Elizabeth Moon returns to the bestselling world of The Deed of Paksenarrion, an epic military fantasy with Dungeons & Dragons elements to bring us a new tale of mercenaries, knights, and kings. Camwyn is a young man who survived terrible injuries with no memories of his past. Dragon, no other name necessary, has decided that Camwyn will become King of Horngard, so his allies will do their best to prepare the earnest young man for his new job even as they worry that he’s too innocent to succeed. Nearly forty years after the first book was published is there room for a new chapter?

If Sheepfarmer’s Daughter were published today it would probably be categorized as young adult fantasy. Not only was Paks a teenager but Moon’s writing was straightforward and easily comprehended without sacrificing any of the world building. My first impression of Horngard was that Moon’s writing hasn’t changed a bit. Luckily, I read both the first and second trilogies set in this world and remember the basic storylines. Despite an effort to provide the background for new readers I think it would be much better to start at the beginning.

There's a fair amount of name dropping at the beginning, but Camwyn was only a name prior to this book so the story is fresh. Dragon has enlisted the aid of Commander M’Dierra and her mercenary company to help Camwyn, but she has problems of her own and little time to spare for Dragon’s odd and mysterious plans. Camwyn and M’Dierra spend more time dealing with crime syndicates and greedy nobles than the evil elves and gods that Paks had to deal with, but one thing hasn’t changed. In Aerenis everyone is at war with someone.

Overall, Horngard seems like a natural extension of the previous storylines despite the many years since we last visited this world. Unlike some older series, the writing style fits in well with modern styles but still has that old fantasy flair with dungeons, paladins, elves, gnomes, dwarves, and more. So far Horngard is out in paperback and e-book. I assume an audiobook will come out eventually.