Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Sheepfarmer's Daughter

  • The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 1
  • By: Elizabeth Moon
  • Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
  • Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (284 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Sheepfarmer's Daughter cover art

Sheepfarmer's Daughter

By: Elizabeth Moon
Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £18.99

Buy Now for £18.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Oath of Fealty cover art
Trading in Danger cover art
Surrender None cover art
Child of a Mad God cover art
Altdorf cover art
Sassinak cover art
Quatrain cover art
Oath of Swords cover art
Knights of the Crown cover art
Heroes Die cover art
Limitless Lands cover art
Live Free or Die cover art
The Lions of Al-Rassan cover art
The Captain cover art
The Black Company cover art
A Beautiful Friendship cover art

Summary

Refusing to marry a pig farmer and joining the army, even if it means never seeing her family again, Paksenarrion begins an adventure that enables her to restore an overthrown ruler.

©1988 Elizabeth Moon (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Sheepfarmer's Daughter

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    172
  • 4 Stars
    79
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    121
  • 4 Stars
    71
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    142
  • 4 Stars
    59
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A splendid find

Where does Sheepfarmer's Daughter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Whilst I prefer to spend my credits on longer books, I thoroughly enjoyed Sheepfarmer's Daughter. It is the first in the Paksennarion series and I see a long and happy relationship with Elizabeth Moon's fantasy books on myy horizon. I do love a thumping good adventure and I think that's what I have in store....lovely book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sheepfarmer's Daughter?

There are a couple of AHA! moments...it flows very well.

What does Jennifer Van Dyck bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I usually prefer English narators for some reason...but Ms Van Dyck did a sterling job and I think I'll happily stick with her through the series.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

some...it would be churlish to give it away tho...

Any additional comments?

I was delighted to come across this author. As a sci-fi/fantasy reader it's such a thrill to find an author that I haven't come across before. Looking forward to the restt of the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

great story with an awful narrator

great story with an awful narrator, the narrator injected a number of awful accents thus spoiling the enjoyment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A bit Mary Sue but loved it

This book may not be for everyone but personally I loved the detail and how you felt immersed in Paks’s life as she trained to be a fighter. The author seemed to really know her stuff. People got realistically injured, tired and too weak to fight instead of being superhuman. On the downside Paks is one of those too good characters that can do little wrong. It didn’t matter much but I would have liked to see a bit more inner emotional depth e.g when friends she trains with die.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Timeless story

I've lost count of how many times I've read the Paksenarrion series, and I was delighted to find it available on Audible. The writing style is perhaps a little old-fashioned now, but as a war story set in a fantasy world, I found it compelling. The fantasy elements are introduced gradually and realistically. The exploration of religion - both personal and corporate - is fascinating (especially in the following books). The author's experience of warfare shows. Some people may find it a little tedious, but I really liked reading about the minutiae of military life, combined as it was with my favourite genre.. The narrator takes a little getting used to, but on the whole I enjoyed the performance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Many names, but good

A lot of names to keep track of, but a good listen. Will recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love this series of books

I have the hardback books but due to sight problems I decided to try the audio books and I'm glad I did! They are great and I could listen to the narrator all day! A must for fans of the books

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Audiobook read by Jennifer van Dyck.
I'd read good things about this series, so I really wanted to like it, but on balance I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Paksenarrion runs away from home to join a mercenary army rather than marry a local farmer. This book is the account of her first three years as she learns her trade in an army run by Duke Phelan. There's a LOT of detail about the minutiae of like in the military. (And I mean a LOT.) Paks flourishes. The training is good. The Duke looks after his soldiers, and Paks learns her trade well. She's gradually given small promotions and becomes one of the Duke's trusted minions. The good thing about this is the detailed and immersive worldbuilding, though it's in a generic medievaloid setting. The description is excellent, but, as a minion in the Duke's mercenary force, Paks doesn't have much agency, Sure, though naive at first, she learns her trade, is doggedly loyal, gains some loot, and always does her best, but... (You knew there would be a but, didn't you.) This is lacking in story. Paks doesn't really have much of an arc, though there are hints of one to come. She doesn't have much of an emotional journey either. Things happen to Paks, then other things happen, and then more things happen. The army marches here, the army marches there, Paks takes part in (well written) battles, and in sieges. She loses comrades, and saves comrades. I understand that the trilogy (The Deed of Paksenarrion) was written as one massive book and split into three, so this (long as it is) is mostly set-up. There's an incident at the beginning which I expected to pay off at the end, but it doesn't. (I don't know whether it will in subsequent books.) The narrator's occasional attempts at accents doesn't work particularly well for me. Because of her American accent , Paks often sounds like Pox, which is a bit unfortunate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good,

I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love the story, not a fan of the narrator.

Can't believe the narrator isn't an AI? very poor cadence and odd pauses. However, I love this series and have read it numerous times. Glad to have it as an audio book to listen to between patient visits.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love the story.

great story. i love this as much as all of moons more recent works.
it is great

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!