Review Praise for Limits of Power   “It’s easy to become fully immersed in, and absorbed by, the narrative: [Elizabeth Moon’s] great strength lies in the patient accumulation of telling detail, yielding an extraordinarily rich picture of the world’s politics, philosophy, military structure, history, magic and alien cultures, where men and women stand as equals even in force of arms.”—Kirkus Reviews   “Thoughtful and deeply character driven, full of personal crises as heartbreaking and hopeful as any dramatic invasion . . . Moon deftly avoids big literary explosions, preferring instead a slow boil that builds pressure without relief. There are plots within plots, but the complex story is never confusing. Fantasy fans will be delighted by this impressive foray.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)  Praise for Elizabeth Moon   “This is an excellent series, and Echoes of Betrayal is particularly well done. [Elizabeth Moon is a] consistently entertaining writer, and this book lives up to her standards.”—San Jose Mercury News  “Moon’s characters navigate an intricate maze of alliances and rivalries. . . . Close attention to military detail gives the action convincing intensity.”—The Star-Ledger, on Kings of the North  “A triumphant return to the fantasy world she created . . . No one writes fantasy quite like Moon.”—The Miami Herald, on Oath of Fealty Read more About the Author Elizabeth Moon grew up on the Texas border, served three years of active duty in the USMC (1968–71), and now lives with her husband, also a veteran, near Austin, Texas. She has published more than twenty-five novels, including Nebula Award winner The Speed of Dark, Hugo finalist Remnant Population, and the enduring epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Paksenarrion. She has published more than fifty short-fiction pieces in anthologies and magazines and in four of her own short-fiction collections, most recently Moon Flights and Deeds of Honor. When not writing, Moon enjoys photographing native plants and wildlife, knitting socks, and cooking. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
T**Y
Enjoyable, but a tad frustrating.
I am a bit frustrated. I loved "The Deed". I love the world. I love the characters. But I have a feeling that this book (and to an extent the previous books in this series) is either edited to about half the length it should be, or, else, just not fleshed out enough to begin with. I want to get closer inside the characters' heads, so to speak. I want to know what happens in more detail. For all that I do care about the characters, there is not enough time spent on any of them, and some of the events are just kinda glanced at without letting the reader be immersed in them. I think the author needs to slow down, flesh stuff out more, and maybe get a bit more focused. The story is interesting, the language is decent, and I did read it in one sitting, but I hope the next book comes out a bit more in-depth. I seriously could have used twice as many pages. Or more.I mean, seriously, Arcolin shopping for a wife is a prime example: in the end, we don't even know what the lady looks like! Hrmph. Just a tad cavalier, I'd say. :D The Elvenhome seed thing is also waaaaaay too brief - it left me feeling like a pebble skipping on the surface.Oh, and I want Paks back into the story more. Unless there is a separate story coming about what she's been doing all this time?..That said, there is good stuff in the book: Stammel's arc is done really well, for instance; the whole knot with Arcolin and the gnomes is cool. In general, I don't think that there are too many unnecessary sub-arcs in the story - I enjoy them, personally - I do think, though, that if we are going to explore all these threads, they need to be more fleshed out in some cases.Altogether, well worth the read for anyone who likes the world, but God help a newcomer.
L**.
Another great read in the series
If you're looking for a good read, and haven't already read Books 1, 2, and 3, do not, repeat, DO NOT start here. There is too much history between the characters, and you'll be lost, frustrated, and possibly angry. Start with #1 and read in order.I faced this book with a wee bit of trepidation. I love the series, the people, the stories, and I knew before I picked the book up that the next book would be the end of the series. Although the stories would have to end, I wasn't all that positive I wanted them to. Yes, I wanted to know how they ended, but....A subtitle for this book might have been: The Book of Change. There are many changes the characters go through as we turn the pages. And turn the pages you will. After years of absence, magic is reappearing in families without warning or explanation. Fanatics go on a killing rampage, hell bent for leather to stamp out all magic and magery—killing men, women, and the children who possess it. Dark Elves kill The Lady of the Forest, leaving her grandson, the king, in the lurch. The world is not a pleasant place at the moment. Turn the page.Knowing this is a five-book series, don't expect a neat, pat ending. Moon sets us up for the big conclusion in Book Five.Moon draws on her time of active duty in the USMC to give us a realistic picture of what it's like to be a ground pounder, and what they must know in order to stay alive. (Can you cook? Can you darn your socks? Can you follow orders without question?)Moon has been compared to George RR Martin and Robin Hobb. Frankly, I like Moon better. She doesn't kill everyone off and her series has an ending. And for me, it isn't quite as dark. I think Martin and Hobb should be compared to Moon.
K**A
Her original trilogy of the Deeds of Paksenarrion has been one of my favorite fantasy series of all time
This is the fourth of five in Moon's Paladin's Legacy series. Her original trilogy of the Deeds of Paksenarrion has been one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. I was concerned that this new series would be a re-hash, but I've found that I like it as much or better than the original trilogy. Rather than focusing on one person as the Paks stories did, this series follows the paths of several people that Paks had affected. Paks herself shows up on occasion, but as a secondary character. Moon has become adept at weaving all of these stories together and showing how their fates intertwine.I'm nearly finished with the fifth and final book in this series, and I'm dreading its end even as I rush to find out what happens. That's exactly what I want in a series.
M**N
Fascinating collection of little stories waiting to be tied together
I was surprised by how thoroughly I enjoyed reading Limits of Power. I only started reading the Paks books about 6 months ago, so the characters were all fresh in my mind - a good thing, because there are so many of them! I expected this book, like the previous two, to start in the middle of a situation and end without a resolution. I did not expect so many interesting little incidents and side stories, each shedding new light on the cultural landscape Moon created.I sympathize the reviewers who feel that Moon only skims the surface of events, but I appreciate Moon's willingness to leave some details to the reader's imagination. When Arcolin chooses a wife (for example), we don't find out what the various women look like. We do find out what kind of personalities they have. To Moon, this is clearly more important than looks -- good for her! As for getting inside the heads of her characters, we do get there for a few sentences at a time, enough to understand what the character would think in other situations. (The only book in this series where Moon spent a lot of time inside the head of a character was the Luap book, Liar's Oath, and what a boring disaster that was!)I look forward to reading the fifth volume, and hope very sincerely that it will indeed tie up the loose ends, answer the open questions, and end the series. (Power is not the only thing with a limit.)
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