The Deed of Paksenarrion

Paksenarrion "Paks" Dorthansdotter leaves her family's farm and an arranged marriage behind to join a mercenary company, throwing herself into a fantasy world of humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves. Through years of brutal campaigns, near-fatal wounds, and hard-won loyalty, Paks gradually realizes she carries a paladin's gift — though her path there is anything but traditional.

Across the omnibus's three volumes, Paks fights her way through the spider-cult of Achrya and the torture-god Liart's corrupted servants, sacrificing again and again until she can help secure the rightful king's throne in Lyonya. Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksenarrion is a landmark of grounded, unglamorous military fantasy built around one woman's slow transformation into a hero.