The next chapter opens with Rivkah looking for Azhure, who has apparently disappeared from her bed in the middle of the night. She finds her asleep in Axis’ manly embrace and quite calmly thinks that she didn’t get away fast enough. Because again, that’s not creepy at all – implying that Axis is someone you should run away from. You know, for the second time.
It’s supposed to be in order to avoid surrendering to his non-existent charms, but it really just makes him sound like a predator. Which is exactly what he is. Let’s not forget what he did with Faraday in the last book after all. Or what he got up to at Beltide, when – I repeat – he wasn’t sure if Azhure remembered him raping her and didn’t care either way because he enjoyed the sex. Such a lovely person our hero is. *nodnod*
Axis wakes up and greets his mum. Azhure also wakes up, and tells Rivkah not to worry – she’ll be just fine. Rivkah is unimpressed and tells her Belial wants to meet up with her.
Azhure and Axis arrive at the meeting room, and of course Belial is all happy to see Axis despite the whole stealing-mah-girl thing. Naturally. He gushes to Axis about how amazing and talented Azhure is, and Axis just calmly accepts it. Why isn’t he the slightest bit surprised that his girlfriend turned into Super Girlfriend in just six months? Is this sort of thing supposed to be normal? Apparently so, because nobody ever questions or even notices it.
Axis gives a flowery thankyou speech to Belial, and then they all start talking strategy and where the Skraelings are and so on. Axis is bummed because he won’t be able to get back to Carlon as soon as he had hoped and if he doesn’t make it there in time then FreeFall will never be brought back to life. Again, why are we supposed to give a shit about FreeFall? The guy had maybe two lines before he snuffed it! I swear, there’s been so much useless angst and whining about him that by this point I wish he’d come back to life just so I can kill him again.
Margarita breaks the bad news about King Borneheld, and Axis isn’t happy about it, as you’d expect. He says he’d better let everyone know he’s back, and Azhure says she knows a way.
Outside Axis bumps into StarDrifter, who on learning that Azhure is pregnant with an Enchanter makes the creepy remark that “I knew she would breed powerful Enchanters”. Axis snarls back that he doesn’t think of her as a brood mare and totally values her as a person, etcetera. Truly you are a friend to the womenfolk, Axis. Except when they say no to you. Or are unable to say no to having sex with you because of magic Rohypnol.
Anyway, so then a new golden sun banner is unfurled and is Beautiful (I’d start doing a shot every time that bloody word shows up, but I’d rather not end up passed out on the floor after two chapters). Then Axis goes outside and whistles, and a huge white and silver eagle flies down and lands on his arm. StarDrifter is all "OMG nobody has tamed a snow eagle before!" and Axis says the eagle is his messenger bird and it’s a gift from the underworld.
So now he has a special pet as well. Having an exotic pet is, of course, another well-worn Sue trait. We’re just lucky it’s not a dragon or a panther or something.
Next up Axis meets with Rivkah, StarDrifter and MorningStar and tells them about WolfStar. The Sentinels join them and Axis tells them as well and asks to hear his story. So Veremund obligingly spills the beans.
Apparently WolfStar was made Talon at a young age after probably having his father murdered. He was obsessed with the Star Gate and convinced that there were other worlds out there. So once he was made Talon he started doing evil experiments with the Star Gate, trying to find out if someone could go through and come back. Kids started disappearing and it turned out he was abducting them and throwing them through the gate. Eventually he even did that with his own neice, and then his pregnant wife, and the rest of the Icarii were too chickenshit to do anything about it. (By the way, in a later book you find out WolfStar’s wife was named – I shit you not – “StarLaughter”).
In the end WolfStar’s brother CloudBurst (yes that’s seriously his name) stabbed the shit out of him, and now nobody likes to talk about him. Axis asks how and why WolfStar would have come back to life, and nobody has an answer for him. Even so he somehow “knows” that somebody here does know the answer and is keeping their mouth shut. I’m betting it’s Jackass, because it would be 100% in character for that jerk.
And might I add that the ability to “just know” things they have no earthly way of knowing is another Sue trait. It would have been perfectly simple to show someone present avoiding Axis’ eye or shuffling uneasily, but nope. He just “knows”. This despite having the IQ of a bowl of lukewarm porridge.
![]()
...whoops. Sorry, Sentient Bowl of Porridge With A Face. It was nothing personal.
Axis figures out that WolfStar has been back for three thousand years, but for some reason doesn’t stop to consider that if it was three thousand years ago the guy must be long dead by now. Instead he rants on about how WolfStar could be anybody. The others are outraged and start yelling about how it’s totally not them. I’m having flashbacks to The Thing again. Well, at least I’m being reminded of a good movie.
Then MorningStar speaks up and states the blindingly obvious – what if it’s Azhure? She’s got WolfStar’s bow, WolfStar’s dogs, and scars on her back – almost as if she had wings and somebody ripped them off! OMGs! Somebody finally made the most fucking obvious connection in history!
Axis is mortified and tries to brush the whole thing off, and Rivkah points out that she watched Azhure grow up. Axis spits at MorningStar to leave dear sweet Azhure alone, and then – oh, for fuck’s sake – goes on about how WolfStar is evil while Azhure “overruns with compassion and love”.
You mean the woman who kills people without the slightest hesitation or remorse, makes graphic threats and uses violence on those who annoy her? Fuck off, Axis.
The next chapter returns to Jervois Landing, where Nevelon is now delivering his message to Borneheld. Surprisingly Borneheld doesn’t fly into a rage, and concludes that Axis must still be alive. They discuss Axis’ forces and location, etc., and we learn that Roland has stomach cancer and is wasting away. Borneheld, the tit, sulks about how people revere Axis and not him.
That’s because Axis is a Sue and you’re not, Borneheld. Tough shit. Also, grow the hell up.
![]()
"I bet if I was a Sue, I wouldn't have this humiliating erectile dysfunction either."
He’s eventually persuaded to make a truce with Axis rather than attack him, so they can deal with the Skraelings.
Cut to Demi Moore, who’s doing a tea ceremony with his wife. Some of his “warriors” come in and they have a chat. They give him a report about Azhure, who they of course note as being “so beautiful”, because that’s relevant. If this is a "feminist" story, why is every single female character constantly objectified based on her looks?
Demi isn’t happy to hear that WolfStar’s stuff is now with someone working with Axis. After several pages of blathering a messenger arrives to say that Borneheld is going to meet up with Axis soon to make a truce, and Demi is invited. So that solves his problem, apparently.
The next chapter returns to Axis, who’s doing nothing interesting. So par for the course for him. Azhure is now very pregnant, and (lest we forget) special. Rivkah asks Margarita to tell her about Borneheld, and when Axis learns that Margarita was around when he, Axis, was a kid, he wonders if maybe he’s WolfStar. I hope this means Axis is going to descend into insane paranoia, because that might actually be interesting.
Anyway, so Margarita talks about Borneheld and says he’s basically a decent guy, but half deranged by jealousy toward Axis because Axis is so charismatic (no he isn’t) and charming (nope) and a better commander than him (still nope). And then there’s the whole business with Faraday.
Axis is pissed when Margarita has the spine to suggest that Borneheld deserves some pity, and yells about the “murder” of FreeFall. Oh will you shut up about that already? Nobody cares!
Rivkah is upset, as you would expect, and storms out. Margarita goes after her, and it’s very abruptly revealed that – shock! – the two of them were secretly married when they were teenagers! And they consumated it, too, before Rivkah was dragged off to marry Borneheld’s dad.
Where the hell did that come from?
Anyway, so that’s why Margarita never married, and now Rivkah says that if he wants to get back together, she’s up for it. I love how this out of nowhere relationship is just being presented as a reward for the pair of them apropos of fuck all.
In the next chapter Axis and the other important Good Guys have a surprise visit from Rimmer, who has just met up with Nevelon while on patrol and has come back with a message saying King Borneheld wants to make a truce. They talk about the implications, and Axis uses the term “nibbles” to refer to the Skraeling attacks, because the author apparently still hasn’t realised that making her monsters sound cute is a really bad idea.
Margarita says Borneheld’s just doing the sensible thing and they should go ahead with it. Axis sulks because he dun wanna do it and openly says he just wants to kill Borneheld and wah wah time is running out to resurrect the redshirt nonentity character we’re sick to death of hearing about. He sulks even more because he “can’t” murder Borneheld unless Faraday is there to witness it.
Am I the only one who finds all this insanely creepy?
Axis asks Rimmer where Faraday is at the moment, and Azhure instantly throws herself a pity party and wonders if he’s thinking of Faraday when he fucks her. And I still say she needs to get the hell over herself.
Naturally Axis doesn’t even notice his girlfriend is throwing a snit fit and asks the others if they should go ahead and make the truce, or whether it’s a trap. Meanwhile MorningStar looks “speculatively” at Azhure and thinks it still makes sense that she’s secretly WolfStar. But of course that’s not the case, because the author couldn’t abide letting her new favourite doll turn out to be EVIL.
Axis decides to go and meet Borneheld, and tells Azhure she has to stay behind because… he’s putting her in charge of Sigholt. Yup, the completely untrained PEASANT WOMAN is now going to be in charge of an entire fortress. Seems legit. Azhure sulks even more about how Axis doesn’t want her with him, wah wah, because all he really cares about is Faraday. Paranoid much? It’s not as if Faraday is needed in order to bring the Avar around or anything, Azhure. Why the hell wouldn’t he be taking her whereabouts into account?
Axis then tells MorningStar and StarDrifter that he’s now had confirmation that yes, Azhure was born and grew up in the same village where he first met her and there are eyewitness accounts. MorningStar still isn’t convinced, and Axis telepathically tells her that if Azhure conveniently falls down some stairs and dies while he’s gone (I wish), then MorningStar is dead meat. MorningStar is all “ZOMG no-one threatens me like that!”, but Axis menaces her with his magic and she gives in. Yes, just as Eragon and Roran taught us once upon a time, violence and threats are the best and most heroic way of getting what you want! If it wasn’t, all our favourite Sues wouldn’t keep on doing it. QED.
The scene ends with Azhure wondering why Axis is so interested in her hometown, which makes her look pretty dense even though she doesn’t know about WolfStar. Because apparently Axis didn’t have the common courtesy or respect to, y’know, tell her.
Yeah, this won’t backfire on either of them at all.
It’s supposed to be in order to avoid surrendering to his non-existent charms, but it really just makes him sound like a predator. Which is exactly what he is. Let’s not forget what he did with Faraday in the last book after all. Or what he got up to at Beltide, when – I repeat – he wasn’t sure if Azhure remembered him raping her and didn’t care either way because he enjoyed the sex. Such a lovely person our hero is. *nodnod*
Axis wakes up and greets his mum. Azhure also wakes up, and tells Rivkah not to worry – she’ll be just fine. Rivkah is unimpressed and tells her Belial wants to meet up with her.
Azhure and Axis arrive at the meeting room, and of course Belial is all happy to see Axis despite the whole stealing-mah-girl thing. Naturally. He gushes to Axis about how amazing and talented Azhure is, and Axis just calmly accepts it. Why isn’t he the slightest bit surprised that his girlfriend turned into Super Girlfriend in just six months? Is this sort of thing supposed to be normal? Apparently so, because nobody ever questions or even notices it.
Axis gives a flowery thankyou speech to Belial, and then they all start talking strategy and where the Skraelings are and so on. Axis is bummed because he won’t be able to get back to Carlon as soon as he had hoped and if he doesn’t make it there in time then FreeFall will never be brought back to life. Again, why are we supposed to give a shit about FreeFall? The guy had maybe two lines before he snuffed it! I swear, there’s been so much useless angst and whining about him that by this point I wish he’d come back to life just so I can kill him again.
Margarita breaks the bad news about King Borneheld, and Axis isn’t happy about it, as you’d expect. He says he’d better let everyone know he’s back, and Azhure says she knows a way.
Outside Axis bumps into StarDrifter, who on learning that Azhure is pregnant with an Enchanter makes the creepy remark that “I knew she would breed powerful Enchanters”. Axis snarls back that he doesn’t think of her as a brood mare and totally values her as a person, etcetera. Truly you are a friend to the womenfolk, Axis. Except when they say no to you. Or are unable to say no to having sex with you because of magic Rohypnol.
Anyway, so then a new golden sun banner is unfurled and is Beautiful (I’d start doing a shot every time that bloody word shows up, but I’d rather not end up passed out on the floor after two chapters). Then Axis goes outside and whistles, and a huge white and silver eagle flies down and lands on his arm. StarDrifter is all "OMG nobody has tamed a snow eagle before!" and Axis says the eagle is his messenger bird and it’s a gift from the underworld.
So now he has a special pet as well. Having an exotic pet is, of course, another well-worn Sue trait. We’re just lucky it’s not a dragon or a panther or something.
Next up Axis meets with Rivkah, StarDrifter and MorningStar and tells them about WolfStar. The Sentinels join them and Axis tells them as well and asks to hear his story. So Veremund obligingly spills the beans.
Apparently WolfStar was made Talon at a young age after probably having his father murdered. He was obsessed with the Star Gate and convinced that there were other worlds out there. So once he was made Talon he started doing evil experiments with the Star Gate, trying to find out if someone could go through and come back. Kids started disappearing and it turned out he was abducting them and throwing them through the gate. Eventually he even did that with his own neice, and then his pregnant wife, and the rest of the Icarii were too chickenshit to do anything about it. (By the way, in a later book you find out WolfStar’s wife was named – I shit you not – “StarLaughter”).
In the end WolfStar’s brother CloudBurst (yes that’s seriously his name) stabbed the shit out of him, and now nobody likes to talk about him. Axis asks how and why WolfStar would have come back to life, and nobody has an answer for him. Even so he somehow “knows” that somebody here does know the answer and is keeping their mouth shut. I’m betting it’s Jackass, because it would be 100% in character for that jerk.
And might I add that the ability to “just know” things they have no earthly way of knowing is another Sue trait. It would have been perfectly simple to show someone present avoiding Axis’ eye or shuffling uneasily, but nope. He just “knows”. This despite having the IQ of a bowl of lukewarm porridge.
...whoops. Sorry, Sentient Bowl of Porridge With A Face. It was nothing personal.
Axis figures out that WolfStar has been back for three thousand years, but for some reason doesn’t stop to consider that if it was three thousand years ago the guy must be long dead by now. Instead he rants on about how WolfStar could be anybody. The others are outraged and start yelling about how it’s totally not them. I’m having flashbacks to The Thing again. Well, at least I’m being reminded of a good movie.
Then MorningStar speaks up and states the blindingly obvious – what if it’s Azhure? She’s got WolfStar’s bow, WolfStar’s dogs, and scars on her back – almost as if she had wings and somebody ripped them off! OMGs! Somebody finally made the most fucking obvious connection in history!
Axis is mortified and tries to brush the whole thing off, and Rivkah points out that she watched Azhure grow up. Axis spits at MorningStar to leave dear sweet Azhure alone, and then – oh, for fuck’s sake – goes on about how WolfStar is evil while Azhure “overruns with compassion and love”.
You mean the woman who kills people without the slightest hesitation or remorse, makes graphic threats and uses violence on those who annoy her? Fuck off, Axis.
The next chapter returns to Jervois Landing, where Nevelon is now delivering his message to Borneheld. Surprisingly Borneheld doesn’t fly into a rage, and concludes that Axis must still be alive. They discuss Axis’ forces and location, etc., and we learn that Roland has stomach cancer and is wasting away. Borneheld, the tit, sulks about how people revere Axis and not him.
That’s because Axis is a Sue and you’re not, Borneheld. Tough shit. Also, grow the hell up.
"I bet if I was a Sue, I wouldn't have this humiliating erectile dysfunction either."
He’s eventually persuaded to make a truce with Axis rather than attack him, so they can deal with the Skraelings.
Cut to Demi Moore, who’s doing a tea ceremony with his wife. Some of his “warriors” come in and they have a chat. They give him a report about Azhure, who they of course note as being “so beautiful”, because that’s relevant. If this is a "feminist" story, why is every single female character constantly objectified based on her looks?
Demi isn’t happy to hear that WolfStar’s stuff is now with someone working with Axis. After several pages of blathering a messenger arrives to say that Borneheld is going to meet up with Axis soon to make a truce, and Demi is invited. So that solves his problem, apparently.
The next chapter returns to Axis, who’s doing nothing interesting. So par for the course for him. Azhure is now very pregnant, and (lest we forget) special. Rivkah asks Margarita to tell her about Borneheld, and when Axis learns that Margarita was around when he, Axis, was a kid, he wonders if maybe he’s WolfStar. I hope this means Axis is going to descend into insane paranoia, because that might actually be interesting.
Anyway, so Margarita talks about Borneheld and says he’s basically a decent guy, but half deranged by jealousy toward Axis because Axis is so charismatic (no he isn’t) and charming (nope) and a better commander than him (still nope). And then there’s the whole business with Faraday.
Axis is pissed when Margarita has the spine to suggest that Borneheld deserves some pity, and yells about the “murder” of FreeFall. Oh will you shut up about that already? Nobody cares!
Rivkah is upset, as you would expect, and storms out. Margarita goes after her, and it’s very abruptly revealed that – shock! – the two of them were secretly married when they were teenagers! And they consumated it, too, before Rivkah was dragged off to marry Borneheld’s dad.
Where the hell did that come from?
Anyway, so that’s why Margarita never married, and now Rivkah says that if he wants to get back together, she’s up for it. I love how this out of nowhere relationship is just being presented as a reward for the pair of them apropos of fuck all.
In the next chapter Axis and the other important Good Guys have a surprise visit from Rimmer, who has just met up with Nevelon while on patrol and has come back with a message saying King Borneheld wants to make a truce. They talk about the implications, and Axis uses the term “nibbles” to refer to the Skraeling attacks, because the author apparently still hasn’t realised that making her monsters sound cute is a really bad idea.
Margarita says Borneheld’s just doing the sensible thing and they should go ahead with it. Axis sulks because he dun wanna do it and openly says he just wants to kill Borneheld and wah wah time is running out to resurrect the redshirt nonentity character we’re sick to death of hearing about. He sulks even more because he “can’t” murder Borneheld unless Faraday is there to witness it.
Am I the only one who finds all this insanely creepy?
Axis asks Rimmer where Faraday is at the moment, and Azhure instantly throws herself a pity party and wonders if he’s thinking of Faraday when he fucks her. And I still say she needs to get the hell over herself.
Naturally Axis doesn’t even notice his girlfriend is throwing a snit fit and asks the others if they should go ahead and make the truce, or whether it’s a trap. Meanwhile MorningStar looks “speculatively” at Azhure and thinks it still makes sense that she’s secretly WolfStar. But of course that’s not the case, because the author couldn’t abide letting her new favourite doll turn out to be EVIL.
Axis decides to go and meet Borneheld, and tells Azhure she has to stay behind because… he’s putting her in charge of Sigholt. Yup, the completely untrained PEASANT WOMAN is now going to be in charge of an entire fortress. Seems legit. Azhure sulks even more about how Axis doesn’t want her with him, wah wah, because all he really cares about is Faraday. Paranoid much? It’s not as if Faraday is needed in order to bring the Avar around or anything, Azhure. Why the hell wouldn’t he be taking her whereabouts into account?
Axis then tells MorningStar and StarDrifter that he’s now had confirmation that yes, Azhure was born and grew up in the same village where he first met her and there are eyewitness accounts. MorningStar still isn’t convinced, and Axis telepathically tells her that if Azhure conveniently falls down some stairs and dies while he’s gone (I wish), then MorningStar is dead meat. MorningStar is all “ZOMG no-one threatens me like that!”, but Axis menaces her with his magic and she gives in. Yes, just as Eragon and Roran taught us once upon a time, violence and threats are the best and most heroic way of getting what you want! If it wasn’t, all our favourite Sues wouldn’t keep on doing it. QED.
The scene ends with Azhure wondering why Axis is so interested in her hometown, which makes her look pretty dense even though she doesn’t know about WolfStar. Because apparently Axis didn’t have the common courtesy or respect to, y’know, tell her.
Yeah, this won’t backfire on either of them at all.