Surrender None

By: Elizabeth Moon

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

Length: 20 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Paksenarrion was the finest paladin her world would ever see. But Paksenarrion could never have become a fighter at all had it not been for he who had come before: Gird, the liberator, who taught his people that they could fight - and win - against their Mage-born rulers.

And after Gird came one more: Luap, Gird's sworn follower and the king's half-breed bastard. Riven by internal conflict, Luap dare not lie and cannot tell the truth, nor face the future.

©2017 Elizabeth Moon (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Gird's story

This one gave me goosebumps, especially at the end. What an amazing story...it explains much!

The Story of a Man Turned Saint

If you loved the story of Paks you will love learning more about Girds life.

wow!

what an awesome story! and what an amazing ending. I'm not a fanatic religious person. But its finale is in comparison like unto the suffering of Christ on the cross who died to take on the sins of the world so ends the life of this books hero.

An adventure and story of becoming!

Excellent story, the characters develop while the story builds. I was even more interested as it progressed!

4.5 star story, very interesting, 5 star listen

I liked this story, as it was a little different. Magic did not play a huge role despite existing in the world, it was relevant to the story but not a defining aspect of it. Likeable characters, if a bit meandering in their development. A fair bit of action and the packing stays pretty strong. This is also basically a stand alone story. There is a sequel in the series, but this story comes to its own true end.

Moving and Real: 4.5

While this story takes place in a fantasy realm, the gods can act only indirectly most of the time, and major magic is relatively rare -- never near-unstoppable evil for the villains, or an easy fix for the good guys. Human and divine magic is kept somewhat mysterious in a way I very much like.

What is made very clear is the day-to-day reality of oppression of the serfs and peasants and the sometimes cruel abuse, sometimes relatively decent noblesse oblige of their foreign overlords in a feudal system. I am not sure I have ever read a fantasy that so clearly and movingly describes the grinding poverty, oppressive petty taxation, chronic undernourishment, and occasional violence faced by serfs of a bad lord, as well as their personal and cultural coping mechanisms and their silent resistence.

The story is not fast-moving, which was fine. What gave it 4.5, not 5, for me, was that some of the history seemed a bit didactic to me and a few of Gird's successes were a bit too easy -- although one could see that as the will of the Goddess helping him behind the scenes! Also, some of the characters (not most major ones -- there is a large cast) had too few moving parts, although none were simple modern stereotypes.

At the end, though, Elizabeth Moon ties up everything in a moving epilogue which was more literally and ethically satisfying than a simple happy ending, and which had me choked up.

One of the best of its kind.

If you are looking for a story about a boy who comes of age and eventually saves the world, this is one of the best in that cannon. #tagsgiving and #sweepstakes

Hmm. Not bad. Not great though

Where to begin. Many years ago I read Paksenarrion and I recall really liking it. And I love Moon’s Vatta’s War series, so I figured to give these prequels a go. I’m still kind of torn. The narration was bizarre if I’m being honest. I don’t know if the narrator was trying to be a plodding peasant or what, but everyone sounded the same, up until the last 2 hrs or so. It was very difficult to determine who was speaking.

And the plot—hmm. I’m just not sure what to say. It didn’t seem to go anywhere but then there was a lot of action and lots of time passing and no real explanation of what or why. I guess I’ve forgotten much of the plot of Paks’ book because this one didn’t make a lot of sense. I’m going to plow through the next one because the ending of this one is so very strange. Again, I’m not sure why.

But this is a problem with someone deciding to start out at book 1 or -3 or whatever you want to call it. These stories should be foundational with no prior knowledge necessary, but it always seems as if I’m missing something important—like I’ve accidentally fast forwarded.

How can you not love Gird?!

This is probably my favorite of all the Paksenarrion books. Going back a hundred years or more before Paks was born, Moon tells the story of the simple and extraordinary farmer who starts the peasant revolt, which eventually becomes an entire religion and one of the cultural cornerstones of Paksenarrion’s world. The backstory element is fun naturally, but this story is just fantastic all by itself. It’s all about the triumph of goodness, justice, honor and mercy and the sacrifices that make it possible (themes that always feature in Moons work) embodied in compelling complicated, flawed characters who tromp through all kinds of non-stop interesting military action. Through it all you never loose the completely believable sense of who Gird is, an extraordinary paradox and one of my all time favorite protagonists.

Great thoughts inspiring

If this book doesn't bring emotions out then you are dead in mind and heart