Rating: 
Summary: Great story, uninspiring writing
Review: While reading this book I was very distracted from the story by the authors stilted and forced language and grammatical errors. There were times it seemed she was writing for a very young audience, and times there was a "romance novel" style. Despite this however, I really enjoyed the story itself. By the end of the book the characters flesh out considerably from their two dimensional beginnings, and while there are some very predictable threads in the book, there are also some original takes on the epic fantasy-good vs. evil genre. I am anxiously awaiting the next book, in which I believe Ms. Douglass' writing will mature and present us with another installment in this fascinating story.
Rating: 
Summary: AMAZING..UNFORGETTABLE
Review: THIS IS THE FIRST FANTASY BOOK I HAVE EVER READ AND I MUST SAY THAT I AM HOOKED. I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. I AM A MOTHER OF THREE,MARRIED AND WORK A FULL TIME JOB AND I READ IT IN ONE WEEK. EVERY FREE MINUTE I THOUGHT OF AXIS, FARADAY,OGDEN AND VEREMUND. THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN BELIAL AND AXIS WAS SOUL STIRRING. JUST IMAGINE THE COURAGE IT TOOK FOR EACH TO DEAL WITH THE NEWS OF AXIS PAST. THE GOOD ARE GOOD IN THIS BOOK. THE BAD ARE BAD. I WENT OUT AND PURCHASED THE NEXT BOOK WHEN THERE WERE ONLY A 100 PAGES LEFT. SARA DOUGLAS, I AM TRUE TO AUTHORS I LIKE AND I WILL PURCHASE ANY AND EVERY BOOK YOU RELEASE. AS AXIS STATES "LET US RIDE" INTO THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: I can barely believe this...
Review: Having seen the high rating reviews here, I almost can't believe my eyes. Sara Douglass is apparently Australia's finest fantasy author. That's an achievement that I, as an Australian, do not feel at all patriotic about.
The trilogy that begins with Battleaxe is one of the most abysmal fantasy I have ever read. Initially I thought the entire trilogy was only being published because she'd signed a three-book deal with the publisher - but then more books started coming out.
The plot of her trilogy isn't almost standard fantasy fare, and could have passed for one of those forgettable bookshelf fillers had she worked a little harder on it. The setting is far too simplistic, with big, well labelled lines dividing black and white. The major threads of the plot are not tied together well, and one of the three major races could have been left enitely out of the story and saved everyone a lot of trouble.
The characters are all entirely unlikable. Not you're George RR Martin-style unlikeable. These characters are the sort of people you'd leave a well-paid, luxurious job to get away from.
The final outcome of the trilogy is one which I can only call 'pathetically stupid'. The sequel trilogy - which is, though I didn't think it possible, worse, will be published as books 4, 5 and 6 in America, contains a continuation of that pathetically stupid outcome that doesn't redeem it in any way.
So tell your friends and tell your enemies, don't pay money for this book. Don't even borrow it from the library, spending two weeks in a small cupboard eating nothing but pencil shavings would be a better way to waste your life.
Rating:
Summary: Battleaxe & Enchanter
Review: At last! A series of books for adults who read and enjoy fantasy. Sara Douglass has taken the genre out of its adolescence and into adulthood. Her books are plot driven with complicated character development that does not follow the archetypes fantasy is known for. Instead, she has created multidimentional characters so sophisticated they and their world seem real. From the brutal beginning to the unusual end, I cannot recommend these books enough! My only surprise is that reader response hasn't been more enthusiastic. Lets put it this way, since the first two are the only ones available in the United States, I found the others in Australia. After reading the first two, you'll want to do the same.
Rating: 
Summary: The prelude to genius
Review: While Sara Douglass' first book in this trilogy could seem a little familiar to jaded fantasy readers, the second is absolutely magnificant! The stage is set in this novel, which is enjoyable enough, but the second book is enough to sweep you off your feet! The second trilogy is completely original -- a magnificant feast for the mind and imagination. These six books together will be read over and over again -- mine are falling apart, by now, as I rediscover and examine again all that I keep on missing the first time. If you have a friend in Australia, I recommend getting them shipped over. It's worth it. These books are heavier than Eddings, so really can't be compared -- they're in the same genre, but that's about all they have in common -- and the second half is especially thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: a great book, but....
Review: like most of the books i read i picked this one just because it was there. as i read i grew to really love this book but i couldn't help being disappointed when douglass's wonderful originality would be stiffled by incredibly predictable turns. suspense never lasted long as all conflicts were revealed quickly and most solved. the story of axis, the head of an elite fighting group is thrown for a wild ride as he discovers that the foundations that his faith was placed on are false, lies made up long ago. he learns who his father is and of the iicari and avar and of faraday. a noble's daughter who has more to do with a mysterious prophecy, foretelling the end of all under gorgael the destroyer, than anyone could ever have imagined. i would suggest this book to anyone who likes fantasy as a classic example of a sweeping epic. i loved this book, it's minor short comings so far out weighed by the sheer complexity of characters and orginality in each new twist that i am drooling for the second book. but unlike the australians, us americans have to wait until the next book makes it's way to bookstore shelves.
Rating:
Summary: Best Read in a Long Time!!
Review: This book is amazing....Sarra Douglass obviously thought a lot about the plot and her character traits... The characters are believable and likable. The story starts out a little slow with the introductions of the main characters, which are: Axis - the leader of an elite military unit of axe wielders controlled by the church. He is also the bastard son of the kings dead wife. Borneheld - The kings legitimate son and heir to the throne. He is also the warlord of all the armies of the kingdom. Faraday - Borneheld's betrothed wife who is in love with Axis. There are a few more awsome characters, but these are the main ones. Sara Douglass' book has lots of interesting plot turns and twists that are very entertaining. There are a few predictable ones, but that doesn't detract from the book at all. The story is very very hard to put down. I had to force myself to go to the kitchen for food before I turned into an unrecognizable skeleton. I was surprised to learn that all 6 of her books have been published in Australia already... Just goes to show you have slow the process is. Overall this book is amazing and refreshing after reading some of the newer "epic fantasy" thats being written....no names (WOT). I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and for younger kids also. There are no especially graphic or sexual scenes going on. All in all, I think All should read this book. I know I can't wait to read the other books once they are published. Zim
Rating:
Summary: Classic storylines, but fresh re-telling
Review: Having read fantasy books for over 20 years, I have seen the themes presented in this book many times over. However, this author manages to make everything fresh again, which is not an easy task. Tried and true plotlines are varied somewhat to keep things interesting, and the story is very well paced. The action scenes are well written. My largest criticism is that the interaction of the main character with others is underdeveloped, leaving the reader to doubt the deep love for the heroine and the rabid hate for the half-brother. Overall, an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: An ordinary start to a much better series
Review: Battleaxe on its own is a fairly standard fantasy, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. Australian author Sara Douglass creates lifelike characters whose thoughts, hopes and feelings enliven the pages of this book and make it worth reading. Combined with a couple of interesting twists of perspective on the usual agrarian feudal social system of fantasy novels, that's enough to earn this book a decent rating. However, the series as a whole incorporates some drastic and surprising shifts of direction which kept me guessing (as well as some predictable ones). In the end, the two trilogies yield much more to the reader than that which is foreshadowed by Battleaxe alone. One wonders (at least, I did while reading) how much of the plot was planned from the start and how much spontaneously unfolded in the author's mind as the books were written. So, don't be put off if this start to the series strikes you as a little mundane. It gets better! A comment for overseas readers: It surprised me to see that the second book of this series (Enchanter) has just been released on Amazon, as all six books have been available in Australia for about 2 years now. (I suppose it makes up for the delays we often experience in getting titles published in the US and elsewhere overseas!) You may be interested to know that these books were originally released in the form of two trilogies (as I mentioned above). The first trilogy was simply entitled The Axis Trilogy (I believe), while the second trilogy was what originally bore the title The Wayfarer Redemption. Conceptually, the two trilogies are quite separate- although they deal with the same world and many of the same characters, the first three books are complete in themselves, while the second set displays another of those startling changes of perspective- and I recommend treating them as such when reading, rather than as a single series of six books. 7 stars out of 10
Rating: 
Summary: Unsophisticated rerun, but good for reading on the plane.
Review: I picked this up hoping that the description on the back would ring true and Sara Douglass would provide something a bit different from your normal fantasy: a compelling story with a strong female lead. Alas, I was disappointed, Faraday is in most cases just a female version of the archetypal "epic journey hero", and despite all the hype on the back cover, not necessarily the most critical protagonist anyway. Unfortunately, the whole story exudes a "been-there, done-that" feeling. Many of the plot elements have been done with much more zest by others. The ice-wraiths and bastard-child angst pale to George R.R. Martin, and the whole prophecy thing is rubbish when held up to a truly well-defined and complex prophesy world such as Jordan's. The writing style is also a bit, well, bizarre. At times the narration switches between the thoughts of characters from one paragraph to the next and back again so quickly that its impossible to figure out who is thinking what without backtracking. But the killing blow to me is the heavy-handedness. The dialogue and convenient thought-reading was extremely bad at times, characters (and animals) who aren't what the appear to be are OBVIOUSLY not what they appear to be, and the prohpecy is so transparent as to practically be a plot summary. By the time something happens, its been foreshadowed and predicted and prophecied so many times that you just want to smack the characters and tell them to get on with it. Ultimately, its not a bad book, its just cookie-cutter fantasy. Next time I have a long plane ride to take, I'll probably pick up the next volume if I have nothing else to read, but you won't find me rushing to the store to grab it.
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