--- product_id: 39054759 title: "The Paladin" brand: "c.j. cherryh" price: "NZ$22" currency: NZD in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/39054759-the-paladin store_origin: NZ region: New Zealand --- # The Paladin **Brand:** c.j. cherryh **Price:** NZ$22 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Paladin by c.j. cherryh - **How much does it cost?** NZ$22 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/39054759-the-paladin) ## Best For - c.j. cherryh enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted c.j. cherryh brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![The Paladin - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51OGT9Uy-bL.jpg) ![The Paladin - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DLHZoYoFL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This title is not talking about who you think it is. *by S***S on Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2022* This is a great book about an orphan girl who, like the ancient story goes, bugs an expert fighter to train her. He is a local legend, a hero even, but has decided to retire to a life of solitude. He doesn't want to train for many reasons, not the least of which is that he doesn't believe a female should be taught to fight.Eventually he gives in and gives her ridiculous tasks that he believes she is shirking. Like many kind teachers, he pretends not to notice. However, when she angers him, and he decides to call her out, she proves beyond doubt that she has in fact been doing everything he asked of her. At this point, he begins to train her in earnest.I don't want to spoil the rest of the book, but to say that it is a book about revenge, and very well written. The characters are deep, change over time, and act according to their personalities instead of simply what the plot requires. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of Cherryh's writing, but this book is fantastic. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pygmalion-type Story Similiar To MY FAIR LADY *by G***D on Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2013* This is the ultimate action/adventure Romance. Though it features a STRONG female heroine, it is definitely NOT Politically Correct nor does it promote the Feminist fantasy that women in general are as physically strong as testosterone-packing men. It IS however a FANTASY of another type. A "fantasy" about the "good guys" beating the "bad guys". This fantasy is done "realistically" with excellent characterization provided by the award-winning author C.J. Cherryh. Though C.J. Cherryh usually writes Science Fiction this particular book, THE PALADIN, can more accurately be categorized as an Historical Romance and, in my opinion, the BEST book she's ever written as well as the BEST Romance I've ever read (even better than Catherine Cookson's GREAT Historical Romances). Many of the covers, especially the latest paperback edition and the widely distributed Book-Of-The-Month hardback, imply that this story takes place in medieval Europe. This isn't true. My guess is that the target audience was "white" Americans descended from Northern Europeans. The only time I've seen an accurate hardcover dust jacket depicting the Asian protagonists (standing on a rocky knoll dressed in animal skins) was in a copy I found in the MIT Science Fiction Society Library. Note that this picture is NOT Politically Correct. The male hero stands head-and-shoulders taller than the female heroine. This portrayal accurately reflects the story in which the male character comes from the well-fed aristocractic samurai class whereas the female protagonist is from the down-trodden peasant class, and believe me SHE'S GOT AN ATTITUDE. Each of the protagonists brings something different and indispensable to the relationship. Without each other they would be hopelessly lost. And that my friends is what Romance is all about. (If you think about it, that's also what Procreation & Evolutionary Biology are all about too.) By the way, if you're into Romantic movies I recommend such movies as PIPE DREAM. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE, UNTAMED HEART, LOCKOUT, I (HEART) HUCKABEES, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, and the Disney movies ALADDIN, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, HERCULES, THE INCREDIBLES, and especially WALL*E. Disney Studios, believe it or not, are the masters of Romance (at least until they released that horror story BRAVE). Sincerely Politically Incorrect, if not out-right crazy, Tom Lang/P.O. 6726/Santa Rosa, CA/95406, born in the Midwest, educated on the East Coast, and currently dressed up as as a medieval steampunk cowboy complete with holster and baldric and filled with a .45 Colt, flintlocks, Cold Steel plastic katana, filling punk pirate boots, and covered in [Harry Dresden's] leather duster. I apologize for [absolute zen] No-thing [ness]. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Being Honest with Yourself *by P***D on Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2005* This book is something of an oddity, written as if it were a fantasy, but it could have just as easily have been placed into the 'historical' novel camp, with just some minor changes in the described locale and time, as there are no magical happenings, no flights of fancy, nothing that could not have happened in the real world.The plot line is quite simple. A young girl comes to beg training in sword fighting from a legendary master who has 'retired' to a mountain hermitage so she can use the acquired skills to exact revenge on a lord who has desecrated her homeland and family. The master, former advisor to the old Emperor, is actually in exile, forbidden on pain of death from ever returning to court, and has settled into a simple life of meditation and taking care of his old war-horse, and not wishing to get involved with anyone, or to return to intrigues of the court. But the girl finally manages to force the master to accept her as an apprentice, and her training begins.The interaction between these two characters during this portion of the work is excellent, as each displays traits of stubbornness that make for continuous conflict between the two. And the conflict extends beyond the physical training, into the realm of why one should or shouldn't take action against perceived wrongs, what purpose an individual's life has, the value of honesty both to self and others. This is well done, and I felt that I really got to know and admire these two individuals, as each has traits that are worth emulating.But the second half of this novel, when the two take to the road to actually accomplish the girl's original objective, is not nearly as good, dropping down to a standard swash-buckling adventure novel, with action a-plenty (and somewhat confusing as the reader is hit with many minor characters and place names that are difficult to keep track of), but almost none of the fine philosophy and character interaction of the first portion. The ending is quite predictable, and left me with a disappointed feeling, as I could see this could have been much better.Cherryh used something of the same type of plot line and character interaction in her Cuckoo's Egg, but there the resolution of the story held up to the premises and promise of its beginnings, making for a much better story, and I would recommend that book in preference to this one. Read this one only if you are desperate for more Cherryh to read.---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/39054759-the-paladin](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/39054759-the-paladin) --- *Product available on Desertcart New Zealand* *Store origin: NZ* *Last updated: 2026-04-22*