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The Wayfarer Redemption #2
Enchanter
The stunning sequel to The Wayfarer Redemption
Axis is a true hero, in every sense of the word. On his shoulders lies the double burden of prophecy and war. Having fulfilled the first part of the prophecy by becoming the StarMan, he now must reunite the three races inhabiting his world.
It is his destiny to lead an army against his evil half-brother, to regain control of Tencendor, once the greatest land in the world.
It is his destiny to be caught between the two women he loves, one the epitome of gentility, beauty, and intelligence, the other a fierce warrior with a cunning wit.
And it is his destiny to be thwarted at every turn by the vicious Goragel, an insane monster bent on destroying all that Axis works to preserve . . .
Enchanter is the riveting sequel to Sara Douglass's spell-binding first novel The Wayfarer Redemption, and winner of the 1996 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Sara Douglass has taken America by storm with this powerful tale of love, prophecy, battles, and revenge.
Axis is a true hero, in every sense of the word. On his shoulders lies the double burden of prophecy and war. Having fulfilled the first part of the prophecy by becoming the StarMan, he now must reunite the three races inhabiting his world.
It is his destiny to lead an army against his evil half-brother, to regain control of Tencendor, once the greatest land in the world.
It is his destiny to be caught between the two women he loves, one the epitome of gentility, beauty, and intelligence, the other a fierce warrior with a cunning wit.
And it is his destiny to be thwarted at every turn by the vicious Goragel, an insane monster bent on destroying all that Axis works to preserve . . .
Enchanter is the riveting sequel to Sara Douglass's spell-binding first novel The Wayfarer Redemption, and winner of the 1996 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Sara Douglass has taken America by storm with this powerful tale of love, prophecy, battles, and revenge.
669 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
130 people are currently reading
2401 people want to read
About the author
Sara Douglass
66 books1,031 followersDouglass was born in Penola, South Australia. She attended Annesley College, in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide. She studied for her BA while working as a Registered Nurse, and later completed her PhD in early modern English History. She became a lecturer in medieval history at La Trobe University, Bendigo. While there she completed her first novel, BattleAxe, which launched her as a popular fantasy author in Australia, and later as an international success.
Until the mid-2000s, Douglass hosted a bulletin board on her website, with the aim of encouraging creative thinking and constructive criticism of others' work. She maintained an online blog about the restoration project of her house and garden entitled Notes from Nonsuch in Tasmania.
In 2008, Douglass was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment, but in late 2010 the cancer returned. She died on 27 September 2011, aged 54.
She also wrote under her real name Sara Warneke.
Until the mid-2000s, Douglass hosted a bulletin board on her website, with the aim of encouraging creative thinking and constructive criticism of others' work. She maintained an online blog about the restoration project of her house and garden entitled Notes from Nonsuch in Tasmania.
In 2008, Douglass was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment, but in late 2010 the cancer returned. She died on 27 September 2011, aged 54.
She also wrote under her real name Sara Warneke.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
March 30, 2018
I thought this was going to be a favorite like book one. But unfortunately, Axis was too much of a dick for me to get over 😡
But the book was still good overall
Mel 🖤🐺
But the book was still good overall
Mel 🖤🐺
December 4, 2019
As I mentioned in my review of the first book in this series, I began these books in the 90s. I read the first two, then waited for the third book to come out. Life came along and I never got around to completing the series. I decided a while back to complete these types of things that I began in my younger days, so while this is a reread, I remember almost nothing about it and it feels like a first read to me.
I now have the hindsight, and reading experience, to compare this to Jordan, Martin, and Goodkind, all of whom I see reflected in this story. This book predates those authors, however, so I am unsure as to whether this is an influence or simply part of an emerging trend that they all participated in.
In any case, the protagonist develops into a powerful character much as Rand did in the Wheel of Time Series, albeit on a much smaller time scale. What took Jordan several books takes this author one or two. His decisions reflect ruthlessness and an overwhelming sense of destiny that manifests rather quickly in this plot.
I thoroughly enjoy these characters, even if the pregnancies and affairs do remind me just a little of an episode of Maury Povich. I definitely want to start the third installment which I never got around to in the 90s (I also learned, not necessarily to my dismay, that there are now SIX books in this series!) in order to see what will happen. The author leaves a cliffhanger or two that need to be resolved.
Overall, this has been a good experience for me. My theory in embarking on this reading journey was that if I liked it then, I will like it now. I rate this book four stars instead of 4 and a half since there was a slowdown period mid-novel that forced a bit of skimming on my part.
I now have the hindsight, and reading experience, to compare this to Jordan, Martin, and Goodkind, all of whom I see reflected in this story. This book predates those authors, however, so I am unsure as to whether this is an influence or simply part of an emerging trend that they all participated in.
In any case, the protagonist develops into a powerful character much as Rand did in the Wheel of Time Series, albeit on a much smaller time scale. What took Jordan several books takes this author one or two. His decisions reflect ruthlessness and an overwhelming sense of destiny that manifests rather quickly in this plot.
I thoroughly enjoy these characters, even if the pregnancies and affairs do remind me just a little of an episode of Maury Povich. I definitely want to start the third installment which I never got around to in the 90s (I also learned, not necessarily to my dismay, that there are now SIX books in this series!) in order to see what will happen. The author leaves a cliffhanger or two that need to be resolved.
Overall, this has been a good experience for me. My theory in embarking on this reading journey was that if I liked it then, I will like it now. I rate this book four stars instead of 4 and a half since there was a slowdown period mid-novel that forced a bit of skimming on my part.
April 21, 2016
To start off - I really enjoyed the first book. I found the characters to be flawed but genuine, and the story intriguing. That said, I was disappointed with the second book. While I can see how Douglass wants to create a flawed anti-hero type of protagonist - Axis' disregard and blatant disrespect of the female characters in this novel is astounding. I was proud of Faraday for what she did regarding Axis (in some ways) at the end of the novel, and appalled at Azhure's thoughts and actions in regards to what Axis had done to his former love. She reveled too much in the things that he had done for her...forgetting Faraday's brave actions at Gorkenfort. Most of the novel Azhure laments over his former lover but does nothing about it. What does this say about women?
Axis treats both of the female characters BADLY and yet they can't help but love him? How can he go through the entire book thinking that they would be accepting of each other? I have little sympathy for Azhure and Axis - which is a pity since I enjoyed them in first novel.
That out of the way - I did find the ending to contain a nice twist (even though I anticipated it halfway through the novel). It played out nicely - I found the Faraday/Axis scenes heartbreaking. I haven't read the third book "Starman" yet, but I will pick it up and hope that it redeems the series for me. If not, I doubt that I will move on to the remaining books.
Axis treats both of the female characters BADLY and yet they can't help but love him? How can he go through the entire book thinking that they would be accepting of each other? I have little sympathy for Azhure and Axis - which is a pity since I enjoyed them in first novel.
That out of the way - I did find the ending to contain a nice twist (even though I anticipated it halfway through the novel). It played out nicely - I found the Faraday/Axis scenes heartbreaking. I haven't read the third book "Starman" yet, but I will pick it up and hope that it redeems the series for me. If not, I doubt that I will move on to the remaining books.
January 6, 2019
Enchanter is a fun, and trashy Fantasy romp. There are no two bones about it, Axis is a total dick all the way through this book, but it's in keeping with his character and the world that Sara Douglass built. There is action, romance, family drama, and mystery. It has everything that I could want out of a fun read. Faraday is an interesting blend of strong, independent woman and a perpetual victim. Her betrayal is cruel and heartless, but she deals with it with grace. The same goes for Azhure, who on this read-through has become my favourite female character. She exercises the most agency out of all the women in this novel and is, quite frankly, badass (although I do wish she'd spend less of the book pregnant).
Enchanter is not deep. It's paperback, popcorn fantasy all the way through. But, my god it's fun to read!
Enchanter is not deep. It's paperback, popcorn fantasy all the way through. But, my god it's fun to read!
July 14, 2010
This is book two of the Axis Trilogy, and follows the same path as many middle novels in trilogies - lots of events but mainly getting all the main players into the right places for the big wrap up in book three. In this novel Axis is trying to bring the Prophecy to fruition - seeking to unite the Acharites with the Avar and the Icarii against opposition from his half-brother Borneheld and, ultimately, Gorgrael. We learn more about the mysterious ninth Talon and finally discover Azhure's heritage.
I've awarded this book three stars because, despite its many faults, I felt compelled to constantly read just one more chapter. Douglass whips through events at a mind-boggling pace and delivers said events with a smooth narrative.
However, I don't quite know why I wanted to keep reading! The book is cliche-ridden, from the fact that there is a Prophecy guiding the steps of the main protagonists to the Ravensbundmen, a nomadic horse tribe with bells chiming in their hair and tattoos covering their faces.
In addition to this, I also found it hard to like any of the characters: Axis is cruel in the manner with which he treats Faraday and I find him a little too smug and arrogant; Faraday is a complete martyr - her doormat tendencies at the end of the book make me incredibly frustrated. And Azhure! Where do we start with her? She is just so AMAZING (to the other characters, not to me) all the time - everyone loves her or lusts after her; she is a village girl who ends up being given squads to train and has remarkable leadership qualities; she looks after the supply needs for a garrison of 3000 men. All this on top of being remarkably beautiful and perceptive. And intelligent. And compassionate. You get the picture. I ended up reading with complete disbelief all the myriad capabilities of this woman and it quickly became very tired.
On the plus side Douglass does well with her character development - even the secondary characters are fleshed out and given strong visual descriptions at the very least, while some of them are almost as memorable as the main characters. The only area where she fails in this is the SunSoar family and their attendants (and how I still hate the cutesy manner in which Douglass names the Icarii with all those random capital letters!) I find most of the Icarii completely interchangeable - only StarDrifter stands out properly from the rest (but this is possibly due to revulsion, after he vowed he would woo his grand-daughter - that is just too disturbing).
My final negative point concerns the fact hat everything seems to come too easily to these characters - they have a lot of moments where they make bizarre leaps of logic to serve the plot. There are a progression of events that lead me to exclaim in disgust: Axis needs everyone to hear the Prophecy, so it is made magically memorable; Axis needs food at Sigholt for his new army, so the lake miraculously makes vegetables grow quicker. The Icarii are accepted by the Acharites, despite eons of hate and enmity. Both the Icarii and Acharites just accept Axis' leadership once Borneheld is out of the way. It leads me to the point where I feel little tension or fear for the characters.
To summarise: this book left me thinking 'beige'. I read it quickly enough, but there was enough to feel exasperated by that I don't rate this trilogy as a must-read for anyone.
I've awarded this book three stars because, despite its many faults, I felt compelled to constantly read just one more chapter. Douglass whips through events at a mind-boggling pace and delivers said events with a smooth narrative.
However, I don't quite know why I wanted to keep reading! The book is cliche-ridden, from the fact that there is a Prophecy guiding the steps of the main protagonists to the Ravensbundmen, a nomadic horse tribe with bells chiming in their hair and tattoos covering their faces.
In addition to this, I also found it hard to like any of the characters: Axis is cruel in the manner with which he treats Faraday and I find him a little too smug and arrogant; Faraday is a complete martyr - her doormat tendencies at the end of the book make me incredibly frustrated. And Azhure! Where do we start with her? She is just so AMAZING (to the other characters, not to me) all the time - everyone loves her or lusts after her; she is a village girl who ends up being given squads to train and has remarkable leadership qualities; she looks after the supply needs for a garrison of 3000 men. All this on top of being remarkably beautiful and perceptive. And intelligent. And compassionate. You get the picture. I ended up reading with complete disbelief all the myriad capabilities of this woman and it quickly became very tired.
On the plus side Douglass does well with her character development - even the secondary characters are fleshed out and given strong visual descriptions at the very least, while some of them are almost as memorable as the main characters. The only area where she fails in this is the SunSoar family and their attendants (and how I still hate the cutesy manner in which Douglass names the Icarii with all those random capital letters!) I find most of the Icarii completely interchangeable - only StarDrifter stands out properly from the rest (but this is possibly due to revulsion, after he vowed he would woo his grand-daughter - that is just too disturbing).
My final negative point concerns the fact hat everything seems to come too easily to these characters - they have a lot of moments where they make bizarre leaps of logic to serve the plot. There are a progression of events that lead me to exclaim in disgust: Axis needs everyone to hear the Prophecy, so it is made magically memorable; Axis needs food at Sigholt for his new army, so the lake miraculously makes vegetables grow quicker. The Icarii are accepted by the Acharites, despite eons of hate and enmity. Both the Icarii and Acharites just accept Axis' leadership once Borneheld is out of the way. It leads me to the point where I feel little tension or fear for the characters.
To summarise: this book left me thinking 'beige'. I read it quickly enough, but there was enough to feel exasperated by that I don't rate this trilogy as a must-read for anyone.
January 11, 2022
An entertaining fantastical soap opera…the junk food of epic fantasy. 😬 I like that Douglass is drawing on Norse imagery as well as Celtic/Euro, & the positives outweigh the negatives like uneven pacing, clumsy prose, & lolzy villains (Gorgreal is impossible to take seriously, because dude…screeching about having no friends & wedging wine glasses between your tusks is freakin’ hilarious). I did enjoy it, though it’s not without problems.
Major issue #1: Axis is a dick. He’s a Gary Stu in the truest sense, which isn’t a deal breaker—but he’s not an Aragorn/Skywalker/Jon Snow whom you hope kills the baddies & earns his laurels o’ awesomeness. Rather, Axis is a self-aggrandizing douchebag with no real vision beyond his own desires & destined glory. He’s such an ass that I hoped his half-brother would beat him soundly in single combat—not because Borneheld has good sense, sound judgment, or a sense of fair play (alas, poor Borneheld has none of those qualities), but because I wanted someone to take this creep down a peg.
Major issue #2: Azhure is one of the biggest Mary Sues who ever graced the pages of fantasy. In any series, in any era, in any format. I didn’t dislike Azhure per se, but everyone’s continual fawning & adoration for her perfection & instant capability was obnoxious. Fighting in combat, managing troops, designing defenses, rationing supplies, leading raids, doing magic, bonding with animals, mad bedroom skills, mothering, friendship, comforting, badassery, diplomacy, queenship, bearing perfect heirs for hard-to-breed lines… *yawn* Literally the only thing she can’t do is carry a tune. Literally the only male in her vicinity not stricken with cow-eyed instalust is Magariz, & that’s just because he’s already in love with Rivkah. (Magariz/Rivkah are my OTP, y’all. 💜) Enough, already! Let the poor woman have *some* flaws.
Major issue #2a: Everyone oh-so-conveniently seems to forget how Faraday is awesome & deserves way more appreciation for her bravery & sacrifice. Faraday is the WAYFARER equivalent of Jonathan Harker—the heroes cannot win without her, yet everyone seems to ignore and/or deride her accomplishments simply because she’s Not Azhure & doesn’t ride laughing into combat. 🙄 I really hope Faraday gets to show her strengths & quiet power in the 3rd book, because she deserves that kind of smug revenge.
Anyway.
Will I read book 3? Yup. And, much like books 1-2, I’m sure I’ll alternately fly through action sequences, lol at Gorgreal, roll my eyes at Axis, & cringe on behalf of the many minor characters whose lives are ruined by this knucklehead prophecy.
Major issue #1: Axis is a dick. He’s a Gary Stu in the truest sense, which isn’t a deal breaker—but he’s not an Aragorn/Skywalker/Jon Snow whom you hope kills the baddies & earns his laurels o’ awesomeness. Rather, Axis is a self-aggrandizing douchebag with no real vision beyond his own desires & destined glory. He’s such an ass that I hoped his half-brother would beat him soundly in single combat—not because Borneheld has good sense, sound judgment, or a sense of fair play (alas, poor Borneheld has none of those qualities), but because I wanted someone to take this creep down a peg.
Major issue #2: Azhure is one of the biggest Mary Sues who ever graced the pages of fantasy. In any series, in any era, in any format. I didn’t dislike Azhure per se, but everyone’s continual fawning & adoration for her perfection & instant capability was obnoxious. Fighting in combat, managing troops, designing defenses, rationing supplies, leading raids, doing magic, bonding with animals, mad bedroom skills, mothering, friendship, comforting, badassery, diplomacy, queenship, bearing perfect heirs for hard-to-breed lines… *yawn* Literally the only thing she can’t do is carry a tune. Literally the only male in her vicinity not stricken with cow-eyed instalust is Magariz, & that’s just because he’s already in love with Rivkah. (Magariz/Rivkah are my OTP, y’all. 💜) Enough, already! Let the poor woman have *some* flaws.
Major issue #2a: Everyone oh-so-conveniently seems to forget how Faraday is awesome & deserves way more appreciation for her bravery & sacrifice. Faraday is the WAYFARER equivalent of Jonathan Harker—the heroes cannot win without her, yet everyone seems to ignore and/or deride her accomplishments simply because she’s Not Azhure & doesn’t ride laughing into combat. 🙄 I really hope Faraday gets to show her strengths & quiet power in the 3rd book, because she deserves that kind of smug revenge.
Anyway.
Will I read book 3? Yup. And, much like books 1-2, I’m sure I’ll alternately fly through action sequences, lol at Gorgreal, roll my eyes at Axis, & cringe on behalf of the many minor characters whose lives are ruined by this knucklehead prophecy.
May 5, 2013
Screw this book. Screw this book so very very hard.
I enjoyed Battleaxe. There were most definitely flaws in it but there were scenes and moments that quite legitimately took my breath away. Sara Douglass is capable of some truly breathtaking writing.
This book is not evidence of that.
Oh, where to start?
I went into this novel believing that it was going to be one of my most favourite novel types in the world: The Training Novel. You know, the novel where the protagonist who has just learned about all the awesome skills that they have had inside tthem all along and now gets to learn how to use them and be EVEN MORE AWESOME.
Except, no. Turns out that pretty much all of the learning is encapsulated in 'And then his father taught him how to sing all the magic songs but it was pointless because Axis already knew them'. And the weird part is that Axis already knowing the magic isn't the part that I take exception to. It's the relentless TELLING rather than SHOWING. We're repeatedly given lines like 'Over the past few months they had become close friends' and I kept on thinking (and at one point saying) 'Well that's nice, Sara. Sure wish I'd seen that happen and had a chance to maybe bond with the characters but I'm glad that the story seems to be progressing along nicely without my experiencing it in the slightest. Good show!'
But that was only enough to make me annoyed with the book. What made me angry was the way Axis, our hero and the person we are meant to cheer for, is a complete douchepuddle when it comes to Faraday and Azhure. Most other low starred reviews go into this more so I won't unleash my full bile at how selfish and misogynist it is for Axis to decide that because he can't chose between his babymama and his betrothed (a situation that he walked into while fully aware of the consequences) they'll just both have to live with it and with each other. I fail to understand how Azhure is considered the 'lucky' one who has to put up with this crap.
And don't even get me into the grandma-incest. Don't even get me started on THAT particular minefield of suck.
Screw this book.
I enjoyed Battleaxe. There were most definitely flaws in it but there were scenes and moments that quite legitimately took my breath away. Sara Douglass is capable of some truly breathtaking writing.
This book is not evidence of that.
Oh, where to start?
I went into this novel believing that it was going to be one of my most favourite novel types in the world: The Training Novel. You know, the novel where the protagonist who has just learned about all the awesome skills that they have had inside tthem all along and now gets to learn how to use them and be EVEN MORE AWESOME.
Except, no. Turns out that pretty much all of the learning is encapsulated in 'And then his father taught him how to sing all the magic songs but it was pointless because Axis already knew them'. And the weird part is that Axis already knowing the magic isn't the part that I take exception to. It's the relentless TELLING rather than SHOWING. We're repeatedly given lines like 'Over the past few months they had become close friends' and I kept on thinking (and at one point saying) 'Well that's nice, Sara. Sure wish I'd seen that happen and had a chance to maybe bond with the characters but I'm glad that the story seems to be progressing along nicely without my experiencing it in the slightest. Good show!'
But that was only enough to make me annoyed with the book. What made me angry was the way Axis, our hero and the person we are meant to cheer for, is a complete douchepuddle when it comes to Faraday and Azhure. Most other low starred reviews go into this more so I won't unleash my full bile at how selfish and misogynist it is for Axis to decide that because he can't chose between his babymama and his betrothed (a situation that he walked into while fully aware of the consequences) they'll just both have to live with it and with each other. I fail to understand how Azhure is considered the 'lucky' one who has to put up with this crap.
And don't even get me into the grandma-incest. Don't even get me started on THAT particular minefield of suck.
Screw this book.
October 13, 2019
Oh my gosh, I love this series so much!! Going through this story the second time was just as enjoyable as the first, except this time around I knew all of the secrets.
It was hard, though, to watch the downward spiral of some of the characters. I know the outcome, and even though I dreaded what would inevitably happen, I still wished it could be different. I was surprised by how much my stomach was in knots as the book pushed to the climax of the story.
I loved watching Azhure's story unfold again. I love the secrecy that envelops her, and the history behind it. I think her character arc is probably my favorite, even though she's not my favorite character. I do believe that honor falls to Faraday. I don't know why, but I always leaned toward her side, always liked her better than Azhure. Perhaps because she was introduced first, and I became attached to her long before Azhure came into the story? Or maybe because I felt for her, for her suffering. Whatever it is, my heart bleeds for everything she goes through. Everything she was forced to endure for the Prophecy.
Sara Douglass never ceases to amaze me with her intricate world building! There are so many layers to it! I love the races of Tencedor and their back stories. The dimension she adds to her world is impressive! Even now, in the second book of the first story arc, I can see where she's setting up for the second story arc. There are little snippets of vital information that I had no idea were vital the first time through! Also, I was surprised by the amount of foreshadowing that Sara gives us. That's another thing I never noticed the first time through. They were small, seemingly insignificant - characters' thoughts in passing. There were a couple times it actually gave me chills!
I kind of love that Faraday and Azhure are basically friends despite everything. Faraday is a much stronger person that I, to accept and forgive Azhure...
Also, I freaking LOVE this cover! I love all the covers in this series, but this one is my favorite because of the Icarii flying in the background. Loooove!!!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
November 7, 2019
Back for round 2 of my review of this classic ’90s fantasy series. In my review of
The Wayfarer Redemption
I was cheeky but also tried to be serious. I didn’t want to be too hard on Sara Douglass, because after all, the clichés in these books weren’t quite clichés when she was writing. At the same time, it’s hard to call these books great. They‘re good, for a certain entertainment value of good.
In this sequel, Axis has embraced his heritage as an Icarii Enchanter and plans to reunite Tencendor under his leadership. To do this, he must deal with his half-brother, Borneheld, while also defending the territory and people under his protection from Gorgrael. Oh, and he’s still learning magic. And he’s in love with two women! Fun times.
If anything, Enchanter made me think more about Douglass’ goals with this series and how she constructs it. Maybe it’s because I spent a lot of Sunday morning reading this while listening to the classical radio station, but Enchanter really strikes me as embodying the most operatic qualities of high fantasy. This is a tragedy in its purest literary form. The stakes are high; the sets are big; the characters are larger than life. That allows me as the reader to give Douglass more leeway with this whole prophecy thing. Yes, Axis is unlikable and a dick, but he’s still a sympathetic character because he’s the protagonist of this tragedy: he might save his peoples from the Big Bad, but he himself isn’t going to get a personally happy ending in the process. The same can be said for Faraday and Azhure and perhaps a handful of supporting characters—the closer you are to the centre of this story, to the prophecy, the less likely you are to come out of it with anything resembling happiness.
Similarly, there are no “real” people in this story. We speak to precious few people who are not within the inner circles of the plot. We speak to very few people who might be considered your average everyperson—it’s like all the extras in this story are far in the background. Because the opera doesn’t care about those people; it only wants to give page time to the people whose actions are sustaining the plot (prophecy). This constraint can make for a very one-sided, very contrived story.
Why do these stories appeal to us if they are so over the top? Of course no one like Axis or Faraday exists in real life. Few people are the same combination of powerful yet petty as Borneheld (although, you know, I can think of a few leaders and billionaires who come close). Nevertheless, writers turn time and again to these stock characters and their stories because they do appeal to us. I think when you remove human agency from parts of the equation, it’s like controlling for a variable: the writer themselves then has a little more freedom to dig into another part of the human condition. By wrapping Axis & co. so tightly in prophecy as to practically smother them, Douglass can explore the edge cases of fighting for survival against incredible odds.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that if this story were being told by people in fancy costumes singing on a stage, I’d be more sympathetic to it. It’s made for that grand scale. With novels I usually yearn for something that has a little more humanity to the characters, but it’s hard to fault Enchanter for being consistent with the form it’s emulating. I’d be a lot harsher if I thought Douglass were actually trying to make her characters more real, but that’s not what I see here.
I’m starting to see now why this particular series from this time period might hold up in the sense of being a good example of the craft. I’m still not sure that it holds up as a series that I, personally, am enjoying reading.
My reviews of The Wayfarer Redemption:
← The Wayfarer Redemption (aka Battleaxe) | Starman →
In this sequel, Axis has embraced his heritage as an Icarii Enchanter and plans to reunite Tencendor under his leadership. To do this, he must deal with his half-brother, Borneheld, while also defending the territory and people under his protection from Gorgrael. Oh, and he’s still learning magic. And he’s in love with two women! Fun times.
If anything, Enchanter made me think more about Douglass’ goals with this series and how she constructs it. Maybe it’s because I spent a lot of Sunday morning reading this while listening to the classical radio station, but Enchanter really strikes me as embodying the most operatic qualities of high fantasy. This is a tragedy in its purest literary form. The stakes are high; the sets are big; the characters are larger than life. That allows me as the reader to give Douglass more leeway with this whole prophecy thing. Yes, Axis is unlikable and a dick, but he’s still a sympathetic character because he’s the protagonist of this tragedy: he might save his peoples from the Big Bad, but he himself isn’t going to get a personally happy ending in the process. The same can be said for Faraday and Azhure and perhaps a handful of supporting characters—the closer you are to the centre of this story, to the prophecy, the less likely you are to come out of it with anything resembling happiness.
Similarly, there are no “real” people in this story. We speak to precious few people who are not within the inner circles of the plot. We speak to very few people who might be considered your average everyperson—it’s like all the extras in this story are far in the background. Because the opera doesn’t care about those people; it only wants to give page time to the people whose actions are sustaining the plot (prophecy). This constraint can make for a very one-sided, very contrived story.
Why do these stories appeal to us if they are so over the top? Of course no one like Axis or Faraday exists in real life. Few people are the same combination of powerful yet petty as Borneheld (although, you know, I can think of a few leaders and billionaires who come close). Nevertheless, writers turn time and again to these stock characters and their stories because they do appeal to us. I think when you remove human agency from parts of the equation, it’s like controlling for a variable: the writer themselves then has a little more freedom to dig into another part of the human condition. By wrapping Axis & co. so tightly in prophecy as to practically smother them, Douglass can explore the edge cases of fighting for survival against incredible odds.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that if this story were being told by people in fancy costumes singing on a stage, I’d be more sympathetic to it. It’s made for that grand scale. With novels I usually yearn for something that has a little more humanity to the characters, but it’s hard to fault Enchanter for being consistent with the form it’s emulating. I’d be a lot harsher if I thought Douglass were actually trying to make her characters more real, but that’s not what I see here.
I’m starting to see now why this particular series from this time period might hold up in the sense of being a good example of the craft. I’m still not sure that it holds up as a series that I, personally, am enjoying reading.
My reviews of The Wayfarer Redemption:
← The Wayfarer Redemption (aka Battleaxe) | Starman →
March 13, 2018
3.5 stars.
There were so many mixed feelings through this book! On one hand, more world exploration, more about the magic system, more mystery and battles and all the things I enjoyed from the first book.
On the other hand WHAT THE HELL AXIS. This guy is just really pissing me off at almost every moment. I'm somewhat surprised this is written by a female author, because the female characters in this book are treated like absolute trash. The 'love triangle' (if that's what one must call it) is an absolute mess and full of cringe. Often in ways one wouldn't expect. I've never been a huge fan of the romance parts of this style of fantasy anyway I suppose.
THOSE ENDING TWISTS THOUGH. Yup, so the prophecy kind of spells out a lot. Perhaps a bit too much. But then woosh a few sudden reveals happen out of almost nowhere towards the end of this book, and they somehow made up for a bunch of the mess mentioned above.
Will definitely have to complete the trilogy soon and see how it all plays out. So much of the prophecy has now seemingly been revealed that there must actually be some more surprises left for the third one! I sure hope so.
There were so many mixed feelings through this book! On one hand, more world exploration, more about the magic system, more mystery and battles and all the things I enjoyed from the first book.
On the other hand WHAT THE HELL AXIS. This guy is just really pissing me off at almost every moment. I'm somewhat surprised this is written by a female author, because the female characters in this book are treated like absolute trash. The 'love triangle' (if that's what one must call it) is an absolute mess and full of cringe. Often in ways one wouldn't expect. I've never been a huge fan of the romance parts of this style of fantasy anyway I suppose.
THOSE ENDING TWISTS THOUGH. Yup, so the prophecy kind of spells out a lot. Perhaps a bit too much. But then woosh a few sudden reveals happen out of almost nowhere towards the end of this book, and they somehow made up for a bunch of the mess mentioned above.
Will definitely have to complete the trilogy soon and see how it all plays out. So much of the prophecy has now seemingly been revealed that there must actually be some more surprises left for the third one! I sure hope so.
January 3, 2024
Hate Axis now. Why did he treat Faraday and Azhure like that. Unforgiveable. I'm so mad rn.
March 13, 2025
Good fantasy in the evening is even better than watching TV. That said, a few things:
1) I really dislike Mary Sue characters - characters who manage to effortlessly excel at everything, even something as intricate as mounted archery - a village girl, however talented, definitely needs more than several months to master this AND lead a mounted archer force. Otherwise anyone could have been as unstoppable as the Mongols.
2) The writing style - the story has interesting and original fantasy elements, but it is not terribly well-written (though characters - aside from the Mary Sue above - are well-done). Most of it is tell, not show, and not telling it in a particularly ponderous way the way Tolkien's tales are told in a narrative, biblical voice. But perhaps it is a tall order to compare any fantasy work to the greatest of greats.
3) Well-sketched secondary characters seem to be the strength of this novel. While the protagonist can be insufferable not to mention being wrapped in heavy plot armor, the side characters are rather heartwarming. No protagonist is an island, yet developing the whole cast can save your story.
1) I really dislike Mary Sue characters - characters who manage to effortlessly excel at everything, even something as intricate as mounted archery - a village girl, however talented, definitely needs more than several months to master this AND lead a mounted archer force. Otherwise anyone could have been as unstoppable as the Mongols.
2) The writing style - the story has interesting and original fantasy elements, but it is not terribly well-written (though characters - aside from the Mary Sue above - are well-done). Most of it is tell, not show, and not telling it in a particularly ponderous way the way Tolkien's tales are told in a narrative, biblical voice. But perhaps it is a tall order to compare any fantasy work to the greatest of greats.
3) Well-sketched secondary characters seem to be the strength of this novel. While the protagonist can be insufferable not to mention being wrapped in heavy plot armor, the side characters are rather heartwarming. No protagonist is an island, yet developing the whole cast can save your story.
July 10, 2024
I find this such a difficult book to review. Sara Douglass is an excellent fantasy writer and world builder. I love her style and her imagination. A lot of time was spent building the world, and that fantastical aspects of the races and magic.
(Indirect spoiler ahead)
But, the characters sucks. Not in an underdeveloped, boring kind of way. Axis is a jerk. Azhure is conveniently growing into her unknown powers at a steady pace. Borneheld could've been a much better antagonist, but in the end, he was just a short-tempered, jealous man. The Sentinals, at this point, are just here to fill in some lore blanks and no longer seem to serve much purpose. I could go on... The only decent character is Faraday, and in this book, we barely see her, and she is hugely f**ked over by everyone. Not to mention, in the first book, she's presented as who you think will be one of the most important characters, only to progressively notice her being shoved aside for Azhure (who, I admit, is pretty badass and more compassionate than most of the others, but still, she's turning into a Mary Sue).
Well. All that said, I'll still be reading the next book because, ultimately, I like the writing style, I'm invested in the plot with Gorgrael, I want to know more about WolfStar and I need to know what's going to happen to Faraday!
3.5 star leaning towards 4.
(Indirect spoiler ahead)
But, the characters sucks. Not in an underdeveloped, boring kind of way. Axis is a jerk. Azhure is conveniently growing into her unknown powers at a steady pace. Borneheld could've been a much better antagonist, but in the end, he was just a short-tempered, jealous man. The Sentinals, at this point, are just here to fill in some lore blanks and no longer seem to serve much purpose. I could go on... The only decent character is Faraday, and in this book, we barely see her, and she is hugely f**ked over by everyone. Not to mention, in the first book, she's presented as who you think will be one of the most important characters, only to progressively notice her being shoved aside for Azhure (who, I admit, is pretty badass and more compassionate than most of the others, but still, she's turning into a Mary Sue).
Well. All that said, I'll still be reading the next book because, ultimately, I like the writing style, I'm invested in the plot with Gorgrael, I want to know more about WolfStar and I need to know what's going to happen to Faraday!
3.5 star leaning towards 4.
October 26, 2024
3,75/5
Ce livre m’a pris presque un an à lire parce qu’il était hyper long et l’histoire était très lente à des moments. Mais même avec ça, l’histoire est très intéressante et j’ai adoré.
Par contre Axis ne comprend pas ce qu’est le respect envers les femmes, c’est violent
Ce livre m’a pris presque un an à lire parce qu’il était hyper long et l’histoire était très lente à des moments. Mais même avec ça, l’histoire est très intéressante et j’ai adoré.
Par contre Axis ne comprend pas ce qu’est le respect envers les femmes, c’est violent
January 26, 2020
My heart always brakes 💔 for Faraday. This is one of my all-time favorite, always re-readable series.
August 17, 2021
An amazing continuation in The Axis Trilogy that builds upon the equally beautiful and brooding world from book one.
June 9, 2024
If we don't get more Faraday next book I'm gonna be so upset.
October 25, 2024
This was an actual slog and I am not sure how I got through it.
May 25, 2024
wrap it before u tap it kids
November 13, 2018
WOW, this book is terrible.
The first one was pretty bad. It's your standard "royal bastard is destined to be the Chosen One and the villain is evil because he's evil because he's evil" story, without anything to make that much more interesting. The only things that kept me reading this far (about 300 pages into this second volume) were:
1. curiosity about the magic of the world, with questions like: how exactly does a dead enchanter make it from their tomb to the Star Gate, and what even is the Star Gate?
2. Who and what exactly is Azhure?
and... that's pretty much it.
I no longer care. I chose to suspend disbelief in the first volume to just accept that even though they've known each other for a few weeks and only ever had two on-screen conversations, Axis and Faraday love each other "more than life itself." Okay, fine. Faraday has to go and marry his brother because... reasons... and Axis gets all hostile and threatens her that she will marry him the instant she's free to, making her even more of a trophy that these dudes just keep passing around. Oh, but oops, the second she's out of sight, he just can't stop himself from jumping Azhure's bones and possibly only doing it to spite his dad, who literally screams into the night because she won't sleep with him, after she already told him no. (Meanwhile there's this other guy who renounces his commitment to bachelorhood the second Azure walks through HIS door, and gets all cranky that she won't marry him while pregnant with Axis's kid.) All that stuff about Azhure being some big mystery: why can she wield the enchanted bow? Why do the mythical dogs follow her around? Why does the Charonite talk to her with such reverence? Who cares. Her job is to be mancandy, and the author doesn't let you forget it.
Know what else she doesn't let you forget? That incest and kids having sex is 100% okay in this book. Why why WHY did so much real estate in this cinderblock of a book need to be devoted to the hero's grandmother explaining at great length why he should sleep with her, and how he's doomed to be unhappy if he's with someone he's not related to - which she knows because she started banging her cousin at age 13? Ugh. That's not edgy and high-minded, author. That's pointless and gross. Especially since all of it is leading up to Azhure turning out to be this long-lost relative, and that's why neither Axis nor StarDrifter can resist her (their blood calling to blood or whatever), Azhure getting pregnant by Axis, and StarDrifter ending up happy that that means he'll have a granddaughter he can groom to grow up to be his lover. WHAT. THE. HELL.
I do not care about the magical lakes anymore. I do not care what happened to the fifth sentinel. I don't care about the Star Gate. I don't care about the ninth Talon. I do. not. care. I CAN'T care, because in order to find out about any of it, I'd have to sift through more of Axis having no personality beyond "I must own every woman and be effortlessly the best at everything I attempt" and all of the women just fawning at his feet, no matter what potential they might have had. Both Faraday and Azhure should be complete badasses who dominate their own stories, but instead, they're relegated to his harem, and I just cannot anymore.
Somehow, in 1200 pages of story between the first two books, this author never manages to give any of the characters any substance, any actual evidence of feelings she simply informs us exist, nor any reason to be sympathetic to those who are supposed to be heroes. Making your hero a complete ass is not the same as creating a hero who is a flawed individual that we can still root for.
I say, let the Prophecy commence. Let the Destroyer consume this land. That would at least be more interesting.
The first one was pretty bad. It's your standard "royal bastard is destined to be the Chosen One and the villain is evil because he's evil because he's evil" story, without anything to make that much more interesting. The only things that kept me reading this far (about 300 pages into this second volume) were:
1. curiosity about the magic of the world, with questions like: how exactly does a dead enchanter make it from their tomb to the Star Gate, and what even is the Star Gate?
2. Who and what exactly is Azhure?
and... that's pretty much it.
I no longer care. I chose to suspend disbelief in the first volume to just accept that even though they've known each other for a few weeks and only ever had two on-screen conversations, Axis and Faraday love each other "more than life itself." Okay, fine. Faraday has to go and marry his brother because... reasons... and Axis gets all hostile and threatens her that she will marry him the instant she's free to, making her even more of a trophy that these dudes just keep passing around. Oh, but oops, the second she's out of sight, he just can't stop himself from jumping Azhure's bones and possibly only doing it to spite his dad, who literally screams into the night because she won't sleep with him, after she already told him no. (Meanwhile there's this other guy who renounces his commitment to bachelorhood the second Azure walks through HIS door, and gets all cranky that she won't marry him while pregnant with Axis's kid.) All that stuff about Azhure being some big mystery: why can she wield the enchanted bow? Why do the mythical dogs follow her around? Why does the Charonite talk to her with such reverence? Who cares. Her job is to be mancandy, and the author doesn't let you forget it.
Know what else she doesn't let you forget? That incest and kids having sex is 100% okay in this book. Why why WHY did so much real estate in this cinderblock of a book need to be devoted to the hero's grandmother explaining at great length why he should sleep with her, and how he's doomed to be unhappy if he's with someone he's not related to - which she knows because she started banging her cousin at age 13? Ugh. That's not edgy and high-minded, author. That's pointless and gross. Especially since all of it is leading up to Azhure turning out to be this long-lost relative, and that's why neither Axis nor StarDrifter can resist her (their blood calling to blood or whatever), Azhure getting pregnant by Axis, and StarDrifter ending up happy that that means he'll have a granddaughter he can groom to grow up to be his lover. WHAT. THE. HELL.
I do not care about the magical lakes anymore. I do not care what happened to the fifth sentinel. I don't care about the Star Gate. I don't care about the ninth Talon. I do. not. care. I CAN'T care, because in order to find out about any of it, I'd have to sift through more of Axis having no personality beyond "I must own every woman and be effortlessly the best at everything I attempt" and all of the women just fawning at his feet, no matter what potential they might have had. Both Faraday and Azhure should be complete badasses who dominate their own stories, but instead, they're relegated to his harem, and I just cannot anymore.
Somehow, in 1200 pages of story between the first two books, this author never manages to give any of the characters any substance, any actual evidence of feelings she simply informs us exist, nor any reason to be sympathetic to those who are supposed to be heroes. Making your hero a complete ass is not the same as creating a hero who is a flawed individual that we can still root for.
I say, let the Prophecy commence. Let the Destroyer consume this land. That would at least be more interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2009
My biggest issue with the book was that Axis ended up falling for Azhure after he promised himself to Faraday. That just rubs me the wrong way... It then discredits any promise he makes after that. Who could trust him again if he says something that sounds like he means SO MUCH and then turns around and changes his mind? He's the type of guy who only cares about his own needs first and puts everything else far behind him. Not that great for a leader/king of all.
That said, like the first book it's another fantasy series I can only be so jealous of, for I would never be able to write such beauty.
I did enjoy the book and I found myself unable to put it down. While I don't like Axis as much as I used to, I do see that it's realistic. Promises mean nothing to the general mass of society these days, what with rushed marriages and then divorces and such - how is this any different to that? It's not. So my issue with Axis hardly means anything - I'm just born in the wrong century if I have any problems with him.
I also read somewhere that Sara never liked Faraday, so any hopes of her having a happy ending will be sadly crushed most likely. Still, I can't wait to read the third in the series, and then carry onwards with the other three.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2012
SPOILER ALERT PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK
ok sooo i have decided to drop this book....
i absolutley loved the first book but now this!?!?! what happened Miss Douglass??? your first book was full of awesomeness (if that's even a word) but your second book was driving me mad!!
i treat my books very well, they are like sacred to me. but this book has been thrown across my room multiple times, has been hit in my face because i was dying out of frustration and annoyance, and has nearly been lit on fire!! but i didn't because it would be considered a sacrilege! i hated how the main protagonist who has the gall to be called the "hero" is such an asshole in this one!! bedding two women and pretending to love them both! really??? now you have me started about my feministic beliefs!!!! i just grew to dislike it more and more! which is weird because i loved the first book!
seriously, my face the whole time was like this ----> (-__________-)thats right i gave it the whale face!?!!?
i rate it 2 stars.....
i was not happy............
ok sooo i have decided to drop this book....
i absolutley loved the first book but now this!?!?! what happened Miss Douglass??? your first book was full of awesomeness (if that's even a word) but your second book was driving me mad!!
i treat my books very well, they are like sacred to me. but this book has been thrown across my room multiple times, has been hit in my face because i was dying out of frustration and annoyance, and has nearly been lit on fire!! but i didn't because it would be considered a sacrilege! i hated how the main protagonist who has the gall to be called the "hero" is such an asshole in this one!! bedding two women and pretending to love them both! really??? now you have me started about my feministic beliefs!!!! i just grew to dislike it more and more! which is weird because i loved the first book!
seriously, my face the whole time was like this ----> (-__________-)thats right i gave it the whale face!?!!?
i rate it 2 stars.....
i was not happy............
April 21, 2009
Okay here's my thing, I picked up "Wayfarer" because I thought it would be about Faraday- I was totally stoked because so many fantasy books have incredibly weak female characters and the protagonists are males. Faraday is barely in 'Enchanter', it focus is more her love, Axis- who basically acts like a complete a$$hole, and because he is this messiah character everyone seems totally cool with it. Then theirs Azhure...um because she was abused is that supposed to make it okay that you betrayed someone that technically saved your life on Yuletide? 'He used magic on me', whatever lady poor excuse. I'm a little disappointed in the series (and its only the 2nd book) so far and am not sure if I will continue to read them. Booooo.
June 29, 2009
The book is written well that's why it got the 3 stars. It was a difficult for me to read because I did not like that the main character Axis chose to take a lover when I thought he should stay committed to Faraday. Not only take a lover but have a child and another two on the way! UGH!!! I almost threw the book when I finished. Faraday sacraficed much for Axix by marrying his brother so that his brother would not kill him. It was a unhappy, loveless marriage while her true love was for Axis. Once Faraday and Axis is reunited it is obvious that his feelings are for his lover not Faraday. I don't want to ruin the whole book for you but I did not like the betrayal I felt for Faraday. Had Axis true feeling remained with Faraday I probably would have given the book a 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2014
Faraday/Azhure = OTP. There were a few slashable moments. Like the whole let me heal you with my magick touch, which I took to a whole new level. *wink wink*
Axis was an entitled ass in this one, he wanted Azhure and Faraday. Faraday did not have time for that shit. Pretty much hit it and quit it.
And her and Azhure became "best friends" after their "healing time". It was great. This ship is giving me life.
Axis was an entitled ass in this one, he wanted Azhure and Faraday. Faraday did not have time for that shit. Pretty much hit it and quit it.
And her and Azhure became "best friends" after their "healing time". It was great. This ship is giving me life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2016
I loved The Wayfarer Redemption, and eagerly picked up this book as soon as I finished the first. I was much less than impressed. The writing was still amazing, but the story lost me after what Axel did to Faraday. It's honestly a personal issue, but Faraday was my favourite character, and what happened to her just ruined the book for me.
It may have been the age I read it at, however, and I've been thinking about a reread sometime in the future. Maybe this time I'll be able to get to the third book as well..
It may have been the age I read it at, however, and I've been thinking about a reread sometime in the future. Maybe this time I'll be able to get to the third book as well..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2016
Again as I mentioned for the first book, read these ages ago. I enjoyed them and the first was definitely my favorite. The second did an adequate job with the story but I know that for me it did not stand equal to the first
September 13, 2022
I enjoyed this re-read more than I did that of book one, surprisingly, but I still don't rate it as high as I did on the last couple of reads, so dropping my rating to a 4.
May 16, 2018
Enchanter is book two of the Wayferer's Redemption series, so this review may contain spoilers of book one and will contain spoilers of Enchanter.
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There was a lot about this book that I was not expecting. Firstly, let's start with the focus.
Goragel is busy trying to attack all of Tencendor and kill Axis, but that was surprisingly really back seat to the battles between Axis and Borneheld. I wonder if some of it is because Goragel was busy building his army back up and the Dark Man was really interested in watching Axis. In this, we still don't know who the Dark Man is, but I have suspicions.
Unlike the first book, I didn't like Faraday as much in this. She felt like a whiny brat because she didn't get her way. Yes, Axis taking a lover and having a kid with her was wrong. Yes he made a vow, but at the same time, they should have both realized how long it might be before they saw one another and how much they would change. It wasn't really fair to hold Axis to a vow before we find out that Icarii Enchanters can really only marry those of their own bloodline because otherwise it's not a lasting relationship and hurts everyone involved. SO, after knowing that and being INEXPLICABLY drawn to Azhure, MAYBE, Axis, you idiot, should have figured out that it was never going to work between himself and Faraday.
I really liked Azhure a lot. She got an amazing character arc/growth in this book, and we find out exactly who she is, where she is from, and her history, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. My suspicions throughout this book were 100% correct and she is WolfStar's daughter (I had wondered if she was that or a distant descendant). The alaunt were freaking cool, and I loved how BA she was, especially when all the Icarii were laughing at the lil human trying to wield the big powerful bow, and she kicks their butts.
Borneheld was a really sad character, and I still don't hate him, I just really, REALLY dislike him. A lot contributed to his insane thirst to destroy Axis and the "Forbidden," and I understand where it comes from, but he was still ruthless and a horrible person. Still felt bad that he died in such a way, though.
I was not expecting Rivkah to have a little romance arc, and it made me so happy because that poor woman has been through the worst of it.
Stardrifter needs to chill. I like him, but he is so hormonal and angsty. He's like the random YA character thrown into this book.
I enjoyed seeing more of the Icarii world, as well as more of the Mother's forest. Both were places that felt ancient as you read them. How does an author give a book that feeling?
And Axis. His character is so different yet the same as he was in the first book. He's still an amazing leader, tactician, and decent human, but now he knows the truth of stuff and isn't blindly following the way of the Plough. I loved how in this book he really didn't use a lot of magic and, when he did, it was in such a way that he was drained almost immediately. He's not an over powered individual at all, even though he's stronger than basically anyone. He relies on his physical abilities and sometimes mixes in his Enchanter abilities. I really enjoy watching him lead and fight because he's good at it.
I'm amazed with how many characters in the book so readily accepted him as a leader, which speaks to how little respect Borneheld actually had.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It only took me a long time to read because I have been so busy this month, otherwise I could have easily finished this in one sitting. I cannot wait for book three to finish this trilogy and move on to the next one.
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There was a lot about this book that I was not expecting. Firstly, let's start with the focus.
Goragel is busy trying to attack all of Tencendor and kill Axis, but that was surprisingly really back seat to the battles between Axis and Borneheld. I wonder if some of it is because Goragel was busy building his army back up and the Dark Man was really interested in watching Axis. In this, we still don't know who the Dark Man is, but I have suspicions.
Unlike the first book, I didn't like Faraday as much in this. She felt like a whiny brat because she didn't get her way. Yes, Axis taking a lover and having a kid with her was wrong. Yes he made a vow, but at the same time, they should have both realized how long it might be before they saw one another and how much they would change. It wasn't really fair to hold Axis to a vow before we find out that Icarii Enchanters can really only marry those of their own bloodline because otherwise it's not a lasting relationship and hurts everyone involved. SO, after knowing that and being INEXPLICABLY drawn to Azhure, MAYBE, Axis, you idiot, should have figured out that it was never going to work between himself and Faraday.
I really liked Azhure a lot. She got an amazing character arc/growth in this book, and we find out exactly who she is, where she is from, and her history, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. My suspicions throughout this book were 100% correct and she is WolfStar's daughter (I had wondered if she was that or a distant descendant). The alaunt were freaking cool, and I loved how BA she was, especially when all the Icarii were laughing at the lil human trying to wield the big powerful bow, and she kicks their butts.
Borneheld was a really sad character, and I still don't hate him, I just really, REALLY dislike him. A lot contributed to his insane thirst to destroy Axis and the "Forbidden," and I understand where it comes from, but he was still ruthless and a horrible person. Still felt bad that he died in such a way, though.
I was not expecting Rivkah to have a little romance arc, and it made me so happy because that poor woman has been through the worst of it.
Stardrifter needs to chill. I like him, but he is so hormonal and angsty. He's like the random YA character thrown into this book.
I enjoyed seeing more of the Icarii world, as well as more of the Mother's forest. Both were places that felt ancient as you read them. How does an author give a book that feeling?
And Axis. His character is so different yet the same as he was in the first book. He's still an amazing leader, tactician, and decent human, but now he knows the truth of stuff and isn't blindly following the way of the Plough. I loved how in this book he really didn't use a lot of magic and, when he did, it was in such a way that he was drained almost immediately. He's not an over powered individual at all, even though he's stronger than basically anyone. He relies on his physical abilities and sometimes mixes in his Enchanter abilities. I really enjoy watching him lead and fight because he's good at it.
I'm amazed with how many characters in the book so readily accepted him as a leader, which speaks to how little respect Borneheld actually had.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It only took me a long time to read because I have been so busy this month, otherwise I could have easily finished this in one sitting. I cannot wait for book three to finish this trilogy and move on to the next one.
July 14, 2019
4 Stars
Enchanter is the second book in The Wayfarer Redemption series by Sara Douglass. When this book was released back in in mid 1990’s, when I first read it, it was originally called Battleaxe and was book one of the Axis Trilogy- the series later got expanded and so the name change. Part of my 2019 reading challenge was to read an Australian author- well how do I narrow that down, there are so many great Aussie authors, but Ms. Douglass was one of the first Aussie authors whose work I fell in love with. I have devoured everything she had ever written and was devastated when she lost her battle with cancer back in 2011. Her books really stuck with me over time, and I don’t revisit them as often as I’d like. The last few months have been emotionally draining for me, and I really wanted/needed to lose myself in another world- so I chose to revisit some old favourites that have a comforting nostalgia associated with them. I couldn’t choose just one of her books, they are all great, and quite a few of them are interconnected- so I chose to read them all.
I still love The Wayfarer Redemption series as much as I did the first time I read it. It is an epic fantasy interwoven with prophecy, demons, evil Baddies, adventure, action, drama, a bit of a love triangle, good vs evil, magic, mystery, and so much more. Ms. Douglass weaves her stories quite masterfully, crafting a truly believable and sumptuous world in which to set her story. Her attention to detail brings her world and stories to life- with its own culture, history, language, religion, folklore, magic, laws, tensions, and communities. So cleverly done that I feel like I have ‘been’ there before.
The Wayfarer Redemption series books are:
-The Wayfarer Redemption (Book One)
-Enchanter (Book Two)
-Starman (Book Three)
-Sinner (Book Four)
-Pilgrim (Book Five)
-Crusader (Book #6)
If you like epic fantasy, adventures in new worlds, plenty of action, good vs evil, some violence, wonderful character, and interesting stories- then this book series is definitely one you will want to read!
Happy Reading!
Enchanter is the second book in The Wayfarer Redemption series by Sara Douglass. When this book was released back in in mid 1990’s, when I first read it, it was originally called Battleaxe and was book one of the Axis Trilogy- the series later got expanded and so the name change. Part of my 2019 reading challenge was to read an Australian author- well how do I narrow that down, there are so many great Aussie authors, but Ms. Douglass was one of the first Aussie authors whose work I fell in love with. I have devoured everything she had ever written and was devastated when she lost her battle with cancer back in 2011. Her books really stuck with me over time, and I don’t revisit them as often as I’d like. The last few months have been emotionally draining for me, and I really wanted/needed to lose myself in another world- so I chose to revisit some old favourites that have a comforting nostalgia associated with them. I couldn’t choose just one of her books, they are all great, and quite a few of them are interconnected- so I chose to read them all.
I still love The Wayfarer Redemption series as much as I did the first time I read it. It is an epic fantasy interwoven with prophecy, demons, evil Baddies, adventure, action, drama, a bit of a love triangle, good vs evil, magic, mystery, and so much more. Ms. Douglass weaves her stories quite masterfully, crafting a truly believable and sumptuous world in which to set her story. Her attention to detail brings her world and stories to life- with its own culture, history, language, religion, folklore, magic, laws, tensions, and communities. So cleverly done that I feel like I have ‘been’ there before.
The Wayfarer Redemption series books are:
-The Wayfarer Redemption (Book One)
-Enchanter (Book Two)
-Starman (Book Three)
-Sinner (Book Four)
-Pilgrim (Book Five)
-Crusader (Book #6)
If you like epic fantasy, adventures in new worlds, plenty of action, good vs evil, some violence, wonderful character, and interesting stories- then this book series is definitely one you will want to read!
Happy Reading!
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