Book Review: Oath of Fealty by Moon (3 Stars)

Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon

3 out of 5 stars

Read from May/June 2010

Highly anticipated return to Paks’ world which mostly fizzled for me. Paks had a couple of cameos, but the lion’s share of the storylines fell to Dorrin, by far the most interesting of the points of view presented. Arcolin’s story felt and looked like filler. Except for the scene in the ossuary, Kieri’s tale barely bumped through a two-dimensional plane. The most tragic loose end hinges on the fate of Stammel.

The abrupt and anti-climactic ending left me feeling ambivalent. My emotional line graph would resemble a near dead person’s EKG – a few squiggles, but no mountainous peaks or terrifying plummets.

Since it’s been years (translated decades) since I read The Deed of Paksenarrion, I felt detached from all these characters, even Dorrin, though her struggles proved the most exciting and enlightening.

I can’t say I didn’t enjoy reading Oath of Fealty, but I feel somewhat let down; perhaps my expectations aim too high.

GR Status Updates:

05/21/2010 page 1 0.2%
05/22/2010 page 12 2.42% “I’m having a hard time picking up the thread of this world. Too many years under the bridge to remember Paks’ world.”
05/23/2010 page 30 6.05% “Starting Chapter Four ~ Story picking up speed and I’m getting back into the world.”
05/25/2010 page 47 9.48% “Arcolin arrives at Verella and is delayed a couple of days.”
05/26/2010 page 57 11.49% “Finally, Paks makes her initial appearance with the heir.”
05/28/2010 page 78 15.73% “On war and peace, on allies and enemies, on elves and men, on land and forests.”
05/28/2010 page 92 18.55% “All is not quiet on the west front of Lyonya.”
05/30/2010 page 126 25.4% “Dorrin says her farewells to the king and departs.”
05/30/2010 page 143 28.83% “On the eve of the coronation in Chaya.”
05/30/2010 page 176 35.48% “Dorrin arrives at Verrakai keep.”
05/31/2010 page 208 41.94% “Dorrin dodges traps and vile plots left behind by her relatives.”
05/31/2010 page 233 46.98% “Arcolin’s love triangle fodder for a bard’s balad?”
06/01/2010 page 339 68.35% “Here’s hoping that the three points-of-view in this novel converge into something more than the sum of it’s jumbled parts.”
06/01/2010 page 429 86.49% “Paks agrees to babysit for Dorrin while she attends the coronation.”
06/02/2010 page 496 100.0%