Battleaxe is a fantasy novel by Australian author Sara Douglass, the first book in the Axis Trilogy.

Faraday is far more interested in Borneheld's half-brother, Axis, a warrior who is Rivkah's illegitimate son.

Kirkus Reviews wrote that while the "ingredients are familiar", Douglass "handles matters impressively" and the characters are "fully drawn".

[1] Publishers Weekly wrote that the novel is "strongest at the beginning", and that it "soon loses dramatic tension".

[2] Jackie Cassada of Library Journal wrote that "epic storytelling" makes the novel a "solid selection for most fantasy collections.