Rating: 
Summary: Book 1 is good but didn't like book 2 and 3
Review: Taken by itself the first book in the series is excellent, but the series turns dissatisfying thereafter. The episodic style was well suited to life in a military company which the first book is concerned with, but once Paks is out on her own in a more individual basis it becomes disjointed reading. As a common solider it made sense that Paks could be shunted around without coherent plotting , but once alone it begins to feel like a "And then what happened" story telling exercise by a circle of creative writing students. It is also a pity that Paks is so poorly done as a main character. It what amounts to a moral tale between the struggle of good and evil, Paks is essentially an amoral character and simply turns into a robot for Gird by books end. To be sure Paks does a few minor mistakes, but anything seriously affecting her performance is inflicted onto her by the forces of evil. To put it another way she cannot really be tempted to evil, she can only be hurt into doing not much good. There is no real risk of Paks "turning to the dark side of the force" so to speak, and the book is absent of dramatic tension because of it. Likewise every time evil captures Paks, hurts her and lets her go, I started waiting for the comic relief evil henchmen to complain "why don't we just kill her? I've got a dagger right here, I can slit her throat and boom it's done." a.k.a. Scott Evil in the Austin Powers movies. The Duke is by far a better character and gets the best moment in the series with his verbal defense of his "approaching serious evil" actions towards the end of the first book. Added to Paks complete lack of moral complexity, is her utter sexlessness. She never once feels anything more than simple friendship for anyone else. Also a lot of characters that are likable and interesting are either killed off for seemingly no other reason than to be gritty and realistic, or just written out of the story for extended periods of time. Eventually I became completely numb to almost everyone in the book. A lot of cribbing from AD&D. If you have not played AD&D and have read this book and think that it is wonderful world building, I suggest you go to a bookstore and in the role playing section find "The Players Manual" and read the character class description for Paladins. It's a starting point... I don't want to give away the ending for those hardy enough to finish the books, but trust me there is NO payoff for reading that far.
Rating: 
Summary: A fantastic novel
Review: There are very few books that grab me with the first page. I usually have to go about 30 pages in before I know whether or not I will see the finish. This one had me with the prologue. This is one that will stay on my shelf and get read again and again. Not quite Tolkien, but close.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual
Review: This book is about a girls growth into a women, a girls dreams of becoming a warrior and a hero. Her dreams come true but unseen suffering comes with it. This book is also about spiritual growth and it is very moving. I love this book so much it is so well written, you will fall in love with the character very quickly.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE READ IN YEARS
Review: This book is simply one of the best pieces of fiction I have read in years. Elizabeth Moon is truely a story teller and this is a very, very good story! I did read with interest some of the "bad" reviews listed here and for the most part the reviewers were much more concerned with sounding "intellectual" themselves, rather than simply enjoying a good work. Suggest they take Eng. 101 over again, and or drop their X-Box playing for a few days. This is rather sad. Ms. Moon's character development is wonderful - you truely feel you know the individual when she finishes. I am not certain that I could or would compare Moon's work with other authors. That is a trap far too many reviewers fall into. I do feel, that if you did not enjoy this work, you should probably read it again and try to figure out what you are missing. I do wish that Moon would contunue the story in one form or another. I was sorry to see the story end!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Story
Review: This is a fine story about a character you will like and admire. It is especially satisfying now, when so much fantasy seems to include characters whom one cannot like. The tale of how Paks goes from a naive country bumpkin to a great Paladin is on the whole well-told. It is also refreshing to see a story in which the ultimate quest is not to "save the world" but to save just a part of it, and to do something worth doing within the context of the book. Certainly anyone who likes fantasy should read this. Having said that, I have to partially agree with the reviewer who panned Volume 1 (this book is 3 volumes in 1) as being a bit boring. Ms. Moon was a little too detailed in what Paks ate and in other trivial details at first, although this does not persist. One can also interpret this book (if one wishes to be a little mean) as a sad tale of what religious cults do to people. Paks, who lacks self-confidence and is not really, shall we say, the brightest blade in the scabbard, is virtually brainwashed by the Girdsmen, tricked into converting to their faith, made to give them her money (p. 575), and then sent off on a mission before she's ready. Paks is the humblest, most mealy-mouthed heroine you ever saw (until near the end); her most frequent remark is "I'm sorry..." and it's usually made to some pompous jerk with a fancy title or an elaborate uniform who has taken advantage of Paks's trusting and subservient nature. You will find yourself muttering "For heaven's sakes, Paks, don't let them browbeat you -again-!" You will cheer when Duke Phelan tells off the assorted Girdish bigwigs.
(Gird is "good", of course, but some of his representatives leave something to be desired.) You may also feel that the last third of the book suffers somewhat because Paks is just dragged around by the nose by Divine promptings rather than operating on free will. She goes where the gods tell her and asks no questions. There's a lot of military material in here. Note that when Ms. Moon uses the word "pike" she apparently means "halberd."
Rating:
Summary: Hardcover Worth it
Review: This is a great book you will probably want to read many times because it is like revisiting a favored vacation spot with good friends. And if you are already a fan and thinking about replacing your worn copy, the hardcover is certainly worth the few dollars more. I do not know why it took me so long to get around to ordering it.
The hardcover edition is a slightly larger book and the new typeface and word spacing makes it a more readable version. It only disadvantage is that it is a little heavier. But this is made up for by being sturdier and opening flater without hurting the spine. There is also more room for margin notes if you are so inclined. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: the three in one series
Review: this is a great book. i have read it a million times. i love the way it flows with each story. it takes you through paks' life as a mercenary and beyond. all the things that happen to her lead you into the rest of the books about her. it's story line is fabulous.
Rating: 
Summary: a good deed
Review: this is a story that can conceive. the quest isn't obvious, in fact it is hidden. it is a story about a girl deciding to join an army. M is great at describing a soldier's life (not boring, relax, plenty of intrigue and battles) in details. the girl'a ambitions drives her forth. bur perhaps her mission should be something else?
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Read!! Couldn't Put it down!!
Review: This is a wonderful story!! Don't get me wrong, this is one of those books you can't put down...But the ending just leaves the reading hanging and wondering what truely happens to our heroine! The story is full of magic, personal growth, proving ones self...but the end is so blah it takes away from the overall punch of the book. Don't get me wrong you'll enjoy the story very much, as long as you don't mind a ending leaving you wondering how Paksenarrion ended her days bacause the ending is a 3rd person and she road off into the sunset...and we never really know what happened to her in the end.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best examples of strong female characters
Review: This is actually a compilation of 3 books in one, which really didn't bother me, though it is very lengthy. You will have no trouble staying up well into dawn, as this is a compelling story that will draw you in and hold you there. The most amazing aspect of this story is the strong female main character (Paksenarrion, or Paks). Extraordinarily written, the flaws only serve to enhance this character and make her endearing to me. Character growth (from peasant to paladin) incorporates: training, battle, quests, and redemption. I also found the character interactions to be well executed and each serves a purpose that helps to further the plotline rather than diverge from it. Richly tapestried, Moon added the right amount of detail in order to really allow you to visualize the setting without becoming tedious. The creation of this world grows as the character grows. Bonus: What I got from the story (besides the excellent examples of character conflict and setting) is the growth and life of a Paladin. Far from the "romanticized" versions seen in most novels, you see: motivation, creation, interaction, and sacrifice.
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