Elizabeth Moon has been a published writer for more than 25 years, her first novel which introduced Paksenarrion – Sheepfarmer’s Daughter – published in 1989 and she’s never looked back. Over those years she’s published a significant amount of short fiction, enough to fill multiple volumes including this collection Deeds of Honor: Paksenarrion World Chronicles. This collection includes stories set exclusively in that popular milieu.
The first story in the collection, “Point of Honor,” features a minor character who grew over the course of the many novels in the Paksenarrion milieu – Arvid Semminson. It is a brief tale, but gives a snapshot of what the character was doing between the two series Deed of Paksenarrion and Paladin’s Legacy. I came to find his scenes in the Paladin’s Legacy some of the strongest encapsulating a great amount of conflict. Here in “Point of Honor,” he is a little less conflicted but more determined. A strong and fun start to the collection.
I was very pleased with “Falk’s Oath,” a fable from the early days of the world of these novels. Here, Moon gives a wonderful background story to the mythic figure of Falk whose many knights populate the realms in which the novels take place. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, a potent story in such a short space.
In “Cross Purposes” we see the royal point of view; a competent story which further fleshes out the world of the novels, and how royalty tries to secure power through arranged marriages in this world.
“Torre’s Ride” is another fable-like story much like “Falk’s Oath.” This one involved a princess attempting to save her father who is the prisoner of an evil king. She is required to accomplish 12 challenges in order to save him, but the evil king imprisons her immediately upon casting this challenge upon her. This one was pleasant and provided some nice depth the already wonderfully built world of these novels.
In “A Parrion of Cooking,” Moon shows the harrowing tale of a character introduced in the first installment of Paladin’s Legacy, Oath of Fealty Farin Cook. This was one of the darker tales in the anthology/collection and is a prime example of how the workers in a castle are affected by a regime change (the arrival of Dorrin) and the paranoia a unhinged ruler can instill in those who are beneath them. I found some parallels to situations in my own life transitioning from one type of manager to another and the difficulty in adjusting after working for one type of manager then going to a person with a different style.
Set between the Kings of the North and Echoes of Betrayal, second and third installments of Paladin’s Legacy respectively, “Vardan’s Tale” recounts a heroic battle of sacrifice, loyalty, bravery, and mortality. This was a fine example of Moon’s prowess at depicting the grueling life of a soldier and no matter the situation, doing what is right for the greater good can outweigh the personal cost.
“Those Who Walk in Darkness” is another heartwarming tale set in the original Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy featuring a very minor character. Selis, a tortured boy forced to watch Paks’s abuse at the hands of the men of Liart (as depicted in Oath of Gold the final novel of The Deed of Paksenarrion) escapes and finds himself with the men of Gird. Fear is a strong theme of the story, but by the end, our protagonist sees the light and is off to a better life. Another strong tale in the collection.
“The Last Lesson” was written specifically for this collection and rounds it out in nice fashion. In it, Moon shows a character who grew a great deal over the course of the Paladin’s Legacy – Beclan – and how he has growing still to do. There’s also a call-back to Selis from the previous story. All told, this story doesn’t just round out the collection, it is a nice capstone to the story of both Paladin’s Legacy and The Deed of Paksenarrion.
Deeds of Honor shows a writer who is best known for larger tales, show an equally adept skill at shorter tales. Each of the stories fleshes out the world of her best known creation and they vary in tone from stories with a fable-like quality, stories with the air of myth, or straight-forward character pieces. While readers/fans of the Paksenarrion novels will enjoy these tales, I also think the collection would serve as a good introduction to those worlds for readers curious about Moon’s style and world. Both are on display here in Deeds of Honor and as such, I can only finish this review with a strong recommendation. While this is only available electronically, a limited edition from a publisher like Grim Oak or Subterranean would be most welcome.
© 2015 Rob H. Bedford
Published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc./ eBook
December 2014 / Approx 140 Pages
http://www.paksworld.com
Electronic copy courtesy of the publisher
