An excellent
trilogy by
Elizabeth Moon, it made me seriously consider the
nature of
being good. While
Orson Scott Card's books tend to beat on this concept
unmercifully, it is in an
intellectual manner.
Paks (the
heroine of this trilogy) is altogether un-intellectual. She is not
stupid, by any means, but being good is not something she thinks about - she just is.
The first novel, Sheepfarmer's Daughter, may seem like it gets off to a slow start. At times, it seems picaresque - things happen "just because". In fact, ultimately, you realize something more is going on.
The second novel, Divided Allegiance, is predictably downbeat. Like The Two Towers and "The Empire Strikes Back", this is Paks at her worst.
Of course, this makes the final novel, Oath of Gold, that much more moving and emotional.