Oath Of Fealty - Elizabeth Moon

Oath Of Fealty
Elizabeth Moon
Del Rey
Publishing Date: March 16, 2010
978-0345508744

The Amazon.com description:

Elizabeth Moon’s bestselling science fiction novels featuring Kylara Vatta have earned her rave reviews and comparison to such giants as Robert Heinlein and Lois McMaster Bujold. But as Moon’s devoted fans know, she started her career as a fantasy writer. The superb trilogy known as The Deed of Paksenarrion is widely judged to be one of the great post-Tolkien fantasies, a masterpiece of sustained world-building and realistic military action. Now Moon returns to this thrilling realm for the first time in nearly twenty years. The result: another classic in the making.

Thanks to Paks’s courage and sacrifice, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary captain who earned a title—and enemies—in the neighboring kingdom of Tsaia. Now, as Kieri ascends a throne he never sought, he must come to terms with his own half-elven heritage while protecting his new kingdom from his old enemies—and those he has not yet discovered.

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, Prince Mikeli prepares for his own coronation. But when an assassination attempt nearly succeeds, Mikeli suddenly faces the threat of a coup. Acting swiftly, Mikeli strikes at the powerful family behind the attack: the Verrakaien, magelords possessing ancient sorcery, steeped in death and evil. Mikeli’s survival—and that of Tsaia—depend on the only Verrakai whose magery is not tainted with innocent blood.

Two kings stand at a pivotal point in the history of their worlds. For dark forces are gathering against them, knit in a secret conspiracy more sinister—and far more ancient—than they can imagine. And even Paks may find her gods-given magic and peerless fighting skills stretched to the limit—and beyond.

This is a re-read of Elizabeth Moon's novel Oath of Fealty, which I first read back in March when it came out. My original review is here.

Rereading that review before I wrote this one was an interesting experience, as several of the things I noted there, weren't things that came up at all when I read the book this time. For example, my comment about "hands". I didn't notice the usage at all this time. I still think the characters were all "right", and true to the previous books.

What I did notice however, were all the hints of things to come in future books such as Kings of the North. I don't think I noticed the necklace at all last time I read. Now, I'm wondering if it's going to be reunited with the rest of the set. Where are the rest of the missing Verrakai? What was going on with Korryn? and does that have something to do with the events up north? etc, etc. These are all things I don't remember wondering about on my last read. Not to mention all the hints from Elizabeth Moon's various blogs. Only seven months to wait, more or less now.

Even on a re-read, Oath of Fealty managed to keep me up late at night - doing the "just one more chapter" thing. If you like a good fantasy novel I highly recommend any of the Paksenarrion books by Elizabeth Moon: The Deed of Paksenarrion, especially.