Oath of Gold Review: THIS Is How You Write a Paladin!

Can a fantasy hero be genuinely good—humble, selfless, faithful, and committed to doing what’s right—and still be fascinating?

Elizabeth Moon’s Oath of Gold answers that question with a resounding YES.

In this spoiler-lite review, I’m wrapping up The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy, a classic fantasy series that has thoroughly won me over. After everything Paks endured in Divided Allegiance, Oath of Gold brings her journey to a powerful conclusion—and delivers one of the most compelling portrayals of a paladin I’ve encountered in fantasy.

We’ll talk about: ⚔️ The tremendous payoffs Moon delivers after three books 🛡️ Why Paks’s goodness, humility, and conviction make her MORE interesting, not less 🔥 The extraordinary role of sacrifice in her journey ✨ Faith, service, and living for something greater than yourself 🏰 The increasingly rich worldbuilding of Elizabeth Moon’s classic fantasy setting 😬 And why some of what Paks endures may be too much for certain readers

I’ll also discuss a potential criticism involving Paks’s agency, why the trilogy’s unapologetically classic approach to fantasy will delight some readers and turn off others, and whether Oath of Gold sticks the landing after everything the first two books set in motion.

For me, this trilogy has done something particularly dangerous: it convinced me to add Elizabeth Moon’s other books set in this world to my TBR. Because clearly that pile needed help getting larger.

Have you read The Deed of Paksenarrion? Is Paks one of the greatest paladins in fantasy? And which book in the trilogy is your favorite? Let me know in the comments—but please keep major spoilers clearly marked!

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Goodness isn’t boring. Paksenarrion proves it.

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0:00 - Opening 2:43 - Book Details 4:14 - Why Jim Read This 6:13 - Spoiler-Lite Summary 7:28 - Five Reasons to Love This Book 13:55 - Three Reasons to Skip Oath of Gold 17:58 - Jim’s Final Thoughts 19:39 - Closing & Wrap-Up

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