develops.

Four Stars

Reviewed 1/07/07

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