Elizabeth Moon - Deed of Paksenarrion

B

Beleg

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Mar 31, 2004
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I am surprised to find that there hasn't been a single thread about this series before.

Anyone read it? If so what was your impression? Would you recommend it to someone who isn't generally fond of the 'D&D' settings as some put it.
 
I'd definitely recommend it. I am not overly fond of the 'D&D' style fantasy.. I havent read a Forgotten Realms book in years now, but, when I did read Deeds of Paks, I thought it was great!

I am very fond of that series..

Keyoke
 
I really enjoyed the original trilogy. The omnibus version is far too edited and shortened... I don't recommend it if you can find the seperate books.
 
Oh? I own the omnibus and it's waiting in line with many other books, all fighting for my attention. :rolleyes:

How much editing, what kind of editing?
 
It was shortened for the omnibus. It has been years since I read it and the trilogy, but I remember being surprised at the amount of content missing.
 
Thanks for that, Richard. I wasn't aware that there was a difference between the separate books and the omnibus.

It's a series I want to give another go, and it's interesting that this post's appeared, as I ordered the omnibus a couple of weeks ago.

Now it looks like I'm going to have to get copies of the separate books too. (I've got a copy of Book 1, but borrowed the other two from the library when I read them last time).

It's an interesting point, though, in these days of books usually becoming fatter rather than thinner. As a matter of interest, does the omnibus work if we see it as a tighter single novel, as opposed to the fatter 3-volume 'Director's Cut'?

Hobbit
 
I really wish I could remember what specifically changed. I remember (this is from about 7 years ago) buying the omnibus and deciding to read it for a second time, and thinking 'what about..." It seemed that bits of backstory and interesting details were missing. The original books are not excactly 'fat' or filled with extraneous details, so i really missed the stuff not there. That being said, I still like having the larger trade paperback on the shelf.
 
Looks like I might need to look at both, then. Thanks, Richard! :D

Hobbit
 
Read this omnibus edition myself some years ago.

All in all a decent read. If you like military SF/Fantasy you
should definetely give it a try.

Only problem for me was the main character. Paksenarrion
is portrayed as brave and just but she's also a stranger to
human warmth/relationships. After a while I found this
lack of human feeling in her a bit bothersome, but that's
only a personal opinion.
 
Thanks, Lowlander.

You raise a point of interest, and one which I hadn't thought of too much. The lack of human warmth / relationships is a common feature of many of those in battle. Stories of soldiers in WW1 and WW2 tell of the long term soldiers feeling that it was not a good idea to get to know new arrivals too well as their life expectancy was a matter of days/weeks, and their deaths could really mess you up.

If I remember right I think Ms Moon has had military experience herself, and therefore may be aware of this situation, or perhaps it's just good research!

But it is an interesting point, and perhaps not unintentional.

Hobbit
 
From Moon's website:

Now the adventure continues--because when Paksenarrion found the missing king of Lyonya, she upset lives, realms, and long-laid plans all over the Eight Kingdoms of the North--and the fallout will affect even faraway Old Aare. Closer at hand, the men and women who shaped Paks as a young recruit and mercenary soldier are in their turn changed by what she did--and by her character.

The first volume of the new series is presently scheduled for release by Del Rey in 2010.
Click to expand...
 
Its on baen's site, so it can be downloaded, but its not free.

I thought it was ok, but after showing some weakness early on, Paksenarrion is just too perfect. And in her world, good always wins over evil.
 
I loved the series. I also wasn't aware that the omnibus version was an edited version. That sucks! I'm thrilled to hear Moon is planning on writing more books.

I don't read D&D style of fantasy at all (except, I guess, for this one?). I really enjoyed Moon's work at exploring the paladin class. I suppose this is done in other works as well, but in nothing I've read.
 
The very first Paksenarrion book is in the Baen Free Library, which is how I found out about them, and then went on and got the other two books as well. Link.

I liked it. Definitely worth reading. One aspect I didn't like was Paks' self-isolation. I confess that I was more interested in the action scenes than in analyzing the characters, though.
 
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I also wasn't aware that the omnibus version was an edited version. That sucks!
Click to expand...

I'd better just add to this, to clear this up. When Richard raised this before (a long while ago now!), I asked Ms Moon about it. She very kindly replied, saying that to her knowledge there were no major changes.

It is a while ago, so I can't remember it exactly, but the only change there might have been is the odd typo and a summary of what has happened so far from the second and third book.

Best

Mark
 
the good news: the story of paks will continue.
The bad news: i have to wait at least a year to find out how.

i liked the original three books, I thought the world building and the races were under developed, with the accent on action and too much attention on Paks and not enough on other characters.
 
It's funny, there seems to be a common response here - "I really liked it, but...". That goes for me too, I enjoyed the series greatly and am very fond of it - despite agreeing entirely with Lowlander's post of long ago, in that Paks is a bit of a void in the centre of the book. She as a person just doesn't come off the page. But it is a fine work for spectacle, and it does actually have a serious point in its favour: the author is a former US Army officer, I believe, and I'm sure that imbues her military storytelling with a grounded simplicity and pragmatism that fantasy often lacks. In a genre full of armchair warriors writing about heroic last stands and futile defiance, she writes of battles in which, when the day hasn't gone your way and it's time to surrender, then you damn well surrender!
 
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It started out interestingly, but I ended up being bored with the books. I never really got to "know" or like Paks despite the books being focused on her.
 
Hobbit said:
I'd better just add to this, to clear this up. When Richard raised this before (a long while ago now!), I asked Ms Moon about it. She very kindly replied, saying that to her knowledge there were no major changes.

It is a while ago, so I can't remember it exactly, but the only change there might have been is the odd typo and a summary of what has happened so far from the second and third book.

Best

Mark
Click to expand...

Thanks, Mark. When reading the earlier posts, I began to consider purchasing the separate books as I was reading the omnibus version. I'm a more at ease now with letting it go at that.

I really liked the book, particularly the military aspects. Having served as an infantry medic, I found a lot of the interchange among the recruits/troops/vets to be rather accurate. As a result, I am not surprised to know that the author has prior service.
 
I'm no Liviu, Rob, Ken, Adam or Pat, but I recently got my first interview. The author (victim?) was Elizabeth Moon. It just went up on my blog. Thanks to sffworld for bringing me this deep into what was a hobby, and is now really, really fun.
PW
 
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