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Rating: 
Summary: Great start to a classic fantasy trilogy
Review: Considering the title, you would expect another standard "poor boy/girl becomes prince/hero/wizard" fantasy novel, but thankfully Moon avoids this trap by quickly moving her heroine Paksenarrion (or Paks for short) from humble beginnings to enlistment in a mercenary company. Paks runs away from home to avoid the arranged marriage that her father set up, and enlists in the mercenary army of Duke Phelan. A large part of this novel gives a semi-realistic portrayal of the life of a grunt in a medieval army - including weapon drills, digging jacks, and the thrill of the first battle. Meanwhile, the fantasy world starts to flesh out with its own geography, history and mythology. The novel finishes with a satisfying conflict that will want you to get part 2 of "The Deed of Paksenarrion" as soon as you can. If you enjoy good fantasy, you will probably enjoy this novel. If you enjoyed "Ash: A Secret History" by Mary Gentle and "The Black Company" by Glen Cook, you absolutely have to buy this book.
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Summary: I don't get it..I thought it was awful...
Review: I absolutely do not understand how anyone could like this book. I HATED it. I was unable to finish it. I found it to be plodding, jerky, and unpolished. The main character just went from one battle to another, and none of the battles she fought seemed to me to have any exciting characteristics to differentiate them. Also, some of the fantasy language was just ridiculous! For example, and I still laugh about this to myself sometimes, having read this book two years ago (Well, part of it, I really couldn't finish it.), an officer asks her if she's a lesbian, he says: "Are you a sisli?" It's little things, like using silly sounding words, tht make or break a fantasy book for me, and to be honest, The Deed of Paksennarion really didn't cut it for me. I really just found the whole book to be a ridiculous, and ridiculously boring affair.
Rating: 
Summary: The start of one of the best fantasy series of all time
Review: I don't care for many of Moon's later works, but it is obvious she poured her heart and soul into her first fantasy trilogy known as The Deed of Paksenarrion. This book (along with the two that follow in the trilogy) were so good that I had a hard time reading any other books for a while afterwards. I had a hard time finding another book that lived up to the high standard this one set. Moon has been compared to Tolkien (what decent fantasy writer hasn't been?), but she builds her world on the small details instead of the broad strokes of Tolkien. It is those small details that bring Moon's characters and world alive like no other fantasy world I've read about. Moon is also a master manipulator of emotions. She will have you laughing throughout one chapter and crying throughout the next. Moon has no aversion to dealing with the death of characters you grow to love which makes it all the more real.That it features a strong and intelligent female lead that doesn't get all goofy over some cliched heroic male is also refreshing.I just wish Moon would get back to her roots and write more books about this great heroine.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: I have recommended this book to many many people and every one has enjoyed it (except for one who thought is was just a "so so" book). The story is about what it takes to make a "hero." You litteraly start in the trenches and see the life of a "common soldier." Book two moves on to the next step as Paks (the hero) becomes a "soldier for good." The final step in the trilogy shows you the cost that it takes to earn the title "hero." I would warn you that these books are hard to put down and the characters are hard to forget.
Rating:
Summary: One of Fantasy's finest military stories
Review: Sheepfarmer's Daughter is the story of a peasant girl who runs away and joins a mercenary company. The book follows Paksenarrion through recruit training and the rigors of campaigns, showing the transformation from green civillian to seasoned veteran. This is a wonderful story if you want realistic fantasy. The military structure and feel of the book is brilliantly authentic. I had the priviledge of training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, and I can confidently state that Elizabeth Moon knows her stuff. Any veteran will find a trace of their old DI in Sergeant Stammel, and of their own shock in the first days of training in Paks' reactions. This book also manages to have a strong female character without becoming in any way pedantic, patronizing or anti male. Paksenarion is portrayed as a good recruit who becomes a good soldier. The feel of the book is that, male or female, every individual deserves a chance to reach the height of his or her potential. It manages to convey such a lofty theme while remaining true to the grit and coarse humor of an infantry platoon. All in all, this book is a terrific read, and not the usual run of the mill Tolkien retread stuff of which fantasy is too full today. The next two books in the series, "Divided Allegiance" and "Oath of Gold", are worth reading as well. Elizabeth Moon has proven herself one of the genre's finest.
Rating:
Summary: Paks is a deep, "realistic", exciting tale....
Review: the life of a soldier. at first i thought of it as kind of dull. P joins an army ans learns the life of a soldier. contains lot of details about her learning, training, formations etc. it is quite interesting. gets very realistic. Moon is great at describing the soldier's life. battles are described a little bit different, coming from the one soldier's point of view.
Rating:
Summary: This book was blah.
Review: This book is but the beginning of one of the greatest trilogies I have ever read. The story revolves around a young woman named Paksenarrion who runs away from home to avoid the fate her father had consigned her to. Looking for fame and adventure, she joins a mercenary company in which she spends the rest of the book with. As the book progresses, I found myself coming to care deeply for the main character even to the point of becoming heart broken when something bad happens. Elizabeth Moon gives a realistic description of military life that is simply missing from many books in the same genre. The writing is very well done and keeps a good pace. The plot is excellent and not once did I become bored with the direction of the book. I would say that this book is a must read for any person who enjoys this genre.
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Summary: The details alone make it worth reading
Review: This is a great series! Follows Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter, a young provincial woman who joins a mercenary company at 18 and goes on to become a famous knight. Book One is about her days as a mercenary soldier. I was amazed at how detailed Moon's accounts of military life are. In some ways, this book is a little like "By the Sword" by Mercedes Lackey, but I would rate this by far as the better of the two. Paks is good, but not cocky, like Lackey's Kerowyn tends to be. She enjoys just being a common soldier, although her superiors notice something special about her from the first. Eventually, Paks becomes a key player in the main battle of the story, as several mercenary armies ally together to bring down Count Siniava, the bad guy.
At times, "rich in detail" can become just "confusing", especially since (at least in the version I own) Moon spends a great deal of time on the importance of geography, but doesn't include a map. But if you enjoy more sword than sorcery, with likable (and perhaps even more important, believable!) characters, this is a great book.
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Summary: Crossing Over with the Sheepfarmers Daughter
Review: This is one of those Science Fiction/Fantasy Crossover books that I don't usually enjoy. I tend to like hard Space Opera style SF, but I do like Elizabeth Moon, and after reading this I still do. She writes one hell of a story, and right from the first chapter to the end of the third book, you will be making time to read this book.
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