A "Deed" Now Done

Hey!   New/old book alert!  

I hate fantasy.   By fantasy, I mean that tripe that publishers like Tor books (distributors of Dungeons and Dragons) put out—the kind of fantasy where magic and reality mix willy-nilly, where things like the inverse square law allow gigantic creatures to ignore gravity and mass (maybe because of all that magic?); fantasy where the plot has absolutely no bearing on what goes on in the story, because there are too many poorly played out battles between orcs, dragons, giants, and all manner of creatures.

Into this category, I would like to not place books like The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, which on the face may seem like fantasy, but if you read the entire series, is merely fantastical science fiction.   Also, the Shannara series by Terry Brooks is less fantasy than allegory, and a possible view of what our future may bring.

And finally, there is The Deed of Paksennarion by Elizabeth Moon.   Originally published as three separate books, it is compiled in a 600,000 word trilogy volume that held this reader’s interest throughout.

The book follows Paksennarion Dorthansdotter (Paks), a young woman raised on a sheep farm who has been raised hearing tales of warriors, paladins, and heroes.   She runs away to join a mercenary company—and this is where the true magic of this story lies.

Elizabeth Moon has woven a tale full of battles and gentle, earth-based magic, but her strength lies in the development of Paks through her training and combat experience.   The training sequences (lengthy) are well-thought out, and realistic.   Paks is not a natural warrior, but she is dedicated to her goals, and works very hard to live up to her training.

The battle sequences are brutal and gory, not because of sensationalism, but because that’s what battles fought with swords, pikes, bows, and lances are like.

Yes, there is magic enough in this book to keep the fantasy fans happy—but it is magic that could occur if immortal elves existed, if kuakugans lived in groves where they helped the living things of the earth bind everything together; a land where orcs wended there subhuman culture on the outskirts of the more civilized lands; and where paladins and followers of St. Gird were able to tap into the power of the land to heal the wounded and defeat evil.

Fantasy?  Sure.   Great story?  You bet.    As you read this lengthy story, you see character development at its finest as Paks grows, through her experiences, from a simple sheepfarmer’s daughter into a whole, fully realized person.

Highly recommended by a non-fan of fantasy (I’ve never been able to slog my way through the Lord of the Rings series, though I loved the movies).

If you’ve got the time, give it a try.  

And so it goes…