Teres

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I would like to do the Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass and its sequels as one of my sporking projects. But, before I begin, I do need to know what’s exactly in them. And to do that, I’m about to begin with a live-read of these books.

The series consists of the following books: the Axis Trilogy, consisting of BattleAxe, Enchanter, and StarMan; the Wayfarer Redemption Trilogy (a sequel series), consisting of Sinner, Pilgrim, and Crusader; a disconnected prequel, Threshold; a disconnected midquel, Beyond the Hanging Wall; and the DarkGlass Mountain Trilogy, consisting of The Serpent Bride, The Twisted Tower and The Infinity Gate.

And I will be using my entire array of sporkers for this one, so you can get a good sense of them.

Here is the table of contents for the entire series:

BattleAxe:

Prologue (Part I) [The beginning of a very, very long series, and it is clearly indicative of what will come.]

Prologue (Part II) [I do not think it much of a spoiler to say no.]

1 - The Tower of the Seneschal (Part I) [Only we will not even hear what the central conflict *is* yet. Because dragging out the beginning as long as possible is certain to engage readers.]

1 - The Tower of the Seneschal (Part II) [Though there might be more impactful things than hearing three people discuss it. Also, 'Forbidden One' is not the best term.]

2 - At King Priam's Court (Part I) [Though Douglass seems to care more about us knowing everything about the festivities. And apparently, men should de-curl their hair after 45.]

2 - At King Priam’s Court (Part II) [At least we know all about Axis' history. And some more mystery evaporates.]

2 - At King Priam’s Court (Part III) [Is this the kind of person we are supposed to like as a protagonist? Also, the map might easily be the best thing here.]

3 - The Lady of Tare (Part I) [Meet Axis' secret lover.]

3 - The Lady of Tare (Part II) [See Axis' recurring nightmare, and get a peek at our (ostensible) main villain in this entry, as that is all there is to see here.]

4 - At the Foot of the Fortress Ranges & 5 - In the Palace of the King [A glimpse of another plotline, and absolutely nothing, it so happens.]

9 - Leavetakings at Dawn [Yes, Scales truly did have me skip three chapters. Not that I would have minded skipping this one, too.]

10 - Across the Plains of Tare [I am confident that this will pick up within several chapters. For now, enjoy the boredom.]

11 - Unlocked Doors [I think that might have something to do with how little analysis I have given...]

12 - At the Edge of the Silent Woman Woods [Oooh, scary deer man!]

13 - The Cauldron Lake [Finally, the book becomes enjoyable!]

14 - Inside the Silent Woman Keep (Part I) [We finally get some information! Too bad that it makes little sense. And we have some “comic relief”.]

14 - Inside the Silent Woman Keep (Part II) [Yes, these people are not suspicious at all!]

15 - Silent Woman Night (Part I) [We need something more than mind-readings to keep us invested, Douglass.]

15 - Silent Woman Night (Part II) [In which we have a portentous vision. Can you get something out of it?]

16 - Two White Donkeys [Douglass, I like *nuance* in my books. Care to give some?]

17 - The Ancient Barrows (Part I) [We are underway again! And could we please stay with Faraday for the entire book? Her POV is so much better!]

17 - The Ancient Barrows (Part II) [More worldbuilding failure! And Axis and Faraday kiss.]

Peek at the Glossary (Part I) [Look at me worldbuilding in Douglass's world!]

Peek at the Glossary (Part II) [I have never done anything like this before, so... look at the pretty map!]

18 - The Sentinels Speak (Part I) [Put Faraday under mind-control, why don't you? Not if I have a word to say in it.]

18 - The Sentinels Speak (Part II) [And Faraday is pressed into something she would have done either way. I guess Douglass needed to have the pettiness in here.]

19 - A Cloudy Day [Gorgrael puts in his first villainous appearance! A pity we had to wait through a quarter of the book for that...]

20 - The Storm (Part I) [This is actually good! Only rain does not dent your eyes.]

20 - The Storm (Part II) [I would like it if Douglass could keep up this level of quality... though I am afraid she will not.]

21 - Inside the Enchanter-Talon's Tomb [Convincing Timozel for the length of a chapter.]

22 - Evening by the Barrows [It seems like the Sentinels are the real villains of this book...]

23 - The Star Gate (Part I) [Explanations, explanations...]

23 - The Star Gate (Part II) [That we will, though this bit is as messy as ever.]

24 - Across the Plains of Arcness (Part I) [Try to scrape through a wall with bare hands.]

24 - Across the Plains of Arcness (Part II) [Finding some rest and recovery.]

25 - The Goodpeople Renkin [I mostly do not mind this, but this story should *get* somewhere, too.]

26 - “Belle My Wife!” (Part I) [The book shows its true colours]

26 - “Belle My Wife!” (Part II) [Another attack of Gorgrael's! Smart though it may be, it is foiled quite (too) effectively.]

27 - Towards Fernbrake Lake [Faraday: Trust Jack and Yr]

28 - Fernbrake Lake [It may be setup, but it still has more in it than nearly every chapter so far.]

29 - The Bane and the Child [Maybe I should not be so hard on Raum, but if you kill children and are dishonest about it, I think it is deserved.]

30 - The Mother (Part I) [I have very little to say now, but I guess a description of a ritual is not very fertile soil for analysis.]

30 - The Mother (Part II) [I do wish we can see more of the Avar; their plot is one of the better ones so far.]

31 - Smyrton [Meeting Azhure (which is about it).]

32 - The Prisoners [This chapter would be quite decent without all the violence.]

33 - The Forbidden Valley (Part I) [Azhure's dark secret]

33 - The Forbidden Valley (Part II) [We are almost halfway through by now!]

33 - The Forbidden Valley (Part III) [I could do with some less drama, but this is decent enough.]

34 - GhostTree Clan [Some more on the Avar (and about time for it, too).]

35 - StarMan (Part I) [If we do not get some new material soon, I am going... to... go... complain heavily!]

35 - StarMan (Part II) [What is the point of this new "reveal", Douglass?]

36 - The GhostTree Camp (Part I) [This is hardly bad; I just have trouble appreciating it through all the recaps. Oh well, better next time.]

36 - The GhostTree Camp (Part II) [“Wanton violence always results in heartbreak”]

37 - Jervois Landing (Part I) [This is exceedingly tedious for a supposedly grand adventure... but Jack does leave!]

37 - Jervois Landing (Part II) [If there were any point I would stop with this project forgood, this would be it.]

BattleAxe Review

Enchanter Review

StarMan Review

Sinner Review

Pilgrim Review

Crusader Review

Threshold Review

Beyond the Hanging Wall Review

The Serpent Bride Review

The Twisted Citadel Review

The Infinity Gate Review