STARMAN

Third entry in the Wayfarer Redemption sextet and final entry in the Axis subtrilogy that opens the sextet, pointing to a new central character for the final three volumes. The completed series, known as the Tencendor novels and already published Down Under, is, we’re told, Australia’s greatest fantasy seller. Winged Axis, descendant of the Icarii and BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders, and also the StarMan of the Prophecy, is the shameful bastard of Princess Rivkah and the Icarii Enchanter StarDrifter SunSoar, and rival to vicious Borneheld, Axis’s half-brother by Rivkah and King Achar. And Axis has still another half-brother, sired by StarDrifter, Gorgrael the Destroyer, master of the Dance of Death and the Dark Music. Axis joins his despised brother Borneheld to lead the Axe-Wielders against the demonic wraiths descending from their winter replenishment and led by ice-lord Gorgrael. Meanwhile, Axis has two loves, Lady Faraday, then the woman warrior Azhure, daughter of WolfStar SunSoar and Niah Nor, seduced by WolfStar. Faraday (whose secret love for Axis would be death to reveal) rides with outlawed Axis in his battle against the Forbidden Ones but eventually marries Borneheld while Axis weds Azhure, a mysteriously powerful creature irresistible to Icariian men. Yet when beloved (and star-crossed) Faraday is widowed, will she replace Ashure? Axis meanwhile has tried to unite many Tencendor peoples against the Forbidden. Axis must become an Icarii Enchanter to face the monster Gorgrael. How do all these folks figure into the Prophecy that says StarMan alone can bring peace to Tencendor? When peace does come, nothing will save it from the horror about to pour through the StarGate in coming volumes.

Fan fodder but heartfelt.