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.

Awful narration.

Awful, awful narration. The writing isn’t a literary achievement but this narrator makes it terrible.

Good story but no resolutions

I really enjoy reading Elizabeth Moon's fantasy books. The Paks World books are excellent but I felt like there was too much bad happening without some of the older problems having some sort of a conclusion. Too many dangling threads. Too many characters left dangling in the wind.

I also wish he distribution of focus was more even. I would have liked more attention placed on Arvid. He is by far my favorite character and finding out what his final evolution will be intrigues me. I am a little tired of the human vs. elf complication and I am sad that the gods of the realms are so prejudiced. I think the elder races should display more reason and sense but sadly they do not.

I will keep reading as I really want to know what happens but I am hoping the next book brings some closure. I gave it 3 stars overall but the story gets 4. I am not enjoying the narration which is sad because it lessens what would be a better story.

What Happened to the Main Character?

The book is alright, very few books by Moon are not well written, but this book could be a standalone with the relatively new characters & old family feuds... She doesn't write in a 'dark medieval' & hardcore violent ways, but that is part of her allure, she can weave a story without the gore... although I enjoy the 'gore' because battle back than was bloody business. I mean, u really have to dislike someone to smash they're face in with a hammer versus pull a trigger to a gun lol... The narrator I thought was always poor but tolerable.

I want to ensure this review expresses that the book is not bad, I did not like the books once Paks starting becoming absent & the new king takes the stage, but its still not bad. This takes nothing away from Moon's ability to write great books