Crown of Renewal

Paladin's Legacy #5

by Elizabeth Moon

The conclusion to the Paladin's Legacy series.

Eight kingdoms in danger, an enemy that cannot die... Count Jeddrin has received a grisly message. His son, Filis, is dead, brutally killed by Alured the Black - the first move in his plan to take the eight kingdoms. But Filis managed to send his own message, telling of the dark forces that control Alured, warning of something more than human behind the man's eyes...

Meanwhile, Dorrin Verrakai, last of a long line of magelords, must forever leave the home she loves in order to protect powerful magic relics created by her ancestors. For their power is desired both by Alured, and by the dark elves infesting the kingdoms. Searching for answers, her friend and King, Kieri, considers waking the magelords from their ancient slumber...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure, Dragons

529 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

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 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.

She started writing stories and poems as a small child; attempted first book (an illustrated biography of the family dog) at age six. Started writing science fiction in high school, but considered writing merely a sideline. First got serious about writing (as in, submitting things and actually getting money...) in the 1980s. Made first fiction sale at age forty--"Bargains" to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword & Sorceress III and "ABCs in Zero G" to Analog. Her first novel, Sheepfarmer's Daughter, sold in 1987 and came out in 1988; it won the Compton Crook Award in 1989. Remnant Population was a Hugo nominee in 1997, and The Speed of Dark was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and won the Nebula in 2004.

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may come back and say more about this book later. I loved Ms. Moon's Paksenarrion books (the trilogy The Deed of Paksenarrion is always one I recommend to readers who haven't found it and is among my top all time favorites). I followed this series from the first (though it took Ms. Moon about 20 years to get here it seems). We followed some of the characters from the trilogy onward in their lives here. If I need to put it this way I thought this book might have been just a little weaker than the rest of the series.

While I hate it for a book to wander off into superfluous meanderings this at times came across with a slightly hurried feel. We are tying up the "several" plot lines of the story (some of which actually predate the Paksenarrion Trilogy and go back to the two prequels). We have seen all along (well from the plot establishment of this series) that the events in The Deed of Paksenarrion and the actions of the Paladin Paksenarrion changed things and set certain things in motion. People have been "called" to places in their lives they never imagined they would go. We boil things down and confront evil in one of it's more concentrated forms.

All in all an excellent read. Do yourself a favor and read it from the first...including The Deed of Paksenarrion which is (in my opinion) a not to be missed book.

Frankly I hope Ms. Moon gives us more of the actual life of Paks...

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may come back and say more about this book later. I loved Ms. Moon's Paksenarrion books (the trilogy The Deed of Paksenarrion is always one I recommend to readers who haven't found it and is among my top all time favorites). I followed this series from the first (though it took Ms. Moon about 20 years to get here it seems). We followed some of the characters from the trilogy onward in their lives here. If I need to put it this way I thought this book might have been just a little weaker than the rest of the series.

While I hate it for a book to wander off into superfluous meanderings this at times came across with a slightly hurried feel. We are tying up the "several" plot lines of the story (some of which actually predate the Paksenarrion Trilogy and go back to the two prequels). We have seen all along (well from the plot establishment of this series) that the events in The Deed of Paksenarrion and the actions of the Paladin Paksenarrion changed things and set certain things in motion. People have been "called" to places in their lives they never imagined they would go. We biol things down and confront evil in one of it's more concentrated forms.

All in all an excellent read. Do yourself a favor and read it from the first...including The Deed of Paksenarrion which is (in my opinion) a not to be missed book.

Frankly I hope Ms. Moon gives us more of the actual life of Paks...

[Kathryn Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love this world and its characters.
I wish I could say this was the perfect ending to the series, but unfortunately it just wasn't. I think the problem was that over the 5 books so many characters were followed and so many different directions taken that it was almost impossible to wrap it all up. Unlike the last Paks book there were no epic struggles of endurance or final battles in this book, it sort of just ran on finishing certain storylines and leaving others hanging. It felt incomplete and unsatisfying, which is really disappointing. I don't know, I just think the Paks trilogy was thought out a lot better, where as this series just ambled along. The first book in the series was really good, but then it went downhill from there and never really regained the magic of the Paks trilogy or the first book in this series.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I first discovered this series written by Elizabeth Moon she has struck me as an author who goes in the direction she wants with her novels, even if that might not be what satisfies the majority of readers. The Paladin’s Legacy series is coming to a close in this fifth book in that portion of the series and readers will not find fairy tale happily ever after endings for all the characters. If you’ve read all the novels you know the earliest books began with the three novels contained in the volume called The Deed of Paksenarrion. The world of Paks has continued in more recent years with the books in the Paladin’s Legacy series, starting with Oath of Fealty. At the beginning of this book there is an Author’s Note in which Moon states positively that this last book is not the place for readers new to the series to begin. I certainly could not agree more. Because this is the final book all the characters spread out over the previous novels are gathered here. They have lengthy histories, diverse magical abilities, and different religious beliefs which Moon makes no effort to explain in detail in this novel so it is best to at least go back to Oath of Fealty and read forward from there if you are just beginning. I consider myself a fan of Moon’s writing and this fantasy world and yet I had a hard time remembering specific incidents from other books which were now being brought forward and acted on. There are many, many characters and kingdoms and cities and elves and gnomes and different names for evil doers; it can be a little confusing even for firm fans when it is all presented at one time in one novel.

Each of the previous books in this series has had a good versus evil concept at its core. This novel has those two concepts acted upon in many different locations and taking on many different forms all at the same time. I have not read Liar’s Oath, Luap’s story (and the book Moon says most readers don’t like), so meeting Luap in this novel was an interesting experience. I’m glad I had read the note from the author before he made his appearance or I wouldn’t have understood how he was treated. All the major characters from the previous novels are given roughly the same emphasis, but Dorrin Verrakai seems to me to be the pivotal character around which the fate of all the others revolves. What she does and the choices she makes advances the actions of all the other characters. Not every character will emerge with a clear-cut ending to their story. The final chapter can be read to seem as if there might be more to come. If that should be the case, I don’t think it will include others from this series.

This novel was an intense reading experience for me. I could not sit down and breeze through it; I had to pay attention to all the details. The content here is multi-layered and there are so many fronts on which the action is occurring that I had to pay close attention so I could keep it all straight. I’m truly sorry to see this series end, but I think Moon did a good job of winding it all down. There will probably be criticism of some story arc’s seeming to be unfinished, but what would have been enough to satisfy everyone? I will just have to be content with what has been written and probably begin reading it all over again from the beginning.

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Crown of Renewal' is the final book in a 5-book series (Paladin's Legacy), which in turn follows two trilogies - 'The Deed of Paksennarion' and 'The Legacy of Gird.' I've read all of 'Paladin's Legacy' but not the two earlier trilogies.

I do appreciate the author's note at the beginning of the book that this is not intended to be a stand-alone novel. Too many books omit that! While I wouldn't say this is the ideal place to 'jump in' to this saga, I think I would've enjoyed it even if I'd read nothing else - Moon's writing is good enough and enough is happening here, that it actually does work on its own. Sometimes it's difficult though, when you already 'know' the characters, to be a good judge of that.

There's a lot going on in this long novel: in a land of feudal kingdoms, there's not only 'mundane' human conflict, but events involving the rock-dwelling gnomes, the evil 'dark-elf' iynisin (and good elves, too), the nature magic of the kuaknomi, the transcendent glory of Dragon, magelords caught in time, innocent magic users hounded for their gifts, gods that walk on earth and speak directly to their worshipers, magical jewels, body-stealing sorcerers AND MORE. Most of the storylines are picked up from earlier books, and toward the end of this one, there is a bit of a feeling of hastily-made knots, in order to tie up loose ends. It's not too bad, though...

As expected, the 'main' story here follows Dorrin Verrakai, an experienced veteran, as she deals with the magical regalia that addresses her as 'Queen' and seems to want something from her. Dorrin's a great character, and I enjoy every opportunity to spend some time with her.


Copy provided by NetGalley - much (and very sincere) appreciation for the opportunity to read this!

[David Ketelsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers copy (ARC) of this novel from Net Galley in exchange for a book review.

For me, all books by Elizabeth Moon must be compared to The Deed of Paksenarrion, her first series of 3 books. It set the mark for how military/fantasy novels should be written: a pure 10 out of 10. On that scale, this book is a 7 and the Paladin's Legacy series is an 8.

In this, the 5th and last volume of the Paladin's Legacy series, two serious villains rock the proverbial boat as well as a semi-organized splinter group of Girdsmen. I enjoyed this book quite a bit but at times the ride wasn't as smooth as the earlier books in the series. In her foreword to the book, Elizabeth Moon warns that this isn't the volume to read first---and she's absolutely right. At times there's almost an outline-ish feel to events. You have to have read at least one or two earlier volumes to know what's going on and why.

There is a nice payoff when good faces off against evil several times in Crown of Renewal. Kieri Phelan's nemesis emerges at long last and Alured the Black makes his play for king of the world. It's all interesting and there's a lot more philosophical treatment herein, perhaps because it's the last volume in the series.

Everything isn't resolved, opening up the strong possibility of the start of a new series, but still this is a satisfying book and a worthy end to the series.

[Elizabeth Galewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get an advance copy from the publisher -- I was the first on the list to read Crown of Renewal at my local library.

Ponderous.

That's the word that comes to mind when I think of the fifth and final book in the Paladin's Legacy series. I was hoping that this book would tie all of the series' loose ends up with a soaring, dramatic conclusion. While the book does indeed resolve all of the questions that readers will pose, having read the other books, it does it in a rather anticlimactic fashion. For instance, most of the hard-hitting action that happens in Crown of Renewal isn't really in the book -- we learn about an entire war, for instance, largely from pieces of dialogue among characters who weren't even there. Once, at the very end of the book, an entire fight scene is reduced to approximately three lines. Meanwhile, we spend whole paragraphs and indeed pages dutifully following characters as they conduct rather quotidian business.

There are indeed some scenes of gripping suspense. But Moon doesn't exploit the potential for drama that she built during the previous four tomes. As a reader, I almost got the sense that she was plodding through this book, weary.

This series asks for a lot of your time. Having read it to the end, I'm sorry to say that, for me at least, it didn't deliver adequate payback in return.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it to complete the series but...

it's my feeling that the author wrote five books when it should have been three. There are too many characters, too many subplots -- and a great majority of them don't move the story forward. Yes, I feel bad Aris is missing his friend, but I don't need a whole chapter on raising horses. What are those horse nomads doing over there? Why do we care about them? I just feel like the book is padded waaay out.

However, I have a mysterious fondness for Gird's Cow.

[Chris Presta-Valachovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I love the Deed of Paksenarrion. I followed this series eagerly, despite my problems with the last book, Limits of Power. However, the problems of Limits are very much in evidence here, as well.

To the good: I. LOVE. GIRD'S COW.

Holy Falk, Gird's Cow & her...uh...cowboys?...cowpeople?...herd?...are the most inspired uses of religion in this series, and one of the few genuinely laugh-out-loud parts. Just thinking about the Marshal-General's reaction when the Cow Folk turn up at the High Lord's Hall -- "cow" in tow -- has me giggling all over again.

However, it's also part of my biggest issue with this book & the series as a whole. More on that in a bit.

Also to the good: we get a decent wrap-up of Dorrin's tale and what's going on with the Crown. Dorrin hasn't been my favorite character in this series, as her problems get solved too easily, too quickly, & too handily (compared to Paks or even Arvid) -- I hate using the term, but Dorrin hits Mary Sue territory a lot through this series, and especially at the end.

To the bad: why did Dragon try to kill Dorrin? He doesn't know her, hasn't met her, has had nothing to do with her storyline at all, yet after Dorrin frees all the water, Dragon shows up, says more of his "wise" nonsense, and immediately hocks up a fiery lugy at her, without any stated or implied explanation. Seriously??

Well, ok, Dorrin's mystery is at least wrapped up. We also get a decent (though narmy) closure to Kieri's story -- same questions here. Baron Sekkady has not been in the story at all up until the final scene with Kieri, save as part of Kieri's telling of his backstory. He pops up out of nowhere, reveals himself to Kieri, threatens Kieri's kids, & is easily defeated. I mean, why??

(Edit 2024: ok, on a re-read, maybe Sekkady is supposed to have been the Verrakai/evil mage possessing Alured? That makes less sense, though, and isn't stated. That's just my weak guess.)

To the bad & my big issue with this book & the series: too many plot threads. TOO MANY PLOT THREADS. Quite a few go by too quickly, without any kind of depth or time to care, in what feels like a rush to wrap everything up. Others -- usually the characters I don't care about, who are static backgrounds in the other books -- are given too much time, at the expense of the ones I want to read about. The elder Count Andressat & his ill-fated youngest son & the utter, horrifying Nightmare Fuel of what Alured does, King Mikeli & his brother Camwyn, Arian Achieving Motherhood, Beclan, Daryan, Gwenno, Natzlin & the cook, some weird jewel found on Verrakai lands that's not part of the regalia & never mentioned again after the initial focus on it, Kieri, Arcolin's whirlwind marriage, Selfer, the gnomes, what's going on in Fintha, the Marshal-General needing kuakagan healing, Arvid Semminson & his rise into the Girdish ranks...and that's just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Arvid's tale alone should've been given its own separate book series. The tale of a man's transition from a Thieves Guild assassin to Girdish Marshal-Judicar deserves its own separate book. It's the best storyline of the Legacy series. Arvid was the plot & character that I really wanted to keep reading about throughout the book, whenever I got frustrated with YET ANOTHER in-depth look at a minor background character who had no bearing on any of the main tale. Maybe it wouldn't have been a problem if all those minor threads had been pared away -- I mean, did we really need all that info about Aris Marrakai & his foal? Seriously? The book's sudden screeching halt from all the unrest & action & war breaking out to focus for pages on a background character raising a new foal had me throwing the book across the room, only to pick it back up to keep reading about Arvid.

And Camwyn (King Mikeli's brother)...his subplot is even more irritating. Emphasis is placed in the earlier books of how young & foolish & scamp-like the boy is, with continual references to his love of dragons & how his name is the same as the "Saint Camwyn Dragonbane", but nothing prepares us for his sudden (implied) royal elevation due to iynisin injuries that requires Dragon's intervention to heal. Nothing we've seen or read to this point suggests Cam has any kind of aptitude for ruling. Whoops, kid gets filleted by the bad elves, so Dragon whisks him away...to make him King of Horngard. And Horngard? Yet another subplot brought up out of nowhere in Arcolin's plotline, which gets resolved quickly with Dragon Ex Machina, and has nothing to do with the rest of the stories until Dragon Ex Machina again steps in out of nowhere to fix Cam's situation. The whole "ruler of Horngard" thing could've been cut out completely, no one would've missed it, and none of the other plots affected. It could've been given its own book, with more time & attention & development to its characters & problems. As it is, it interferes with the main plots, is resolved too hastily & unwisely, and just ends up being an irritating diversion that has no effect on any of the characters we actually care about.

Bluntly, I hate Dragon in this series. He's a Deus Ex Machina of the worst type -- he resolves the scathfire, resolves the underground elfane taig issue & Arian/Kieri's problems with the Lady of the Elves, chucks the Evil Goddess Achrya into the universal trashcan without a single peep of protest from her (and then tells us she wasn't a goddess at ALL, not even on the level of the elves....uh, what???), resolves Stammel's subplot, resolves Camwyn's issues, resolves Horngard, and runs around asking people if they are "wise" before giving them over-dramatic nicknames. He would've been best used as the reason for the gnomes/Arcolin thread (since he ties together the scathfire attacks and Arcolin's rescue of the gnomes), and then removed from the rest of the tale.

Back to the good: the whole "gnome" storyline, starting with Arvid & his life-debted gnome companion Dattur, Arcolin rescuing gnomes who've been exiled from the Law & their homeland by Dragon -- and the sudden gnomish collision between Arvid & Arcolin's storylines, where Arcolin finds out that said rescue has made him the Ruling Prince of that gnome clan...oh, hell to the YEAH. It's one of the other LOL moments of the book, but it also pays off wonderfully in Arcolin's, Arvid's, and the Finthan rebellion plotlines.

Back to the bad: despite the intelligent, threatening menace of Sinavia in the original Deed, Moon has an annoying tendency to paint her villains as so utterly despicably evil & stupid that I kept waiting for the mustache-twirls. We saw it happen at the end of Deed. It happens again with Alured & Sekkady & the bad elves & the utter foulness of the Marshals who want to kill mages. That last could've been saved if the Arvid/Fintha plotlines had been given their own series -- yes, killing kids for just showing magery is flat-out evil. But, at the same time, given what happened in Tsaia with the Verrakai & what continually happens with Liart's followers against the Girdsmen, Moon seems to overlook that the mage-haters might have a *point* with their fear (against the adult mages, anyway). What could've been a taut, biting storyline about overcoming prejudice and fear turns into "WE KILL KIDS, MUAHAHAH" with the only solution being "Kill The Obvious Bad Guys". Considering what we've seen of the Girdsfolks before this, it's out of left field.

Sum up: this is a good read, but could've been a lot better if the series had focused on a lot less plot-threads.

[Kaśyap · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final book in paladin’s legacy. The events in paladin’s legacy start where the events of the deed of paksenarrion end. I enjoyed the first book in this series a lot. After the end of fourth book, I wondered how she would be able to wrap up all the threads in a single book. She did manage to wrap up all the threads but in a rush. Wasn’t a very satisfying conclusion.
Dorrin is the best character in this work too but like in the previous books, it was King Kieri’s character that was flat and his story arc dragged the most.
Moon writes military aspects very well and the few battles in this including the sea battle were very well written.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crown of Renewal is the concluding volume of Elizabeth Moon's Paladin Legacy and Moon does a good job concluding the various story lines in this very long series, while still leaving the story open to a further volume. As readers of this series know, Paladin's Legacy is really a continuation of Moon's great Deed of Paksnarrion, a trilogy that is the essential medieval swordswoman series.

Paksnarrion, a great character, was a mere sheepfarmer's daughter who joined a mercenary band and rose to prominence and then after some great doings and battles became a Paladin.

Moon, who was not content to leave that story arc, returned in Paladin's Legacy to tell the story of all of the other major characters in the mercenary band, and over the last four volumes she has done so, while further evolving the series and the world. If you enjoyed the Deed of Paksnarrion, you will miss some of immediacy of that story because it revolved around one or a few main characters.

Paladin's Legacy has a cast of thousands but still introduced new characters including a dragon and Arvid, who have become central to the plot. Arvid, the former thief, has a big and welcome role in this concluding volume, as does the Dragon, which is a good thing. Arcolin, the leader of Fox Company and friend of gnomes has grown in these volumes and his story is interesting. Meanwhile Kieri Phelan's story seems a little tired, maybe because we know how this is going to end.

Meanwhile the best character in the series Dorrin, who has magic, again shows plenty of depth and heroism.

If you have read the first four volumes of the story you will have to finish it up. Its a little slow but worth the read if you are already invested in the series.

[Chelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Pak's World; however this book was a slough fest and I was listening to the audiobook! This book felt rushed in some arcs and unpolished in others. The fight scenes felt anti-climatic and we hardly experience any of the action except a few. I love Elizabeth Moon's writing for the detail, world-building and strong female characters. There was a lot of arcs to wrap up in this series finale and I think that it ended up like George R.R. Martin's last Song of Fire & Ice book --very disjointed especially trying to figure out the timeline of events. I am glad to have read about all my favourite characters and finished this series, but I think I will only end up re-reading the Pak's trilogy and not this series

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful wrap up Elizabeth Moon provides us in this truly enjoyable book. Each of the primary and secondary characters' threads is resolved. Superb!

[Isis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Del Ray for the opportunity to read this e-book. Although I received the e-book for free, that in no way impacts my review.

Eight kingdoms in danger, an enemy that cannot die...
Count Jeddrin has received a grisly message. His son, Filis, is dead, brutally killed by Alured the Black - the first move in his plan to take the eight kingdoms.
But Filis managed to send his own message, telling of the dark forces that control Alured, warning of something more than human behind the man's eyes...
Meanwhile, Dorrin Verrakai, last of a long line of magelords, must forever leave the home she loves in order to protect powerful magic relics created by her ancestors. For their power is desired both by Alured, and by the dark elves infesting the kingdoms. Searching for answers, her friend and King, Kieri, considers waking the magelords from their ancient slumber...

The final book in this epic fantasy that was twenty-plus-years in creation untangles most, but not all, of the remaining snarled skeins that woven together formed the story as a whole. Although Ms. Moon has stated that this will be the final book in the series, and possibly in the Paksworld universe, she didn't tie-off any single thread belonging to the protagonists; leaving vast doorways through which one could come back to this world, refreshed, renewed, and ready to continue the story.

While each of the main protagonists had their time in the limelight, overall it felt that more time was spent with Arcolin, Kieri, and Dorrin. That's not to say that other characters were ignored, for example we were treated to some more fascinating stories and pieces to help complete the gnomish puzzle. We also saw Mikeli, king of Tsaia, mature beyond his years, becoming a solid ruler and force for good. Nor was young Camwyn left out in the cold. . . his sense of right and wrong, combined with his love of Dragon, sent him on an unbelievable journey. Arvid, the Marshal-General, and many others are also featured, but with somewhat smaller roles to play.

Duke Arcolin faces increased challenges, both at home and while on campaign. He has dealings with the horse nomads, several varying tribes of gnomes, facing off against evil iynisin, and increased responsibility from his liege lord, king Mikeli. He takes to marriage well, having selected an excellent partner, and loves his adopted son, so not everything he faces is a challenge, but much of it in loves new things for him to learn and adapt to. Being the only human gnome prince is just one of the things that requires continual adaptation and willingness to never stop learning, showing that he has grown past his fears of not meeting the standard set by the former Duke Kieri (now king Kieri).

King Kieri has been tasked by the western Elves with waking the sleeping magelords in Kolobia, and transporting them out of Kolobia; allowing Dragon to seal the rock imprisoning the iynisin before even more escape into the world to inflict further damage. Yet the Elves can only tell Kieri that the magelords in Kolobia were enchanted with a combination of magery: magelord, Elven magery, and Old Human magery. Paks has also stopped to visit he and Arian and meet their twins. While she is there Kieri tells her of finding the glade where he and his mother were attacked, which somehow leads to a discussion of Sekkady, the evil magelord that had held the young Kieri captive, torturing and terrorizing the boy. Paks suggests to Kieri something he should have realized much sooner, and that conversation may be instrumental in saving his life later on.

Dorrin is sent away by king Mikeli after an attack on the palace by some iynisin. She is told to take the enchanted regalia as far from Tsaia as possible - back to old Aare. They both realize that odds of her survival, let alone her return, are virtually nil. To do this she must give up her title, the cozy home she made, and means she won't get to see her people continue to prosper, nor will she see all her planned improvements. Yet she goes, and takes a route she hopes few will suspect, one which leads her through Lyonya, allowing her to say goodbye to Kieri and Arian. Her timing couldn't be better, as she is able to help Kieri detect bad magelords from good, getting rid of all the evil ones before she leaves. Dorrin's journey is not as she expected, nor is the ending expected.

Though this book wraps up the series it felt both a bit rushed in places, and too tidy in others. There were characters that I felt were left hanging; it seemed as if they were being set up for something larger, but their situations were never completed. However, as I read the series straight through, but slightly out of order (The Deed of Paksenarrion (Omnibus), Oath of Fealty, Kings of the North, Echoes of Betrayal, Limits of Power, and then The Legacy of Gird (Omnibus)), that may have some impact on how I view the arrangement of the material. Even feeling that things were tied up too neatly in the end, my overall impression of the series as a whole is that it is clearly a 5 star series. This series is what many other epic fantasies strive to be, but few achieve.

[Aj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book rushed and very unsatisfying. So much covered in so few pages left a lot hanging. I'm disappointed in the book and that the series has ended. It is definitely not worthy of the previous books. Sigh. Love the characters and will always wonder about Dorrin's adventures.

[Elar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book wrapped nicely up the series which is full of magic, treachery, adventures and a little bit too much of religious fever And there is plenty of story lines for further books.

[Sidney Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the entire series, I found this book to be a solid conclusion to the series. I started the series reading in hardcover and finished it via electronic editions. I liked the entire arc of the series and felt like most of the major characters got their time on-stage. I probably would not characterize this book as a good first book in the series (obviously, as it is the conclusion), but the sheer number of characters and their relationships to one another are something that the author (rightly) assumes that you've already read and understand based on the previous novels in the series. For that reason alone, if the description of the book's contents intrigues you in any way, I can't emphasize strongly enough that you should seek out Volume 1 and then work your way to this book. I enjoy Elizabeth Moon's writing style and fell that this book is comparable to the others in the series, and more importantly, leaves a couple of the main characters in positions where they could explored further down the road should she choose to visit the world again in a new series. There could have been a little more action--the resolution, while not lacking conflict, is much more on the cerebral side. Some may find the story dull in places, but to me (and I like action) I found that the more subdued finale fit in with the overall tone of the series as a whole.

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Moon wraps up her long series, the Legends of Paksennarion, with “Crown of Renewal” (Del Rey, $26, 498 pages), and though it’s not quite the epic finale one would hope for, given the quality of what went before, it’s still a professional effort that gets the job done.

Moon’s first book in this 12-book collection came out in 1988 (“Sheepfarmer’s Daughter,” if you want to begin at the beginning), and she’s built a complex pre-industrial world with magic, demi-gods and well-developed characters. Unfortunately, there’s so much going on that it’s often hard to keep up, and the lack of a detailed map makes it even more difficult. Presumably if you started with “Sheepfarmer’s Daughter,” or even “Oath of Fealty,” which marked Moon’s return to this world after a long break, and read them pretty much consecutively, you’d be more on top of things.

Nonetheless, Moon is very good at what she does, and I recommend the series, though the good guys might be a little too good, and the bad guys just a little too in love with evil. Definitely, though, get some background before tackling “Crown of Renewal,” which otherwise will make little sense.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had not read the previous books and found this hard to get into as a consequence. There are many characters, lands and alliances, with the action following on from the earlier stories. Those following the series would probably enjoy it more.

The start is unpleasant with curses, flaying, vengeance and the rest between warlords. Then there are soldiers guarding frontiers and black-cloaked intruders, horse nomads and gnomes. If you don't know who is on which side, or which side is which, it's hard to feel invested in a battle.

I did like a female paladin character named Pax who travels to bring news to an elvenhome. We get a nice interlude here and see some normal life with these people. A different, passive woman is travelling on board ship with some crown jewels and several chapters begin by telling us that she woke. If you don't know who she is or where, why would you care that she woke?

So overall I have to say that this does not work as a standalone and we would need to read the earlier books.

[Joe Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and felt it was an interesting example of a work that tackled bigger issues than its plot. The pace was set at a sort of sedate speed, but where the default mode in fantasy fiction is to let the issues of the work be solved by the furious action of the plot this slower speed let the reader and characters spend a lot more time with the problems involved. As a result, by the end of the fiction you had a greater scope of respect for these characters as heroes. Their decisions and inclinations were never secondary or contingent to the needs of action, rather each actions was a means to reveal their depth of character. This enabled both great respect for the heroic nature of the protagonists and greater space for the reader to explore rather than assume their motivations.

Unusual, but well worth it.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Moon draws the tale of Paks and her Paladin's Legacy to a close in Crown of Renewal. She ties up many of the loose ends of her characters while leaving open development of individual tales. Kieri faces his worst fear and conquers it. Dorrin returns the crown to its homeland and is confronted with needing to choose her future. In the end, the book feels a bit rushed as the author switches from one character to another. And the ending does not have Paks, but then this series was not about her, but rather what occurred due to her actions and choices. If you have been reading this series, you will want to read this book. If you are just starting the series, begin with A Sheepfarmer's Daughter and enjoy the ride!

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this mostly because I read the others and it is the last in the series. It felt very much like a book to wrap up loose ends. The dialog was dull and lifeless. The action felt like someone describing the way their role playing sessions played out. Moon is capable of much better work, but I suppose that those that reall I like the continuation of the Paksenarrion story line will like it. I would recommend stopping with the original books; skip the Gird prequels and the Kieri et al sequels.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun trip through Moon’s delightful fantasy setting, but an unfortunate stumble in terms of closing out the series. Many interesting ideas and plot lines that came to sudden, unsatisfying ends in order to wrap things up quickly. It feels as though there was supposed to have been another book at least to let the threads play out and resolve, but Moon decided that it’s better to end things imperfectly than let them drag on indefinitely.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion to this saga. Well done and the ending is perfect.

(Happy book noise)

One quibble though--the map! I found it totally inadequate, as at least half of the book took place off the map given to us. I was spoiled by Tolkien and (perhaps unrealistically) would like other authors to live up to his standard.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good series overall with a traditional epic fantasy feel. I would call this a character driven fantasy rather than plot based which I prefer. Dorrin's storyline was my favorite by far.
I did not like how rushed the ending was. It felt way too short and anticlimactic. I would've liked to see an epilogue for a few of the characters for a sense of closure.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evil is returning to the land as is magery. After attacks to possess ancient relics, the king tasks Duke Dorrin to remove them as targets as she is the only one who can. Forced to give up her title and lands to accomplish the task, Dorrin sets off on a dangerous adventure to return the relics to their ancient home.

[Clinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I am sad to see this series come to an end but overall most things were wrapped up pretty well in this final book. I cant help but to feel like the book was kinda rushed and that it could have been fleshed out more seeing how this is the final book in the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it wrapped things up a little too nicely in a nice bow but it can still go on with some of the ribbon ends. I would love to see more of Camwynn and Dorrin.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

That moment at the end of a series when you turn the last page and wish there were more.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Elizabeth Moon finally brings the Paladin's Legacy series to a close with this book. She borrows a few tricks from David Weber, in maintaining the suspense through telling the story in multiple POVs, but keeps it simple enough for mere mortals to follow.

All of the threads containing our old friends are brought to successful conclusions, and she leaves just enough questions unanswered and notes suspended to make one hope for a return to the saga at some time.

******Spoilers below********

The demon-possessed tyrant, Immer, is on the move, having stolen part of the ancient Regalia, he is driven to possess it all, believing it will let him rule the world. The dark elves, or Iynisin, are on the move, also trying to gain possession of the crown locked in the Treasury. After a nearly successful attempt leaves Camwyn badly wounded, the king sends for Dorrin to take it away from his land to Aare, where it seems to wish to go, anyway.

Kieri and Arian are raising their twins, and his sense of the taig and connection to the Old magic of the humans is growing rapidly. He and Paksennarion work together to cast a spell backwards in time to put the mage lords to sleep in the cavern where they appear in the early books in the series, and then when the dragon instructs him that he is about to destroy that place, Kieri uses the Old magic to bring them forward in time, hoping for their aid in his struggles with evil.

Former thief and assassin, Arvid, grows rapidly in his knowledge of Gird's Laws and ends up promoted far beyond his expectations. The mage hunters have been targeting families and children, and all of the Girdsmen who follow the Marshall-General are trying to stop them. The Marshall-General was wounded in the previous book by a poisoned Iynisin dagger and is not healing well, so Paksennarion must find a Kuoknomen who is willing to travel far from his grove to heal her.

Arcolin leads the mercenaries in the South in the fight against Immer's forces, trying to retake town's lost in the last fighting season.

So, I suppose it's allowed, in a book about magic and gods who speak to mortals, to use a deus ex machina twist at the end to wrap things up, but it just feels a little like cheating to me when Immer is strangled by the magic necklace he's been wearing for months, Dorrin is transformed into a goddess of sorts herself, and the mage hunters are defeated by Gird's power manifesting itself and striking them all down with bolts of lightning.

Bummed that it's over once more, mildly disappointed in the way it all turned out. Still and all, a good read and a marvelous series returning to the world of Sheepfarmer's Daughter.