Battleaxe (The Axis Trilogy, #1) (Wayfarer Redemption, #1)

by Sara Douglass

Epic fantasy in the tradition of Trudi Canavan, Fiona McIntosh and Robert Jordan.

A thousand years ago, the people of Achar drove the Forbidden from their lands.

But now the northern tribes of the Ravensbund are fleeing south again, with nightmarish tales of creatures who feed upon the terror of their prey. Winter has come early, and with it the promise of war.

Axis, bastard son of the dead Princess Rivkah, is sent north to the battlefront at Gorkenfort with his elite Axe-Wielders. Once there, he must hand over command to his hated half-brother, Borneheld, Duke of Ichar and heir to the throne. But during the long journey Axis falls in love with Faraday - Borneheld's betrothed - and finds himself reassessing the very essence of his beliefs.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Axis must unite the feuding lands under one banner before it is too late and the evil rising in the north engulfs them all for good.

• ISBN10: 073049201X
• ISBN13: 9780730492016
• Publish Date: 1 August 2010 (first published 7 September 1998)
• Publish Status: Permanently Withdrawn
• Out of Print: 11 August 2022
• Publish Country: AU
• Imprint: Voyager
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 592
• Language: English

Reviews

[niamh]

Personally found this book difficult to get into, some parts are great, but I found myself forcing myself to read the book. I think if I had been maybe 12 /13years old and picking up this series, I would have loved it.
Can understand why people adore this series, but it wasn't 100% my thing and I won't be continuing with the sequels.

[pamela]

I still loved Battleaxe as much as the first day I read it. Is it cliched fantasy literature? Of course! There are ridiculously attractive people making stupid mistakes, with evil brothers who have to fight each other, a prophecy, and some star-crossed lovers. It's not groundbreaking. But it's so much fun to read!

Sara Douglass' descriptions are gloriously sumptuous. She's built a world the feels real, with its own religion, folklore, and populations with their own history and culture. Magic in her universe makes sense. It's not just there as a plot device but interweaves with every aspect of the fantasy setting.

“There is a winter ahead such as I think we cannot imagine, but remember that spring always follows.”

I was worried that I wouldn't like Battleaxe as much as the first time, but I shouldn't have been concerned. I still loved every trashy, fantastic second of it. I wish Douglass had gotten more recognition outside of Australia than she did.