Oath of Gold by Elizabeth Moon

(The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 3)This entire series was a breath of fresh air. It had been a while since a fantasy series had grabbed me with both hands and refused to let go. The first two books (SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER and DIVIDED ALLEGIANCE) were action packed, had great character development, and a gripping plot. This book was no exception. Again we are treated to Ms. Moon's excellent characterization. Her dialogue, the interactions of the characters, and the growth and change of the characters made the book a joy to read. The character development nearly outshadowed the plot of the entire series. They are so vivid and so dynamic that they seem to almost jump off the page (or drag the reader into it). This book sees Paks attempting to fulfil her destiny. About 100 pages into the book, she is 180 degrees different from where we left her in the last book. We see her come to grips with who she is and what she can do. We sympathize with her trying to accept how other people now view her and with her struggle to fulfil the destiny that has been hinted at since the early pages of SHEEPFARMER'S DAUGHTER. Paks has got to be one of the most memorable characters in all of fantasy. The climax and ending are subtly done. I felt that the way Ms. Moon ended the book was consistent with the way she had written the entire series. Sometimes when I finish a book, I feel a little sad or I ask myself, "That's it?" This ending, though, left me completely satisfied. Well...maybe I did have a few questions, but, since all of one's questions are never truly answered, it was a fitting ending. All in all, I truly enjoyed reading this series. It was one of the best I'd read in a long time. If you're a fantasy fan, you won't want to miss this.