The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass

The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass

Oh, how I enjoyed this book. The first of six books The Wayfarer Redemption (which is actually the name of the whole set, in everywhere but the US the title of the book is Battle Axe) starts us on a truly epic adventure.

We begin, as do most adventures, with a prophecy. It has three parts and each of the first three books deals with a separate part. At first the story revolves around the Battle Axe, which is the leader of the army for the Seneschal. The Seneschal of course being the religious figures in Achar (the region in which people live). Our Battle Axe goes by the name Axis. He was raised by two brothers of the Seneschal, his mother having died in childbirth and his father being unknown. He of course has a deadly bad relationship with his half brother, whom was legitimate. The story, well the main part, starts simply enough. Axis has to take his half-brother's fiancé to him, you can see where that will be going. They are attacked along the way by a very powerful, well we'll say mage for now, and he evidently has a huge grudge against Axis. Also by now they have picked up two vary unusual brothers of the seneschal. Axis has to detour so Faraday (the fiancé and the odd brothers make their own way to Bornheld. Along the way we learn about two other races of peoples and meet a girl named Azure. She will be more important in book 2. Also we will meet Goldfeather who has a familial connection to Axis. There really is just so much that happens that it is hard to convey it all in a simple review.

The prophecy speaks of a Starman that will unite the three races of their world. Men have been living for years fearing the forbidden people, who turn out to be the Itari, a winged people, and the Avar, a short woods dwelling, stocky kind of people. They are both fairly peaceful races of beings, but the religion of the Acharites names them as forbidden. Now, I have barely even touched on that subject. In the book there is a whole your gods my gods disagreement.

NOTE: The book has some really developed religions and beliefs. If you're one of those people who think that all stories should only the religion of Christianity then this is not the story for you.

Sara Douglass has really developed the different religion and cultures. The depth of story is truly astounding. I believe if I tell you anymore it will really ruin the story for you. It has some fairly nice surprises in it. But be warned, this is not a fairy tell, well at least not the first three, not every thing ends up happily ever after. People die, people we like. The story takes some dark turns. But all in all everything ends up better.

You can read the first three books and stop if you like. They are story enough and really the last three while well written and really detailed, just really lacked something indefinable, and there was some serious cheese