Sheepfarmer's Daughter

"Keep these," the stranger said, "in memory of your daughter Paksenarrion. She wishes you to have them and has no need of them." And though he accepted water from their well, he would say no more of Paksenarrion, whether she lived or lay buried far away, whether she would return or no.

The story:
Paksenarrion doesn't want to marry the pig farmer her father has chosen for her. She wants to be a warrior, and when he tries to force her to wed him, she runs away.

She joins Duke Phelan's Company, a mercenary company doing recruiting close to where she lives. His is a decent company, and Paks is not one who enjoys making trouble. But being who she is, she is noticed, both by her officers and her fellow recruits. And being noticed can give you trouble, something she finds out the hard way.

And when she finally gets to see real action, she discovers that though her company is an honourable one, not every company follows the same rules. For soon, she and her friends find themself deeper into trouble than she had ever imagined.

Thought about the book:
First I want to say that Elizabeth Moon writes the most realistic, and well-written military fantasy and science fiction I have ever read. Her knowledge of military life is clearly seen through her books.

In Sheepfarmer's Daughter, she describes a military life that, I think, most people who have served in some way, will recognize at least parts of.

Second, though this is in many ways a classical fantasy story, the unique view gives it something special. One grows to like Paks, and to sense in her the woman who will become what she has dreamed of.

Perhaps some of the reason why I like this is because I have always been fascinated by the military. And this story tells about people. Her friends, her officers, and people she meets, they have flaws, they have virtues, and they make mistakes.

About the author Elizabeth Moon
About the next book, Divided Allegiance
About the third book, Oath of Gold

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