Echoes of Betrayal

Paladin's Legacy, Book 3

By: Elizabeth Moon

Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck

Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

The action continues fast and furious in this third installment of Elizabeth Moon’s celebrated return to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter. This award-winning author has firsthand military experience and an imagination that knows no bounds. Combine those qualities with an ability to craft flesh-and-blood characters, and the result is the kind of speculative fiction that engages both heart and mind.

All is not well in the Eight Kingdoms. In Lyonya, King Kieri is about to celebrate marriage to his beloved, the half-elf Arian. But uncanny whispers from the spirits of his ancestors continue to warn of treachery and murder. A finger of suspicion has been pointed toward his grandmother, the queen of the Ladysforest elves, and that suspicion has only intensified with time and the Lady’s inexplicable behavior. Clearly, she is hiding something. But what? And why?

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, the young king Mikeli must grapple with unrest among his own nobility over his controversial decision to grant the title and estates of a traitorous magelord to a Verrakaien, who not only possesses the forbidden magic but is a woman besides: Dorrin, once one of Kieri’s most trusted captains. When renegade Verrakaien attack two of Dorrin’s squires, suspicion and prejudice combine to place Dorrin’s life at risk - and the king's claim to the throne in peril.

But even greater danger is looming. The wild offspring of a dragon are on the loose, sowing death and destruction and upsetting the ancient balance of power between dragonkind, humans, elves, and gnomes. A collision seems inevitable. Yet when it comes, it will be utterly unexpected - and all the more devastating for it.

©2012 Elizabeth Moon (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Evolving Leaders in Magical World

If you could sum up Echoes of Betrayal in three words, what would they be?

As a fan of Elizabeth Moon years ago, both of us are older these days. Ms Moon at least also seems wiser about how "ordinary" folk rise to fill a variety of magical and practical challenges. In following this saga, I have reflected on the value of paying attention to others' strengths and weaknesses with humility and compassion, understanding what their motivations are, and accepting everyone's limitations.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I particularly enjoyed the Thieves Guild master who has to accept his demi-god patron Gerd choosing him for higher purposes. When he finally realizes what is going on, he becomes vulnerable in a touching, very human way.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next segment due out(in print) in June, 2013!

Get Ready for a Rough Ride!

Paksenarrion has touched many people in her life since she joined Phelan's mercenaries, and few of them were left unchanged as her courage and faithfulness challenged them in their own lives. Things are changing in the world, as new ambition grabs at old history to justify it's course. And old evil re-emerges to destroy the current stability. Rulers are challenged to try to maintain the old stability in the face of these new challenges.

Well read, though occasionally some characters sound a little too similar.



SPOILER!

Don't expect a resolution to this series, yet. The issues are too grave and the end is a true shocker. No country or race or sentient species is like to be untouched by these events. And the challenges to those whose responsibility it is to ward their peoples will be monumental.

amazing world

i grew up on Elizabeth Moon sci fi...and now... art 65 over rediscovered her...this series is beyond words...add i thank you my lovely Moon...

Only Jennifer for me!!

I literally squealed when I saw that Jennifer came back as narrator..pity she couldn't finish the series..for this I'm gonna blame good writing on me REALLY getting tired of the arrogance of Girdsman, you'd think with everything Paksanarion had proven to their brotherhood and world they would take the piety down a few pegs. Truly enjoyed the evolution of the mainstay characters from simple soldiers to people of note and power; still they run up against obstacles that make the life in a cohort preferable. All in all a nice listen !

Hey what? books over? Oh Yea there's more to come.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Would recommend. The story is solid and moves... we just run out of road so be prepared to stop even though you want to run a full speed! It's going to be hard to wait for the rest of this story, but the author has created several really good inlets to possible stories within this saga and I wouldn't be surprised to see some shorts involving some of the smaller characters.

What other book might you compare Echoes of Betrayal to and why?

Everything up to this point.. I spent the couple of weeks before the release date of Echoes listening to everything from Sheep Farmer;s daughter on. What I want to know is where do we get Liars oath and Legacy of Gird on audio book?Elizabeth Moon is a singularity. From her research into old world military tactics and common things one doesn't usually expect, to the search for the right name and word for things and sounds, to the way she can just pull the reader not just into interest in the story by the feeling of personal acquaintance and connection to the characters, she is truly a great weaver or words and story.The Vatta saga is an whole other flavor of the same consistency in all these things. SPEED OF DARK is one of those rare phenomenon. Mildly science fiction, beautifully revealing of a place and mind so very hard to grasp and understand. Absolutely check it out!

What three words best describe Jennifer VanDyck’s voice?

Forgetful forgetful forgetful.. She had these characters and these names solid and although I was used to thinking Pax instead of Pox , she was consistant and her pronunciations made sense, the voices felt well considered per the characters' attribute and personalities. Then that gave her a book off. Some one else messed uop Kings of the North, and when the publisher had the GOOD SENSE to go back the the narrator who had it down, Van Dyke had forgotten everything she did right. Arian sounded old and stuffy, far to fru fru for the fearless dragon rider steward to the king. The elves lost some of their sing song lilt, but over kill on that in the first three books was annoying, but she HAD balanced it well. Names changed so drastically in pronunciations that it was hard to remember what cities and places... Aar instead of Air.. Aarinus instead of AraAInisSome of the voices seemed to shift in age and voice. PUBLISHERS PAY ATTENTION, Jennifer Van Dyke started out rough in SFD. She settled into a very good and comfortable acquaintance with these characters and this author's distinct style. by the end of the first book and from then on she OWNED IT. Don't give a book in a series to another reader after some one else has well established what has gone before and if you do and get the original back then make sure they review their OWN WORK for consistency sake. This issues can be settled on the shoulders of the producers and directors. It natters to the listener... and boyz... we pay the bills around here.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

SPOILERS ALERT:::The sadness of the rejoicing over a per-born son I knew would not survive the book because of the last paragraph of Oath of Gold. The mutilation of Dorrin's squire ... the brief appearance of our old friend master Oakhalow, ad the ruin of the lady.

Any additional comments?

This story just got really big. What was an inroad to more stories has opened a floodgate of not easily exhausted SAGA. the one thing ... thee are plenty of places where some one says

Another great book in such a great series.

once again this builds the story in such a slow but joyful pace. so many angles of such a complex yet simple plot that loves to circumvent tropes time and again. Wow such a way to end it, must get next book now. ^.^

Still fun half way thru the series

Continue to enjoy this Legacy series. But am beginning to wonder why several of the main characters are now even more special than Paks .... no spoilers. Am looking forward to the rest of the story.

Was happy to have Jennifer Van Dyke back as narrator but do not understand why she changed her own pronunciation of 'Verella'. She couldn't remember how she said it in 4 different earlier books? Her interpretation of musical elven voices is the one irritating thing, Arian's in particular.

Awesome. You'll Love this

What did you love best about Echoes of Betrayal?

The return of Jennifer Van Dyck as reader was a huge success.
Elizabeth's Dragon is so different then other dragons i am used to reading about and i love it.
The plot is moved along in this story quite well. This is clearly a middle book and while a few threads are wraped up in this tale most are mearly moved along and readed for book 4 and book 5

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dragon. this Dragon has a sense of humor and is clearly not what you expect

Have you listened to any of Jennifer VanDyck’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Well

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The last chapter is a killer, can't say more or will spoil

Any additional comments?

Audible needs to have Jennifer Van Dyck do Kings of the North and remove that horrid other readers version quickly

Sans Pax again, but engrossing

Moon's Pax stories get better as she moves along the thread spun by story telling the lives of Pax's friends - Kieri, Doran, Jandelier, Arvin et al. Echoes Of Betrayal is competently written in a pretty straightforward manner in a fast paced drama which brings out heroism, treachery, intrigue and a few surprises like a dragon attempting to heal Stammil's eyes then taking him into service, for example). I missed Pax in the prior book in the series Kings Of The North - and still do. But aside from some Pax homesickness, EOB filled my reading time in a most fulfilling way. I like Moon's sense of justice and appreciate her sword and sorcery presented as passing violence. With Moon, an ex-soldier, you always see conflict and violence in an ordered, disciplined fashion. EOB is much like her other books, in that bad and good are locked in mortal combat, psychological as well as physical. EOB may not be great literature, but it is a well crafted fantasy tale which will entertain and leave the reader feeling that s/he has been in the company of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Looking forward to more

Would you listen to Echoes of Betrayal again? Why?

Yes. This book continues the story begun in Deed of Paksenarrion. It picks up Kieri's story, and examines the relationship between the elves and humans in the kingdom he has inherited. The pacing is excellent, characters well rounded.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kieri and his young wife. They are central to this part of the story.

Have you listened to any of Jennifer Van Dyck’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not. I like her vocal range and the way she deals with character voices. I will watch for more of her performances.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Spoiler alert for people who have not yet read the book. I was very moved by the moment when the young queen loses her baby, and the realization that food at the banquet had been poisoned.

Any additional comments?

The chief attraction in this series for me is the excellent world building and the interplay between characters and cultures.