Echoes of Betrayal
by Elizabeth Moon
Paladin's Legacy (3), Paksenarrion World - Series Order (3), Paksenarrion's World (08 (Paladin's Legacy 03))
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“This is an excellent series, and Echoes of Betrayal is particularly well done. [Elizabeth Moon] is a consistently entertaining writer, and this book lives up to her standards.”—San Jose Mercury NewsAll 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, and a finger of suspicion points in a shocking direction. show more Meanwhile, in Tsaia, the young king Mikeli grapples with unrest among his own nobility after granting the title and estates of a traitorous magelord to a Verrakaien—who not only possesses the forbidden magic but is a woman. The controversial decision and its consequences put the king’s claim to the throne in peril. But even greater danger looms. A dragon’s wild offspring are sowing death and destruction, upsetting the ancient balance of power. A collision seems inevitable. Yet when it comes, it will be utterly unexpected—and all the more devastating for it.
“Fans of epic fantasy . . . should enjoy this series.”—Library Journal
“Rousing action and intriguing plot twists.”—Kirkus Reviews
Includes a preview of the next book in the Paladin’s Legacy series, Limits of Power.. show less
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Wow. A lot of developments - some of them _very_ strange. Daryan, Beclan - in entirely different ways; Arvid (both of them); Kieri and Arian and all of Lyonya. Stammel - he found a place, anyway, where he can do what others can't, if not for the rest of his life. Definitely not the end of any of the stories. We are just beginning to get an image of what/who the enemy(ies) may be. And what a line to end on - "It might come back."! Very rich, as usual; somewhat...well, not really less magic, but less everyday magic. Lots of magery and relics and rockmagic and the like, but less stuff mixing into ordinary life - it's all high-level stuff. No random swords carrying demons - though we never get an explanation for why those two remembered the show more gnome passage. And as always - want the next one! Next two, really. Love it. I did need to read both the previous books - I tried just reading Kings, but found myself confused; tried to skim Oath of Fealty and kept having to check for more, so I gave up and just read the two of them. And of course I want to read Deed again - but I've read that enough times that I remember it well enough. Maybe for the next book, certainly for the last I'll read the entire set (maybe Gird's books as well). show less
I still cannot believe how much I love being in this world, and how much I am looking forward to getting volumes 4 and 5 next weekend. And I'll probably use some store credit to get the first 3 Paladin's Legacy series just to see where it all started. Seldom do I start the first book, then dive into the remainder this avidly.
So what are the elements that are drawing me back? Characters who have depth, and self-doubt, and arrogance that is tragically brought up short, and evil lurking somewhere but is not obvious, and nobility, and love. I'm so very, very glad I took a chance and attended a panel where Elizabeth Moon was a speaker then took a second chance on reading her books. Her world and her imagination and her groundedness are awesome.
So what are the elements that are drawing me back? Characters who have depth, and self-doubt, and arrogance that is tragically brought up short, and evil lurking somewhere but is not obvious, and nobility, and love. I'm so very, very glad I took a chance and attended a panel where Elizabeth Moon was a speaker then took a second chance on reading her books. Her world and her imagination and her groundedness are awesome.
This is the sixth book in the so called 'Paksenarrion' books, the 3rd that were based on the legacy of the paladin, Paksenarrion. For Paks fans, it is clear in this book that the author has moved on, and this series is now about the aftereffects of Pak's presence, and not the paladin herself. This is referred to several times in the books, as characters comment that paladins change everything they touch in some way. The familiar protagonists from the previous book are back in this one - Arvid, Kieri and Dorrin. The story continues to progress, though slowly and it seems that there is a quite a bit of information revealed about the history and background of the North that really should have come out in earlier books. This is still quite show more good and I enjoyed it, but the slow pace of all of the plot tracks makes this feel more like a history than an adventure. Good, but not quite up to the quality of Moon's best. show less
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.show more
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.
A continuation of the stunning epic fantasy by Elizabeth Moon, Echoes of Betrayal moves the characters around like a chess-master, showing skill, cunning, and long laid plans - a great tactician ordering the layers of the story to the best effect. This time the focus is more prominently on the royal family of Tsaia and issues that arise with Duke Verrakai's job and her squires, as well as the new royal couple of Lyonya. However ample time is granted to Arcolin's story, Sergeant Stammel's latest adventures, and the changes that Arvid is struggling with.
Each story is fascinating and entertaining, showing character growth where necessary, as well as moving the plot forward at a steady pace. There are moments where the story picks up and speeds by, and others where it paces the life of the reader. Throughout all of the individual pieces the greater whole can be glimpsed, if not seen in its vast entirety that we are yet aware of.
None of the stories are near their conclusion, yet it is easy to feel everything gathering, getting ready for the grand finale. Clearly that will take at least two more books, if not more. But the energy continues to build, both with the individual characters and with the story overall. This series is a fine example of the epic fantasy genre. show less
This is book three, but this extension of the Paksenarrion series isn't a trilogy. It leaves off on a mighty big cliffhanger.
I read the previous book recently, and that freshness helped me to keep straight the many plot threads moving forward simultaneously. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Really, the series reminds me more and more of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire in terms of scope and worldbuilding and plot weaving, though Moon's world isn't nearly as dark, and overall her characters are pleasant. Flawed and real, but pleasant.
One of my complaints with the first book of this new series was that it seemed rather silly how everyone Paksenarrion dealt with was suddenly becoming a king or duke or count. At show more this point, however, that doesn't feel silly anymore. Even one of the darker characters of the original books Arvid--thief and assassin--has realized that paladins are trouble and Paks has caused unintentional ripples across the world. Sadly, Paks herself didn't appear in this book, but everyone else is so interesting and engaging that I didn't miss her that much. show less
I read the previous book recently, and that freshness helped me to keep straight the many plot threads moving forward simultaneously. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Really, the series reminds me more and more of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire in terms of scope and worldbuilding and plot weaving, though Moon's world isn't nearly as dark, and overall her characters are pleasant. Flawed and real, but pleasant.
One of my complaints with the first book of this new series was that it seemed rather silly how everyone Paksenarrion dealt with was suddenly becoming a king or duke or count. At show more this point, however, that doesn't feel silly anymore. Even one of the darker characters of the original books Arvid--thief and assassin--has realized that paladins are trouble and Paks has caused unintentional ripples across the world. Sadly, Paks herself didn't appear in this book, but everyone else is so interesting and engaging that I didn't miss her that much. show less
Reviewing 'Echoes of Betrayal' and 'Limits of Power' together, because I read them back-to-back, and there isn't any radical distinction between them.
Both books are very middle-y. Not really middling, just middle-of-series-y. You're expected to know the characters already (that's OK, because I do), and to be invested enough in their ongoing drama that you're not expecting each book to be it's own individual story with clear rising-action-falling-action-conclusion plotting - they're not - but that's (mostly) OK. This series really does have enough engaging characters and interesting scenarios that I'm fine with just following all the characters around and seeing what happens next. It's good entertainment.
The content - well crafted, but show more fairly typical fantasy fare - kingdom-shaking issues regarding magic, royal marriages, human-elf interaction, evil wizards, dragons... all that good stuff.
I love Moon's strong female characters, and her realistic portrayals of warrior/military women.
The one small thing that annoyed me was how much everyone talks about Paksenarrion - with all that talk, I feel like she should've made more of an appearance.
I'd recommend this series to anyone who's looking for a nice, solid, but non-genre-bending fantasy series with a large number of pages to get lost in - but I'd recommend starting at the beginning. show less
Both books are very middle-y. Not really middling, just middle-of-series-y. You're expected to know the characters already (that's OK, because I do), and to be invested enough in their ongoing drama that you're not expecting each book to be it's own individual story with clear rising-action-falling-action-conclusion plotting - they're not - but that's (mostly) OK. This series really does have enough engaging characters and interesting scenarios that I'm fine with just following all the characters around and seeing what happens next. It's good entertainment.
The content - well crafted, but show more fairly typical fantasy fare - kingdom-shaking issues regarding magic, royal marriages, human-elf interaction, evil wizards, dragons... all that good stuff.
I love Moon's strong female characters, and her realistic portrayals of warrior/military women.
The one small thing that annoyed me was how much everyone talks about Paksenarrion - with all that talk, I feel like she should've made more of an appearance.
I'd recommend this series to anyone who's looking for a nice, solid, but non-genre-bending fantasy series with a large number of pages to get lost in - but I'd recommend starting at the beginning. show less
This has been the least satisfying read of the Paladin’s Legacy – or Paksworld – series, so far, though I consider the largest flaw of Echoes of Betrayal to be that Oath of Fealty and Kings of the North were shaping up into such a solid, cohesive read that I thought things would end as well resolved as they did at the end of the The Deed of Paksennarion trilogy. Instead, peril is described and directed, beaten back, lingers, forms somewhere else, and the book ends by ramping up more; not one of the growing threats to the kingdoms of Kieri or Mikeli has been put to bed, meanwhile. Characters that were satisfying to visit in the previous books become irritating in this one, as the shifts in character focus don’t really seem to add show more up to anything, and unlike the previous books, none of the characters (except perhaps the King’s Cousin, and Duke’s Squire, Beclan) seem to evolve.
Elizabeth Moon writes wonderfully detailed fantasy fiction, but this book feels like a glitch in the story-arc at worst, a pin to hold it up, at best. No real cohesion or plot, no advance in any area, and the final attack was so removed from anything that the reader had encountered in the story thus far, that it felt contrived; and still the explanation is left for the next book.
Echoes of Betrayal wasn’t bad enough for me to lose interest in the series; Dorrin Verraki remains a wonderfully interesting character, the Dragon is fascinating and frightening at the same time, just as a dragon should be, and I’m glad that Arcolin – and Stammel – are still given storylines, because writing the militia and its characters are where Moon really shines (er, sorry, that was awkward and unintentional punning); and the suggestion playing out that Paks, as Paladin, has changed the lives of everyone with whom she has come in contact, is an intriguing one. I just wish I could have picked up the next book with the same enthusiasm with which I grabbed this one. show less
Elizabeth Moon writes wonderfully detailed fantasy fiction, but this book feels like a glitch in the story-arc at worst, a pin to hold it up, at best. No real cohesion or plot, no advance in any area, and the final attack was so removed from anything that the reader had encountered in the story thus far, that it felt contrived; and still the explanation is left for the next book.
Echoes of Betrayal wasn’t bad enough for me to lose interest in the series; Dorrin Verraki remains a wonderfully interesting character, the Dragon is fascinating and frightening at the same time, just as a dragon should be, and I’m glad that Arcolin – and Stammel – are still given storylines, because writing the militia and its characters are where Moon really shines (er, sorry, that was awkward and unintentional punning); and the suggestion playing out that Paks, as Paladin, has changed the lives of everyone with whom she has come in contact, is an intriguing one. I just wish I could have picked up the next book with the same enthusiasm with which I grabbed this one. show less
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Elizabeth Moon was born March 7, 1945, and grew up in McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School in 1963. She has a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975) with graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio. She served in the USMC from 1968 to show more 1971, first at MCB Quantico and then at HQMC. She married Richard Moon, a Rice classmate and Army officer, in 1969; they moved to the small central Texas town where they still live in 1979. They have one son, born in 1983. (Publisher Fact Sheets) Elizabeth Moon was born on March 7, 1945 in Texas. She received a B.A. in history from Rice University in 1968 and a B.S. in biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975 with graduate work in biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio. She served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1971. In the early 1980s, she wrote the Florence News column for the county weekly newspaper. She is a science fiction and fantasy author. In 1986, she published her first science fiction story in the monthly magazine Analog and the anthology series Sword and Sorceress. Her first novel, The Sheepfarmer's Daughter, was published in 1988 and won the Compton Crook Award in 1989. Her other works include Remnant Population, Oath of Fealty, Kings of the North, and Echoes of Betrayal. She has won several awards including the Nebula Award for Best Novel for The Speed of Dark in 2003 and the Heinlein Award in 2007. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Echoes of Betrayal
- Alternate titles
- Crisis of Vision (working title before publication) (working title before publication)
- Original publication date
- 2012
- People/Characters
- Kieri Phelan; Dorrin Verrakai; Arvid Semminson
- Important places
- Chaya, Lyonya; Tsaia
- Dedication
- For Richard, best of husbands and Michael, best of sons: you have enriched my life and made the work possible.
- First words
- Arvid Semminson, lying naked, bound and bruised on the cold ground somewhere in northwestern Aarenis, reflected that honor among thieves was a myth.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It might come back.
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- Reviews
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- Rating
- (4.02)
- Languages
- English
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- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 8
