A review by clonedgoodness
Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon

adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I have a shelf full of books I need to read, but I went back and re-read this one in preparation for tackling the entire trilogy. What impressed me most about this book is how the world gradually unfolds around the PoV character. The "sheep herder who becomes a legendary hero" trope has fallen heavily out of favor in more modern fantasy literature, but this is an excellent example of the strengths. You spend the first ~20% of the book entirely off of the map (of course there's a map). This is a slow burn too, there's a lot more marching than fighting and the fights are quick and generally over quickly. Throughout, there are growing hints of the larger world. A band of elves passing by (there are elves!), a paladin showing up in a fight, places and names that don't mean much at first but soon start evoking very strong emotions. The story became its most compelling in the back part of the book, once the powers of gods (both evil and good) start manifesting.
Throughout, the primary character is interesting. She is continually toeing the line of being a Mary Sue (quick learner, slightly better than a normal person at spotting things), but to my reading, at least was too likeable not to appreciate how much she was earning the accolades and recognition she received. In this book she feels a little underdeveloped, but with the benefit of hindsight you can see her character growth, like everything else, is a slow, rewarding burn.
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