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vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
charliadams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the first epic fantasy I have read in a long time. It was nice stepping back into a fantasy genre that helped build the love of reading for me. Sara Douglass was one of those authors that chilled on my shelf for the longest time. I have multiple books in her many series, and I thought it was time to break them in.
Axis is who the story revolves around. He is the leader of an elite sector. I can tell the author put most of her time in developing his character. His storyline was one of the best in this book. His personality reminds me a little of those in the Lord of the Rings series (I have not read the books, so I am going off the movies). He is loyal to his cause and those around him but cross him and he will make you work back into his graces. It would be curious to see where his character develops.
Faraday is one of the main characters in this story. At first, I was not sure how I liked her. Now, I am not a big fan. This is an epic fantasy, and I know there are certain “roles” women mostly played. That was not the issue for me. The issue was, she felt whinny. Faraday was supposed to be around 16-18 I am guessing, but it felt she was younger. In all honesty, Faraday reminded me of Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones, and she was not my favorite character in the book or tv series. I could see the character's growth and maybe she gets better throughout the series.
There are many characters in this story, and as a reader, we should expect it from an epic fantasy. They each played their part to help push the prophecy forward and written well enough to hold their own in the story. At this moment, I cannot tell you which character is my favorite. None of them jumped out at me.
The world building in this book felt a bit lacking. I got confused in some areas, especially the prologue. There was background information scattered throughout the book, but I think the author could have given a bit more. Maybe this is addressed throughout the series.
I grabbed The Wayfarer Redemption because it was the first Sara Douglass book I picked up. Throughout the years, I have heard good things about her book. Sadly, this one did not do too much for me. It could be her writing style, or I have outgrown epic fantasy (I do not think this is it). There was so much going on, I was getting slightly confused. The tempo was good, but at some points there was some sluggish. Being the first book of a series, I try to give it a benefit of the doubt because of all the world building.
I still recommend this book even though I am not sure if I will immediately continue this series. Give it a chance if you like epic fantasy. You may like it more than I do.
You can find this and other reviews on my website:
https://www.charliadamswriter.com
Axis is who the story revolves around. He is the leader of an elite sector. I can tell the author put most of her time in developing his character. His storyline was one of the best in this book. His personality reminds me a little of those in the Lord of the Rings series (I have not read the books, so I am going off the movies). He is loyal to his cause and those around him but cross him and he will make you work back into his graces. It would be curious to see where his character develops.
Faraday is one of the main characters in this story. At first, I was not sure how I liked her. Now, I am not a big fan. This is an epic fantasy, and I know there are certain “roles” women mostly played. That was not the issue for me. The issue was, she felt whinny. Faraday was supposed to be around 16-18 I am guessing, but it felt she was younger. In all honesty, Faraday reminded me of Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones, and she was not my favorite character in the book or tv series. I could see the character's growth and maybe she gets better throughout the series.
There are many characters in this story, and as a reader, we should expect it from an epic fantasy. They each played their part to help push the prophecy forward and written well enough to hold their own in the story. At this moment, I cannot tell you which character is my favorite. None of them jumped out at me.
The world building in this book felt a bit lacking. I got confused in some areas, especially the prologue. There was background information scattered throughout the book, but I think the author could have given a bit more. Maybe this is addressed throughout the series.
I grabbed The Wayfarer Redemption because it was the first Sara Douglass book I picked up. Throughout the years, I have heard good things about her book. Sadly, this one did not do too much for me. It could be her writing style, or I have outgrown epic fantasy (I do not think this is it). There was so much going on, I was getting slightly confused. The tempo was good, but at some points there was some sluggish. Being the first book of a series, I try to give it a benefit of the doubt because of all the world building.
I still recommend this book even though I am not sure if I will immediately continue this series. Give it a chance if you like epic fantasy. You may like it more than I do.
You can find this and other reviews on my website:
https://www.charliadamswriter.com
whisper88's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
funeralthirst666's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
joabroda's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
Old-time fantasy. Hokey in parts. Dramatic, overplayed characters and storylines. Ridiculous names for characters : Axis, the Battle-Axe AKA Starman, TreeFriend, you get the idea. And yet, I loved it all.
The book was published in the early 90's when expansive fantasy was all the rage. Think Robert Jordan and The Wheel of Time. The story centers around three races of people torn apart thousands of years ago who now must unite and battle evil. You have your hero, some strong female characters and a society facing total destruction.
I will definitely continue the series. Not for everyone, but if you have a curiosity or a love for early fantasy, I say give it a go.
The book was published in the early 90's when expansive fantasy was all the rage. Think Robert Jordan and The Wheel of Time. The story centers around three races of people torn apart thousands of years ago who now must unite and battle evil. You have your hero, some strong female characters and a society facing total destruction.
I will definitely continue the series. Not for everyone, but if you have a curiosity or a love for early fantasy, I say give it a go.
debthebookworm's review against another edition
2.0
It started off with enough intrigue to keep me reading, but the head-hopping and melodrama made it a struggle to continue. If I continue with this sequel, I'll at least know to skim through. Overall, it was a very ambitious novel.
sammystarbuck's review against another edition
4.0
It's interesting to see how tastes change over time. The first time I read this book, I adored it. Had I been on GR at the time, it would have been a comfortable 5 stars. However, though I loved the first trilogy, I couldn't get on with the second trilogy at all.
Fast forward a few years, and my reading of The Wayfarer Redemption dropped to a 4 star. the follow-up trilogy however sang to me, and shot up to 5 stars.
This time around, the first book really only reaches the 3 star mark for me. The writing is a little simplistic, the characters a little too one-dimensional, the plot a little too contrived. It'll be interesting to see how I feel about the rest this time...
I've lowered my rating from 5 to 4 stars, as it's a nice average of my enjoyment over time.
Fast forward a few years, and my reading of The Wayfarer Redemption dropped to a 4 star. the follow-up trilogy however sang to me, and shot up to 5 stars.
This time around, the first book really only reaches the 3 star mark for me. The writing is a little simplistic, the characters a little too one-dimensional, the plot a little too contrived. It'll be interesting to see how I feel about the rest this time...
I've lowered my rating from 5 to 4 stars, as it's a nice average of my enjoyment over time.
celeste57's review against another edition
3.0
Full review now posted!
To the best of my knowledge, this was my first foray into Australian fantasy. And for the most part, it was an enjoyable journey. The land of Achar is facing a supernatural invasion, and Axis, the BattleAxe of the realm, sets out to fight the incursion. But Axis’s history is not what he has been taught his whole life to believe, and there is more to him than he thinks. As he slowly uncovers his past and the powers latent within him, he is joined by two priests, a pig herder, a white cat, and a lovely young woman named Faraday, who just so happens to be engaged to Axis’s greatest enemy; his half-brother, Borneheld. Layer by layer, the Prophecy of the Destroyer is revealed, and Axis’s life will never be the same.
It didn’t take me long to warm up to Axis, because I have a thing for surly guys who are actually really great people deep down. Faraday, on the other hand, took a while for me to embrace. She seemed in turns both too whiny and too accepting of any powers that manifested through her. But grow on me she did! My favorite minor characters were Azhure, a human who had lived through hell but was stronger for it; and StarDrifter and FreeFall, Icarii royalty who were absolutely gorgeous with their incredible wings.
The Icarii, a winged race, and the Avar, a race of forest dwellers, were interesting additions to Douglass’s world. They had been slaughtered by humans (Acharites) in the distant past, and the humans had deforested as much of the land as possible. In fact, the religion of the land was the Way of the Plough, and it portrayed trees and forests as almost demonic. The Seneschal, or the ruling religious body, were truly awful. The emphasis on deforestation (and the implied evil of the action) reminded me of Ferngully. The true power of this planet was not found in Artor and his way of the Plough, but in the Mother, a nature deity whose powers manifested themselves through trees and lakes. The nature religion of the Avar, Icarii, and those Acharites who were converted reminded me vaguely of Wicca.
The story was interesting, and the setting and characters were interesting. My main problem with the book was the writing itself. One of my biggest pet peeves is the repetition of names in dialogue, and Douglass fell into that. They know who they are; you don’t have to keep reminding them that you know their name! I got bogged down a bit at times, as well, by an inability to find a character’s actions believable (I’m looking at you, Borneheld, you beast); by either overabundance or lack of description, depending on the chapter; or by a constant reiteration of information that had been conveyed multiple times. But beyond that, it was just a fun look back at the fantasy genre of 20 years ago. I can absolutely see the nostalgic value of the books if they were one of your first forays into fantasy, as they were for my lovely friend Sarah. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, it will just be at some point in the distant future.
Another buddy read with these loveliest of ladies: Marquess Mary and Lady Luna.
To the best of my knowledge, this was my first foray into Australian fantasy. And for the most part, it was an enjoyable journey. The land of Achar is facing a supernatural invasion, and Axis, the BattleAxe of the realm, sets out to fight the incursion. But Axis’s history is not what he has been taught his whole life to believe, and there is more to him than he thinks. As he slowly uncovers his past and the powers latent within him, he is joined by two priests, a pig herder, a white cat, and a lovely young woman named Faraday, who just so happens to be engaged to Axis’s greatest enemy; his half-brother, Borneheld. Layer by layer, the Prophecy of the Destroyer is revealed, and Axis’s life will never be the same.
It didn’t take me long to warm up to Axis, because I have a thing for surly guys who are actually really great people deep down. Faraday, on the other hand, took a while for me to embrace. She seemed in turns both too whiny and too accepting of any powers that manifested through her. But grow on me she did! My favorite minor characters were Azhure, a human who had lived through hell but was stronger for it; and StarDrifter and FreeFall, Icarii royalty who were absolutely gorgeous with their incredible wings.
The Icarii, a winged race, and the Avar, a race of forest dwellers, were interesting additions to Douglass’s world. They had been slaughtered by humans (Acharites) in the distant past, and the humans had deforested as much of the land as possible. In fact, the religion of the land was the Way of the Plough, and it portrayed trees and forests as almost demonic. The Seneschal, or the ruling religious body, were truly awful. The emphasis on deforestation (and the implied evil of the action) reminded me of Ferngully. The true power of this planet was not found in Artor and his way of the Plough, but in the Mother, a nature deity whose powers manifested themselves through trees and lakes. The nature religion of the Avar, Icarii, and those Acharites who were converted reminded me vaguely of Wicca.
The story was interesting, and the setting and characters were interesting. My main problem with the book was the writing itself. One of my biggest pet peeves is the repetition of names in dialogue, and Douglass fell into that. They know who they are; you don’t have to keep reminding them that you know their name! I got bogged down a bit at times, as well, by an inability to find a character’s actions believable (I’m looking at you, Borneheld, you beast); by either overabundance or lack of description, depending on the chapter; or by a constant reiteration of information that had been conveyed multiple times. But beyond that, it was just a fun look back at the fantasy genre of 20 years ago. I can absolutely see the nostalgic value of the books if they were one of your first forays into fantasy, as they were for my lovely friend Sarah. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, it will just be at some point in the distant future.
Another buddy read with these loveliest of ladies: Marquess Mary and Lady Luna.
thiefofcamorr's review
5.0
Another fantasy series I can only be so jealous of, for I would never be able to write such beauty.
letitiaharmon's review against another edition
2.0
Simply not impressed by the characters, or the story, or the writing. The writer has an awful and annoying habit of what I call "head-hopping" (one paragraph from one character's perspective, then jump to another character's point of view). The religious elements were unclear, as was the magic and its source. The characters have some potential, but I felt she used several hundred pages to just barely introduce them. Don't think I will continue with the series.