Rating: 
Summary: A More Realistic Review
Review: Ok, let's be honest here. This is not the best book to ever fall off the shelf. The people who are assigning it 5 stars either haven't read very much good fantasy or are easily impressed. [Or perhaps they are shills for the author.] It is also not the piece of garbage that other people claim it is. It is average. On the good side, it is pretty easy to read, though I never really had a problem putting it down. I can see that occasional poor writing could throw people out of the moment, but on the whole the writing flows fairly well. It is engaging in parts, and the lore is good, compromised a bit by the idiotic prophecy. On the bad side, the characters are pretty unengaging, very flat and hard to like. But they are not awful; they are just standard fantasy tropes that have been done much better by more capable authors. The writing can be really sloppy, and the names ARE silly sounding. My big complaint is that this is a high quality mass market paperback. It is really not worthy of a hardcover release or being pushed as much as it is. It does not deserve to be damned the way it has been, or praised to the skies. It's AVERAGE. If you can afford to spend hardcover money on average material, you should not be too disappointed. If not, it's worth checking out from the library or in paperback. If you are picky on wanting originality and quality, you may want to pass on this.
Rating: 
Summary: Satisfying in a traditional, "comfotable shoes" kind of way
Review: I was very put off by the odd naming conventions that the Author used in her book, I thought they were giving away too much of the plot. The writing stands alone fine without the need for names like "Axis", "Icarii", etc... Most readers don't need the author to point out that Axis is, well the Axis of the story. The fact that the Icarii are birdmen, well this wanders dangerously close to a humorous choice of names for me. Naming conventions aside, I thought it was a charming book, but I wasn't really convinced until the second book. Read this book, but only so you can read the next.
Rating:
Summary: The Enjoyment Runs Dry
Review: At first, this book gives much promise. Curiosity flows with the adventure of a single woman, giving birth to what seems to be a "monster." This interest continues for the first dozen pages, and then the theme switches.
New characters are introduced, and the real plot of the novel begins. I found lead characters to be superbly written, and unique. The actual story of the lives they lived at times seemed to lack sturdiness, as if Sara Douglass, (author) was unsure where to go next with the plot and just decided to fix the problem, lose the suspense, and move on. The characters began to lose their backbones, and didn't seem as real to me as it progressed. Writing quality isn't the best ever, but that still didn't seem to take away from the book.
I give this 4 stars because it held my interest long enough for me to finish the book, and even to purchase "Enchanter" - the sequel to this book.
If you're getting tired of the old fantasy series that you've been reading for years, give this one a look. Who knows, it could become one of your favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Equivalent to a ....
Review: Summer fun-flick.
I love fantasy. I love science fiction. And I willingly admit I don't have very high requirements of the fiction I read. All I ask is that it entertain me enough that I keep turning the pages. This book certainly did that. But it doesn't have the "WOW" factor of very early Robert Jordan (books 1-4 of Wheel of Time before it became the Wheel of Boredom), George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Frank Herbert's Dune. I think this aspect is what some people were hoping for when they bought this book based on the 5 star ratings of some reviewers here. While the author sketches out the 3 main species inhabiting the planet there is not enough of a sense of a character's actions as also representative of their culture. The Avar, while able to display some interesting powers, still ultimately come across as people who happen to live in the forest and have a forest god. There is not enough rounded out sense that the Avar people are really an alien or exotic culture. The same is true of the Icarii. They have interesting powers thrown into the mix yet they and the Avar ultimately come across as yet-another story of Wrongly-Persecuted Indigenous Peoples. There is also one other criticism which I think is valid for this series - it is, in fact, the main reason my boyfriend generally dislikes fantasy and science fiction as a whole for this series shares this flaw with many other books in these 2 genres. The heroes are presented as overwhelmingly GOOD (with only minute flaws - i.e. Axis) and the enemies are overwhelmingly BAD (Borneheld) or just plain EVIL (Gorgrael). In fact, one of the few characters in the book I felt some real sympathy for is Borneheld because he was abandoned by his mother when he was not much more than 3 or 4. She rejected the son because she couldn't stand the father. The author gives hints that Borneheld feels real emotional pain at her loss yet she feels no shame for abandoning him. This is only one example of how the characters lean more toward black and white portrayals than the conflicting real-world struggles and less than perfect lives people lead. This aspect could turn off a lot of readers leading to complaints of wooden characters or unrealistic dialogue or actions. Similar things could be said of a few other characters in the book. Gorgrael is given no excuse for being evil - apparently he was just born that way...go figure. And yet, despite all of that...I was still entertained. I was hooked enough that I turned the page all the way to the end. And I went ahead and bought the second book in this series and I finished that one as well (in my opinion book 2 is far better than book 1). And when book 3 comes out in mass market paperback I'll be getting that one. So I don't want to give the impression that this series can't be enjoyable or that it is utter trash (although there will be plenty of reviewers here later who may wonder how anyone could think otherwise). Just realize - it is the equivalent of a summer throw-away flick. It is not heavy, philosophical, does not try to World-Build ala Tolkien, Jordan or Herbert. And don't expect it to be on par with Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. It's a standard fantasy, well-written but many may find portions unoriginal enough they're unable to enjoy it. Thus my final score is 3. Solid, Enjoyable - FOR ME. *I* found it entertaining - enough so I plan to get book 3, but some aspects are questionable enough that people will fall either way and there can be no surety in advance of which group you'll be in. If you're insisting on a Tolkien, Martin or Herbert - look elsewhere. For everyone else it may be worth a shot.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: After reading some of the other reviews on this site, I was given the impression that Ms. Douglass' books were absolutely terrible! However, I was recommended by a friend of mine (A Mr Jason Byrne of Australia) to have a look at the series, and tell him what I thought... and all I can really say is wow! The Plot was fresh and exciting, without being overly complicated or simple. There were plenty of twists and turns within the novel which made this book simply un-putdownable, and the character development was excellent. Unlike many other fantasy novels, where you feel like an observer on the battle feild, or in the castle, in Ms. Douglass' books you can actually put yourself in the character's shoes and identify with them! It was a very refreshing change! The setting of the book is a mythical land that was once called Tencendor. The series follows the escapades of Axis, a man born of human and bird-man blood, and his son, Drago. While this brief (extremely brief!) description may lead you to believe that the story line is cliched/unoriginal (how many stories have you read with bird people? Countless!), I can ssure you that Ms. Douglass gives every character within her plot a unique and unmistakable "Douglass touch" which leaves you in no doubt that her story is not some re-hashed script, but a refreshing, living, in-a-class-of-it's-own story-line, and leaves you wondering why you hadn't discovered Ms. Douglass sooner. I can not express my delight in finding out that not only has Ms. Douglass finished all six books in this series (don't let the amount put you off, it'll seem like they're not long enough!), but her new series, entitled the Crucible is half way through completion! I can't wait. I would also like to express my appreciation of Ms. Douglass' efforts in compiling a delightful and entertaining web page, which not only contains information on the author and books, but actual short stories which relate to the plot of the book.. I'd advise all the reviewers here to have a look at www.saradouglass.com it's well worth the experience. This book is exactly the kind that the literary world needs to keep their plotlines and characters fresh... well done Ms Douglass, keep up the good work!
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying in a traditional, "comfotable shoes" kind of way
Review: I was very put off by the odd naming conventions that the Author used in her book, I thought they were giving away too much of the plot. The writing stands alone fine without the need for names like "Axis", "Icarii", etc... Most readers don't need the author to point out that Axis is, well the Axis of the story. The fact that the Icarii are birdmen, well this wanders dangerously close to a humorous choice of names for me. Naming conventions aside, I thought it was a charming book, but I wasn't really convinced until the second book. Read this book, but only so you can read the next.
Rating:
Summary: The Enjoyment Runs Dry
Review: At first, this book gives much promise. Curiosity flows with the adventure of a single woman, giving birth to what seems to be a "monster." This interest continues for the first dozen pages, and then the theme switches.
New characters are introduced, and the real plot of the novel begins. I found lead characters to be superbly written, and unique. The actual story of the lives they lived at times seemed to lack sturdiness, as if Sara Douglass, (author) was unsure where to go next with the plot and just decided to fix the problem, lose the suspense, and move on. The characters began to lose their backbones, and didn't seem as real to me as it progressed. Writing quality isn't the best ever, but that still didn't seem to take away from the book.
I give this 4 stars because it held my interest long enough for me to finish the book, and even to purchase "Enchanter" - the sequel to this book.
If you're getting tired of the old fantasy series that you've been reading for years, give this one a look. Who knows, it could become one of your favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying series start
Review: Well, again with the "humans suck" theme, but this time it's in a fantasy world where long ago, humans chased out the other sentient races that used to share a kingdom with them. Now the Acharites (members of the human kingdom of Achar) are terrified of trees and tell their children horror stories of the "Forbidden". So at first, when rumors of monsters attacking in the north hit the capital, it's assumed to be these Forbidden. But when Axis, the leader of the Acharite religion's military order, finds two old monks who have spent years studying the literature of the Forbidden, they tell him about a strange Prophecy that foretold this whole mess. Turns out, these monsters aren't the Forbidden at all, they're the minions of a Very Bad Guy, Gorgrael. And the only way to defeat him is to unite with the Forbidden, under the rule of a certain StarMan. Axis and his men gradually come to believe this Prophecy, aided along by plenty of mystical occurrences and startling revelations, naturally. There's a side story involving Faraday, the girl Axis falls in love with who ends up marrying his brother, and has her own part to play in the Prophecy, and plenty of well-drawn secondary characters. The climactic battle really isn't, being more of a series of rather disheartening skirmishes, but since this is the first in a series, you can't really expect the good guys to trounce the bad guys triumphantly right at first. The plot twists are more like discoveries, as the characters come together and their relationships are formed and reformed. The writing is above average; not superb, but very readable. Oh, and while by the second book this changes, for the first 3/4 of this book, women are relegated to the "wait and pine and wring their hands" role, so if you're a "sword and sorceress" type like me, just hang in there. (Don't be fooled by the cover drawing of requisite Hot Female Warrior with Very Few Clothes on - I have no idea who she is or where she comes in. Hey, who cares?)
Rating: 
Summary: Felt unclean - and offended - after finishing this one
Review: This is not a complaint about the writing style as so many other of the bad reviews have been, this is about the message I could not help but feel Douglas was trying to convey. I think a lot of readers forget that authors try to present not only an interesting story, but their ideals conserning the real world as well. For instance, Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" is filled with the heroes who are self sacrificing and valiant in the face of definitive evil. After reading this book, however, I think Douglas has one twisted and disturbing sence of morality. The book takes that which most people with any sort of traditional values would find morally offensive and tries to portray them as "good" and tries to get the reader to feel sympathy for those engaging in such behavior. Anyway, if you want characters that have some sort of moral fiber to them, I'd strongly recommend skipping this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Uggh
Review: This book was written poorly. There, I've said it. The first half of the book has enough of an intriguing plot, that kept me going. But it slowly faded away and all that was left was more poor writing. The plot wasn't good enough for me to read the next books in the trilogy. I confess that I sort of bought this book by the sexy cover. My biggest pet peeve is all of the BIG word naming. Why does everything have to have a long, BIG worded, confusing name - it makes it difficult to keep track of and severely interferes with the plot. In the end, the plot gave it one more star than it needs.
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