Rating: 
Summary: rather disappointing
Review: Warning: spoilers ahead! I first learned about "The Wayfarer Redemption" through the Science Fiction Book Club. I saw an ad for it, thought it looked interesting, and when it came out in paperback, I picked it up. Sara Douglass was compared to Robert Jordan, whose work I like, and so I figured it would be worth a shot.Now, I understand that this series was written a while ago, published in Australia before it was published in America. But the word "stereotypical" keeps coming to mind. The plot in particular was stereotypical, but that is forgiveable. What really bothered me about this book was the characters. None of the characters are realistic. They are so cardboard. First of all, as everyone before me has said, our leading lady Faraday does not act her age, but much younger. What bothered me most was how people reacted. For instance, shortly after Faraday has decided she is attracted to Axis (our hero), she walks into a room where he is standing naked by the fire and his friend/lover (whose name has slipped my mind) is with him. Faraday gets upset and runs away. Axis' lover goes after her, wanting to make things right. She finds Faraday and convinces her to calm down. This is highly unrealistic. It was clear that these two were lovers, and Faraday was developing something of a crush on Axis, and here she finds them together...yet she stops crying between one sentence and the next and seems to be perfectly fine. Give me a break! Also, can we have some flaws in the characters, please? It's flaws, not perfection, that make good characters. All of the characters seem to be utterly perfect, and completely unrealistic. This book is really not worth the read for the plot alone; the characters are too annoying.
Rating:
Summary: Oh no! There is a war going on! ...Let's go brush our hair.
Review: ... I will be brief.
The plot...was good.
But the characters...[were bad]. If I want to read a book about manly men stoicly facing uneven odds and damsels in distress, I will read Sleeping Beauty. To be frank, this book [made me mad]. It is perfectly understandable, in the face of realism, to portray a time and place where women are considered unworthy opponents. Fine. That doesn't mean they ARE. Jesus. The main female character, Faraday, who weilds more power than many of the other characters, is like a 10 year old child rather than a supposed 18-year-old. All the women in this book spend most of their time sitting in their room brushing their hair. And the men are even worse. If you can't stomach stereotypes, don't read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: WOW!
Review: OMG! This is the best book ever written! I was reading all of the other reviews and I was in shock on how some people hated this book! I am reading all of the classic fantsy books,like Lord of the Rings and I think that they don't even come close to love I have for ths book! I alread got some kids at my shcool to read it(even though it is meant for a little older age group! Sara Douglass is my favorite auther because the reader can really get in to her work! This book is just so full of emotion that I feel like I know the charecters and strugle when they do. I don't think there could be a better book. There is so much love, so much hate, and so much exsitment that I recomend this book to every one!
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted to like it, but . . .
Review: I am new to fantasy, and after losing myself in George R. R. Martin's trilogy (Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords) and Robin Hobb's "Liveship Traders" series, I was ready for something different. Unfortunately, I next made a very bad choice, "The Wayfarer Redemption." If this were surgery rather than writing, I'd say it was done with an axe rather than a scalpel. It is crude and clunky, and the characters are worse than cardboard. I stalled out on it twice because I wanted to give it a fair chance and so waited a while and tried it again: it hadn't improved. The main female character, Faraday, is said to be 18 but acts about 12. And everytime one of the Sentinels called her "dear one" or "lovely lady" or "sweet child" (which is every time they speak to her) I wanted to gag. Final verdict: don't bother. Try Martin or Hobb instead.
Rating:
Summary: Axis, Battleaxe of the Axewielders!?
Review: I have to admit I am stupefied by the positive reviews this book has received including several five star (!) reviews. I bought this based on the positive blurb on the cover by Locus. How bad could it be? It's plenty bad with a stupid dull plot and uninteresting characters. How bout Axis, Battleaxe of the Axewielders? Sounds like a bad D&D character I created when I was thirteen. It has some embarassing scenes that play out like a bad three for a dollar Harlequin novel. Axis is naturally a brunette Fabio and all woman leer at him like oglers at Chippendales. Don't waste your money, I leafed through the last 150 pages or so. In fact, I might use the book as target practice. Makes hacks like Eddings and Goodkind look like Shakespeare in comparison. Looking for great fantasy, George Martin, Nuff said!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertains, but nothing special
Review: Ms Douglass ia an academic and it shows in a well structured and thought out book. The trouble is that this book travels a well worn path and while it does entertain, it does not stand out. There is the usual prophecy and the 'chosen one' who struggles to come to terms with who he is, there is the 'evil' sweeping in from the cold North and the latent magic in the land. Nothing unusual there, but it is still quite a readable book and will while away an hour or two. I would have to say (at the risk of having sexist views) that it had quite a strong female touch with a little more empathy and emotion then perhaps I was expecting. The character eventually named as 'Tree Friend' who is the lead female in the story, communicates with trees and is a sort of friend of the earth who is linked to a magical mother figure. A bit deep for us blokes that want lots of sword fights and shagging!
Not a bad entry onto a flooded market but not an outstanding one either.
Rating:
Summary: Many a Praise for Sara Douglass and 'BattleAxe'
Review: Sara Douglass deserves many a praise for this book. Although there are many associations you can make between this book and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time set, it is a splendid tale indeed. All of her characters from Axis, Faraday, and Belial, to Azhure, Borneheld, the Icarii and Avar and the Sentinels, are splendidly drawn with a vivid usage of words and description. The land of Tencendor, is drawn out marvellously. As the plot unfolds you begin to learn new things. This book has many a high point, and not so many low points. Once the plot thickens the book gets better and better. If you have not read this book and are a fantasy fan, I strongly suggest this book to you, and the rest of the Wayfarer Redemption books!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful first in a wonderful series
Review: After reading mixed reviews for this novel, I decided I would try it for myself...and I'm delighted I did. Sara Douglass has a clean, easy style that caught me soon after I started. I absolutely loved the book! The characters are wonderful to watch--I wanted to know what would happen to them, wanted to see everything they would go through. I wasn't disappointed with this book. More like I was surprised--I didn't think anything would be as good as that. After finishing the novel, Sara Douglass quickly rose to be one of my favorite authors. Highly recommended to anyone who loves fantasy--try it, I think you'll like it.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good
Review: It's a good book. Nothing terribly original or groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it, and I'm going to read the other books in the series. She makes you feel for the characters much in the same way that Goodkind does with his characters. All in all, it's a good book.
Rating:
Summary: All of the BEST in reading!
Review: Wow, I've never read another book or series as best as this! I have been trying and searching for a Fantasy book to hook me, but every Fantasy book I picked up, held no interest to me. I even tried those well-kown series everyone tells me to get. Nay, I dropped those right away, bored. THIS series will NOT bore you-it will keep you on your toes! Yet, I happen to read this book within a few days, the second book within 24 hours in one day. *_* You won't regret it, if you get this book...so wonderful. And if you love a bit of love in your stories, then this is for you. Wonderful characters, great plot, easy reading-so much to this wonderful story. I went and bought the other 4 books in Australia, unable to wait for all the sequel books to come out! The second book is even MORE amazing than the first! You will love StarDrifter and all of the Icarii and Azhure is the BEST female character! So much good stuff in this book! I suggest reading it and the second book, which is even better!
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