The Rage of Dragons

The Burning #1

by Evan Winter

Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people's only hope for survival.The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war.Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.The Rage of Dragons launches a stunning and powerful debut epic fantasy series that readers are already calling the best fantasy book in years.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published September 10, 2017

About the author

Evan Winter, winner of the Reddit/Fantasy Award for Best Debut Fantasy Novel (2019), is a Barnes & Nobles, Amazon, and Locus best selling author of speculative fiction. His debut novel, THE RAGE OF DRAGONS, is the opening to an epic fantasy quartet that began life as a self-published novel before being acquired by Hachette's Orbit Books. Most recently, TIME magazine named it one THE 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME, and its sequel has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

The Rage of Dragons is a blazing African-inspired epic fantasy debut that was so possessive of my attention, it simply wouldn’t allow me to read anything else until I finished it.

This book was originally self-published and released in September 2017. Honestly speaking, I have seen and known about this book since then but the book wasn’t able to move up the monstrosity that is my TBR tower for some reason. However, its acquisition by Orbit, which resulted in a brand new gorgeous cover art done by the ingenious Karla Ortiz, is a total cover seller—look at the Zulu shield and the intricately apt mural in the cover!—that practically screamed “Buy and read me now” to me, and so that’s what I did.

“I'd rather live with a thing done poorly than do nothing and always wonder how things could have been.”

I believe that the ARC of the book is on its way to me at the moment. Even with that information in mind, knowing that the ebook was already available to purchase (physical copies will be out in July) I bought it to give my support to the author. I was only going to read a few chapters but I ended up being completely hooked and read through it like Sonic the Hedgehog being lured by infinite golden coins; it was too addictive to stop. Let me just say this again before I begin my review. The equation is simple; a fantasy debut published by Orbit these days is for me equal to “I want it.” I haven’t been disappointed at all by the adult fantasy debuts released by Orbit—Kings of the Wyld, Age of Assassins, Jade City, Senlin Ascends, and The Gutter Prayer—over the past few years and The Rage of Dragons once again continues that trend.

“That’s the price. Life is nothing more than moments in time. To achieve greatness, you have to give up those moments. You have to give your life to your goal.”

The Rage of Dragons is an African (Xhosa) inspired epic fantasy debut by Evan Winter, and it is the first installment in The Burning quartet. The people of Omehi have been caught in an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years, and the story revolves around our main character, the young and gift-less Tau. Tau is determined to just settle down, get married, and live in peace. However, an unfortunate event causes his entire motivation to shift towards the path of vengeance. I really suggest going into this book without knowing about the story, but if you want to know more, the blurb on Goodreads and Amazon is there for you to check out.

At its core, the main theme of the novel is revenge. The best comparison I can think of for this book is Pierce Brown’s sci-fi debut, Red Rising. Don’t get me wrong, the prose is totally different in style and there aren’t any sci-fi elements in this book; but the story progression, the injustice in a social hierarchy, the explosive pacing, and the main character truly made me feel like I was reading Red Rising, which I highly loved. As with Darrow—the main character from Red Rising, I wouldn’t say that I love Tau as the main character, but both Tau and Darrow have this crucial entertaining element for me; they are utterly compelling main characters. Tau is a person with indomitable determination; guided by palpable fury and rage on his road to revenge, his resolve was simply unbending and even though I didn’t really like some of his actions and certain elements of his personality, I found his motivations to be realistically believable and worth reading.

“I can't imagine a world where the man holding a sword does not have the last say over the man without one. If you’re not prepared to fight, you place yourself and everything you love beneath the blades of others, praying they choose not to cut. I have felt the mercy of armed men and they will never find me helpless again."

Told mostly from Tau’s third-person perspective narrative, the accessible prose that never gets in the way of the story enhanced the engrossing flow of the book. Although the storyline was a bit predictable, I found the execution and pacing to be absolutely brilliant. There was always something going on; it was fast-paced, incredibly engaging, and brimming with tension. If I have to choose the most outstanding aspect of the book, it would definitely be the battle scenes. It’s been so long since I’ve read a debut with close-quarter battle scenes of the high caliber featured within this novel; it felt like reading Abercrombie’s gritty action sequences. Every battle was easy to follow, gripping, and vivid. The heart-pounding actions never stop escalating until the climax sequences. Believe me, there was a barrage of awesome duels, and I simply can’t get enough of them. Winter combines cinematic scenes and economical characterizations wonderfully. There was never any moment where the characters were just fighting emotionlessly like robots. The brief respites between one danger and the next were very efficiently utilized for characterizations and emphasizing characters’ motivations clearly.

“It was the purity of it, the honesty. When Tau sparred, it was just him and his opponent. All that mattered was experience, skill, determination, and will. The rest of the world slipped away, leaving only the next move, the next counter, the next attack, the next victory.

The magic system and the demonic aspect of the book were both clever and felt refreshing. I also loved reading every section that involved Isihogo; I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself. Admittedly, I had one minor issue with the book that prevented me from giving it a full 5 stars rating. I felt the book would’ve benefited from more noteworthy female characters, especially after considering how the female characters in this series have the potential to be extremely powerful and flawed in personality. There were only two noteworthy female characters throughout the whole book and one of them appeared only near the end. That being said, seeing the way the story concluded in the first book, there’s a huge chance the issue I had with the book will be redeemed in the next installment and I highly look forward to it. In the grander scheme of things, my rating speaks for itself and this con only slightly diminish my overall enjoyment of the book.

“The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve.”

This was my first experience with reading African-inspired epic fantasy and I want more. Evan Winter is another new fantasy voice to watch out for; his voice deserves to be heard and his book deserves to be read. If you’re still on the fence about this, let the flame of the dragons burn that dilemma to ash. The Rage of Dragons is a breathtaking fantasy debut that triggered tons of adrenaline rush in me. I immensely enjoyed reading it and upon completion, I’m seriously in pain over the fact that the sequel isn’t out yet. The second book is now on my priority list of anticipated books. I highly recommend The Rage of Dragons to anyone who loves reading a fast-paced revenge story with great characterizations for the main character. More importantly, if you love reading fantasy with well-written battle scenes, there's a huge chance that this book is for you.

Official release date for the physical copies: July 18, 2019 (UK) and July 16, 2019 (US)

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Rick Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may be cliche to say a book was impossible to put down, but well, dang it, this book was impossible to put down!

I was intrigued by the lovely cover art, which seemed to promise a Zulu-inspired fantasy world with dragons. That's exactly what I got, but there is so much much to the story. We meet our hero Tau Solarin as a young man, just training for his warrior trials, which in the society of the Omehi is a requirement for all commoner men. If he passes, Tau can join the ranks of the Ihashe, the more elite division of the rank-and-file army. If he fails, he has two choices: serve as cannon fodder in the Omehi's endless war against the indigenous Hedeni who populate the continent, or become a Drudge, a servant with no rights and no honor.

Tau's people the Omehi have been in a constant state of war with the Hedeni for almost two hundred years, even since they landed on their peninsula, escaping from the fall of their old empire at the hands of a wicked force called the Cull. To gain a foothold, the Omehi had to use their 'nuclear option' on the hedeni: invoking the aid of dragons, which has terrible consequences both for the caller and the enemy. The Omehi's dragons, and their militant society, are the only things that allow them to hold on to their peninsula in the face of the Hedeni, fierce fighters who outnumber them a hundred to one.

That's just the set up! Tau's life journey would be intriguing enough if it followed its predicted course. But fate has many twists, turns and tragedies in store for him. We watch Tau evolve from a commoner boy who just wants to skip his military service and marry his hometown sweetheart, to a fierce fighter driven by revenge and haunted (literally) by demons. He must achieve his personal goal -- vengeance upon certain nobles who destroyed his happiness and his family -- while dealing with the challenges of his whole nation. After centuries of warfare, things are changing for the worse. The Hedeni attacks are intensifying. The Omehi are struggling, losing more warriors and Gifted (their all-female mages) than they can replace. And there is a horrible secret behind the Omehi's use of dragons . . . Is it possible the mighty Omehi are losing their eternal war? And if so, can one young man, Tau, make a difference? Does he even *want* to save the caste-driven society that has kept him down so long?

The novel is rich and complex. I would recommend giving it fifty pages or so before passing judgment because there is a lot of new terminology to take in: all the different names for the castes, the peoples, the vocabulary of magic, not to mention the characters who often carry multiple names and titles. But once you get the hang of the world-building, you will be hooked. The chapters are short and breathless, and will carry you through a rip-roaring good story. This is one of those books where you find yourself thinking, "Okay, just one more chapter." Then you look up and realize you read half the book. I'm delighted to see that there will be a sequel. Pre-ordering now!

[Evan Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's great, but then I wrote it, and my mother always said I should be proud of myself and the things I accomplish. I'm very proud of this. Maybe too proud. You be the judge. Though, you're most likely to have a good time if you enjoy Robert Jordan's expansive worlds, Brandon Sanderson's detailed magic systems, Joe Abercrombie's gritty combat, and Pierce Brown's page-burning pace of action.

My goal was to write something that I would, as a reader, love. The joke is that, since I'm the one who wrote the book, I've lost the distance needed to know if I'd actually like it. But, I am proud of it. I think it's good. More important, what do you think?

Evan Winter

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very confused 3 stars (3.5?)...

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ⭐️

Omg!!! Why did I wait so long to read this book!! I love me some revenge books!!! Eff them up Tau!!







The freaking action in this book is right out of the gates people. The battles! I was on the edge in my mind screaming, KILL THEM ALL!!

I didn’t feel there was too much world building in this book. I felt it was more character driven which is just fine with me. You don’t want to step away from the characters for one freaking minute! And I love Tau! He’s my hero..uh...warrior. I loved all of the characters.

Tau had so many things happen to him and it made me sad for him and all involved. But....

And just like that, there was no going back. A dragon had been called, and someone would have to die.

Yeah, bitches! He’s coming for you!! Woot! 😂🤣

Mel 🐶🖤🐺🐾


BLOG: https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....

[R.F. Kuang · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn't stop listening

[Nicholas Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, this book was good.

ASIDE from the fact that its setting is so refreshingly unique, the pacing is extraordinary. And by 'extraordinary' I mean that once it gets rolling--and it gets rolling almost right off the bat--it never lets up. Seriously, though: NEVER. Important scenes are followed by equally important scenes, which are followed by sudden revelations, which are followed by shocking loss, and then the whole thing repeats again. The chapters--short but not too short--are the perfect size to keep you thinking that reading just one more before setting it down is probably a good idea.

To summarize: big, epic, exciting, and, unless you're from the future, like nothing you've read before.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rage of Dragons is an African inspired revenge fantasy novel. This is worthy of attention in and of itself, simply because fantasy is dominated by white male authors who write about white male characters. Admittedly I enjoy reading such books, though it’s refreshing to see more diverse books appearing in the fantasy genre in recent years. There are other voices out there, and they really are worth listening to.

The story begins in the middle of a battle, which sets the tone for the martial focus for the book. There is so much action and so much struggle for victory across these pages. Dragons are the absolute last resort, a weapon that should only be used when there is no other choice because it is such a terribly powerful one. The prologue captures this very quickly, and as the book progresses the significance of that first scene is later expanded upon with a great amount of detail which really helped to strengthen the world building. And this is a world that is slightly different to the Eurocentric medieval fantasy that many of us are used to. It’s all in the small details, the land is hot and barren, the warriors fight with bronze swords and bone spears. All these simple things, along with the names of characters and places, help to give the book a distinct feel.

Tau is a solid protagonist and his reactions to his circumstances are entirely normal and human. It’s easy to become invested in him. He didn’t want to be a warrior and he was looking for a way out, but the injustice of his world took someone from him, so he becomes driven by revenge and blood. And judging by his determination, he will clearly get what he wants. He lives to train, and eventually becomes skilful enough to best opponents twice his size. The book took a somewhat predictable direction because of this, but the strength of Tau’s convictions and personality made up for the linearity. The action was also constant, never relenting until the final chapters.

I enjoyed the magic system, the idea that a “gifted” could use special powers to improve the strength and speed of warriors in battle. The two work together to ensure victory. It reminded me somewhat of Kursed in Thor: Dark World and it gave the fighting (especially the large-scale battles) an added element, making them more complex and interesting to read about. It wasn’t as simple as knife work; tactics were needed to bring down powerful foes. And whilst I’m on the subject of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I recommend this to fans of Black Panther because it is put together just as well and has a similar feel.

Overall, this is a strong first novel in the series. It’s unique and offers a totally different version of fantasy. Orbit were totally right to snap this up (it was previously only a self-published title.) More please.

-Thank you Orbit for sending me a review copy for Fantasy Book Review

_________________________________

You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
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[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne


My expanded review on BookNest... The Rage of Dragons BookNest review

I have just finished reading The Rage of Dragons, and the fact that I read this in two days is testimony to how much I loved it!

The Rage of Dragons is one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is a heart-wrenching, mind-blowing tale of love and hatred, of sacrifice and inspiration. But most of all, this is an epic story of vengeance.

I have never read an African-inspired fantasy novel before, so was not sure what to expect and did not know if it would grip me. Well, I was wrong to doubt. Winter paints the culture in a magnificent manner, quickly creating a depth to the world that I rarely encounter.

“For it’s in the crucible of hard days that potential becomes power.”

It is a thought provoking story that tackles issues on social hierarchy, attitude to lower classes, and the effects of war on the mind. Whenever I could not hide away to read, I found myself thinking about this novel. About the challenges the characters faced, how they would cope, how their every action defined them and what would happen next. That is the sign of a great book!

“Life is nothing more than moments in time. To achieve greatness, you have to give up those moments. You have to give your life to your goal.”

One of the greatest aspects of this novel were the battle scenes. They were vivid, and immersive. I felt like I was witnessing the horror of war, and I got goosebumps during the small scale skirmishes that brought to mind the team fights from Gladiator.

I could go on all day about how much I loved this book and why, but I have just chosen a few of the most prominent ones. I will write an expanded review for BookNest where I cover the rest very soon :). But, as I have tried to explain, and hope I did, this book is a must read! I will struggle to wait for the sequel to be released, but I consider myself fortunate I got to read this magnificent book.

20th FEB

In a recent newsletter from Evan Winter, it was said that the cover has been designed for book two, The Fires of Vengeance. And will be shared soon!

Also the actual content is in its final refining stages!

Really cannot wait for the sequel. One of my top five anticipated books this year!

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this book after reading very positive reviews both on here and elsewhere online. ‘Maybe this is the next big thing!’ I told myself excitedly, as I pictured myself being the ultimate hipster being able to claim I’d read it long before it became cool.

This is your archetypal fantasy story of a farmboy out to avenge the murder of his parent(s) against a backdrop of war and class oppression. If you’re looking for a wildly original story, this is not for you. If you’re looking for sword-swinging action, it most definitely is.

The blurb promised a cross between Game of Thrones and Gladiator. I don’t usually take these marketing slogans seriously, and well you should not, as there is none of George Martin’s political intrigue and subtext to be found, and the promised dragons barely feature; although the Gladiator comparison is a fair one as it’s essentially the same story minus the compelling villain of Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning film.

The setting for Winter’s fantasy was an intriguing one. A fantasy novel with an African inspiration is a refreshing prospect in a genre saturated with medieval Europe rip-offs. However, I was mostly disappointed to find that this didn’t really break the trend – dragons, for one, are a feature of European/Asian mythology, and all the descriptions of crenellations and stone torch-lit tunnels just made me think of European castles. Though perhaps this is my imagination’s fault, I just didn’t see much in terms of a unique and memorable fantasy setting.

This leads to one of the major problems I had with this book: everything felt skin-deep and superficial. The underlining theme of the book is struggle against an oppressive class structure, and, throughout, this is relayed to the reader via a wide array of nouns for the various classes and military/social roles. After finishing the 400-page novel, I still could not say what half of these words mean and what their role in the world is. What is a KaEid? What is the difference between an Inkokeliki and an Umbonqisi? I couldn’t tell you.

I understand many of these words are pulled from real-world African examples. Which is fine, as is the general method of showing, not telling, but when they are thrown at the reader constantly you need a solid understanding of what these words mean if you’re to get to grips with what is happening and the world it is happening in. There are many, many lengthy action sequences in this book where I struggled to decipher what was happening because of this. There did not seem to be any complexity to the society beyond these words, and if there was, it was certainly not explored adequately.

Maybe too much is expected of the reader here, and a glossary would have been extremely useful.

My other major irk with this book was all the fights. There are simply too many. Of the 400+ pages of the book, I would guess at about 200 of these being solely devoted to descriptions of sword fights. This might be fine for some, and they are reasonably well-written, but for me they became a chore to get through by the second half of the book. Perhaps this was because the main character, Tau, became a Mary Sue of indescribable proportions by this point (seriously, I thought Red Rising’s Darrow was bad enough), which took any tension out of the action for the reader, but ultimately there is little variety for the reader to enjoy. Any development in the story is resolved with more sword fights, so if you've read one chapter you've basically read the entire book.

The other problem with this devotion to endless descriptions of hacking and slashing is that it takes up too much space. Towards the end of the book, there’s a ‘twist’ where the main villain decides to betray the Queen. OK cool, this should be quite an interesting development. But no, both the villain and the Queen in question have both only had about three lines of dialogue apiece, and the reader subsequently has no vested interest in this betrayal. They simply are not given the time or the space in the novel for you to care, which results in the final set-piece of the story being something of a damp squib. There are not enough pages devoted to world-building. The reader is not given enough perspective of many of the settings or the world’s vernacular.

That’s not to say I hated everything about the book. Some of it I found interesting. The magic system was intriguing and complex, if confusing in places, and I enjoyed how it tied together with the world’s class system, similar to Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series. The writing is passable, although I did roll my eyes at some of the ‘badass’ dialogue and a professional author really should know the difference between hanged and hung.

Overall, I was glad to finish the book, which was disappointing as I was encouraged after reading the reviews it is getting. Maybe it just isn’t for me.

[James Tivendale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 2020 before starting The Fires of Vengeance and I've upgraded it to 5-stars.

*Minor spoilers may follow.*

The inhabitants of Omehi who are known as the Chosen have been warring with the savage hedeni tribes for hundreds of years. The hedeni may have superior numbers but the Chosen have the Gifted. These are powerful female mages who can source power from the underworld Isihogo. The Gifted are a huge asset in battles. They can turn a warrior into an Ingonyama which is a giant, amazingly powerful protective being. The pinnacle of their powers, and the aspect that the hedeni fear the most is that when Gifted work together they can call a Dragon Guardian to aid them on the battlefield to bloody and devastating effect.

After an incredible prologue which is set 186-cycles prior, we spend The Rage of Dragons mostly following Tau's third person perspective. Castes and birthright are hugely important in this novel and Tau is a higher common. He lives in a relatively small town and spends the majority of his days helping his father in his duties or training with the sword. His father was an Ihashe warrior and now helps keep the settlement secure and safe. Tau wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become an Ihashe soldier too. These are the elite fighters from the lesser castes. He spends his days practicing with the second son of a petty noble house called Jabari. As a noble Jabari is bigger, stronger, faster, fitter and beats Tau the majority of the time. Jabari wishes to join the Indlovu which is the group for the most powerful noble caste warriors. Although best friends they are aware that their blood will lead them to walk different roads in the future even though the nobles, commoners, and the drudge are all on the same side. All seems content and life doesn't seem too harsh. Tau even has a love interest in his village called Zuri. Things change dramatically but mostly for Tau the day that Jabari attends his warrior trials and that is where the story really begins.

Tau was a standard and safe character at the beginning of the narrative but his development throughout is dramatic and very well done. He changes drastically when vengeance becomes his only real motive. Following his loss, taking part in his warrior trials, to his time in Scale Jayyed as an initiate Ihashe, seeing events from Tau's perspective was addictive for me. He was headstrong, unyielding, sometimes made bad decisions and wasn't always likable which are some of the qualities I look for in a protagonist.

"He made a pact with himself, a pact he swore on his father’s soul. If he were asked to run a thousand strides, he would run two thousand. If he were told to spar three rounds, he would spar six. And if he fought a match to surrender, the man who surrendered would not be him. He would fight until he won or he died. There would be, he swore, no days without difficulty."

I've read many fantasy novels where sections take place at a warrior or magic educational establishment. This tale features some of what you'd expect in this sort of setting. Rivals, different factions, a team of varied individuals working together against the odds, camaraderie, interesting teachers/trainers, etc... The familiar elements incorporated, I think this is the most I have ever enjoyed reading a story that features a warrior school. That includes Anthony Ryan's Blood Song which is probably the closest rival this story has. What made this exceed was the practice battles against other scales from the lesser castes and also from the noble castes. The hatred between the nobles and the lessers leads readers to realise that there is no such thing as a practice fight in this environment. These scenarios are exceptionally well crafted and gripping especially when Tau hones his fighting skills and other members of his team learn to work together expertly to overcome much adversity.

Winter has a deft talent for writing colourful, complex and memorable characters. My personal favourites were sword trainer Jayyed, love interest Zuri, hated rival Kellan, and all the members of Jayyed's five. This African-influenced fantasy world was composed well without being too fruity or unnecessarily over detailed. This kept the focus on the action and The Rage of Dragons flows at a breakneck pace with only a few quieter, slower chapters here and there for readers to catch their breath, compose themselves, reflect on what has just happened and then breathe before going again. The Rage of Dragons features the battle scenarios as mentioned but also huge skirmishes and fights against the age-old enemy, the hedeni. Duels, political corruption, dragons and venturing to the underworld to fight demons are just a small amount of the ingredients which make The Rage of Dragons such a phenomenal debut. I'll definitely see what Winter has in store for us in his next entry. The Rage of Dragons is an excellent high-octane thrill ride of a fantasy debut that I devoured in one day. Highly recommended. 9/10.

[Fiza · ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ » 〃The people he loved died either way.〃

*Crying, Sobbing, Wailing, Gasping Blubbering, Thrashing, Howling*

PS. Mess is an understatement of what I am rn after that ending!! 😃🫴💔

.(🛡️) ݁ ˖ »〃There’s nothing left in him to which you can appeal.〃

Nobody told me this is all in all a tragedy story *smiles through pain* i can'ttt, my eyes are straining to hold back tears and my throat feels like it's wrapped by a barbed wire while writing this, too much, too fucking much, my heart fcking broke for Tau!! and Zuri!!

That being said, please listen to me and listen to the audiobook, it was saurrr good, the narrator's voice literally gave me chills and goosebumps.

Reasons why you should read/listen to it:

1) Cuz i say so
2) See option 1
3) All of you guys' fav author also gave it 5 stars

If you're a fan of those stories where the protagonist wants needs revenge like he needs air and train so hard for it, he'd rather forget to breath, then this book is for you!! The action, the battles, the adrenaline, i was literally hooked from the prologue and didn't want to put it down until I'd have gotten to know the ending. I literally got affiliated with the other characters too, Jayyed, Jabari and members of the scale, which resulted in more pain cuz why not right. In short, there were too many emotions for me to control.

I'm not really a crying-while-reading person but this book right here, uff my hearteu was literally squeezing at some moments, for example just imagine he goes to a place (isihogo) countless times daily to train, bcz the time passes slowly there and feels the pain of death everytime the demons rip his intestines or eat his face there and guess what those demons cannot be killed. Yes, This is the level of insanity I'm talking about.

.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ »〃He wanted revenge, needed revenge, and there was no price he wouldn’t pay to get it.〃

.(🛡️) ݁ ˖ »〃"I am your curse,” the Lesser said. “I am your end."〃

.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ »〃The sword was his religion and, a devout disciple, he sacrificed to it without end.〃

.(🛡️) ݁ ˖ »〃“Your name, Initiate?” “Death,”〃



.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ »〃Your life?” Jayyed asked, causing Tau to stop. “That’s the price. Life is nothing more than moments in time. To achieve greatness, you have to give up those moments. You have to give your life to your goal.〃

.(🛡️) ݁ ˖ »〃The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve. The days you do not improve are the days the men behind you close the distance. It’s then you give your enemies hope. Hope that, when they meet you in battle, they have done enough to finish you.〃

.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ »〃The hardest fights were not with the other men. They were with himself.〃

.(🛡️) ݁ ˖ »〃He would fight until he won or he died. There would be, he swore, no days without difficulty.〃

.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ »〃If I can be better than them, then any of us can be. The Nobles? They are great because we are on our knees. No more. I choose to stand.〃

.(🛡️) ݁ ˖ »〃“Get up, Kellan Okar,” the impossibility standing over him said. “Time to die.”〃 dayummm



World building:

stellar 10/10- from the gifted magic system to dragons to Ingonyama or Indlov (Nobles) to Ihashe (Lessers)

Romance:

It was a very side thingy as it's an epic/high fantasy but omg every time they were together, i shed tears for them!!

.(🍂) ݁ ˖ »〃Your kiss. It’s healing.〃

.(🍁) ݁ ˖ »〃"I think of you almost as much as my training, Tau said.〃

.(🍂) ݁ ˖ »〃“I’ll have to go,” he said.
“I know.”
“I’ll come back.”
“Next skirmish.”
“Will you—”
“Of course. I’ll wait.”〃

.(🍁) ݁ ˖ »〃“You have to go,” she told him, stepping away. “Come back to me.”
“Always,” he told her, watching as she left the way they’d come.〃

.(🍂) ݁ ˖ »〃“Why can’t these moments make up the whole of life?”
She laughed. “Wait another span or two. You’ll be hungry and all you’ll want will be your next meal.”
“You’re all I need to survive,”〃

.(🍁) ݁ ˖ »〃“I’m here with you now, aren’t I?” she said.
“Are you allowed to be?”
“I’m here.”
“For how long?”
“For these breaths.”
Tau shook his head. “They aren’t enough! I want more. I want to marry the woman I love, to have children with her, to watch them grow… with my father beside me.”〃



.(⚔️) ݁ ˖ »〃“I am no hero.”
Tsiora made her voice hard. “Then be a weapon.”〃

It's hurting y'all but Thank you so muchhh Jay for this epic rec and Milica for buddy reading it with me, you guys are the best 🫶🏻, now goodbye 😔🙏🏻

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

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David's pick for my 10 readers, 10 recommendations challenge!!

Actual Rating: 4.25 stars

“And, like that, there was no going back. A Dragon had been called and someone would have to die.”

The Rage of Dragons was one of the most hyped fantasy releases of 2019 and I believe there are great reasons for that. The story was originally self-published before Orbit decided to traditionally publish it with a new cover and some edits. I mean it is a story about revenge, it has dragons, a great cover (I am even a fan of the self-published cover) and the author seems like a very cool person and it has African-inspired settings so I had to buy a hardcover copy of this and read it.

Last year I read Priory of the Orange Tree and I was unfortunately very disappointed with it. I thought that maybe this book will give me the dragons we deserve. I ended up enjoying the story very much but for different reasons. Although the title contains the word “Dragon” they don’t have a big role in the story so far (this being a keyword) but I believe they will and I believe the story itself was excellent without the Dragons part.

The story is a revenge story, it is also a military fantasy story so the story may not fit the taste of every reader. The story is a bit dense, starts with many terms and information (The Glossary at the end of the book is very important in my opinion), It made getting into the story a bit of a challenge but the prologue was certainly intriguing enough to capture my attention from the start so I knew I was going to finish the book.

“I’d rather live with a thing done poorly than do nothing and always wonder how things could have been.”

The writing is very good though, there were many quotes worth highlighting. The book did not feel like a debut at all and Winter definitely raised the bar for new fantasy authors.

The characters were great, diverse and it is just refreshing to see POC characters written by an author of color in a fantasy setting with an African setting. All of it is just a derail from the stereotypical themes we are used to. The story has a wide cast of characters who were distinct and do grow through the story. At the same time, the story was very action-packed with a nice (not complex) magic system that kept me on toes while reading the book. I am used to slower books as I am reading more adult fantasy but this was a mix of non-stop action while still sustaining the focus on characters, a perfect mix in my opinion!

“The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve.”

Summary: Winter wrote an epic debut which was unusual for its settings, action-packed chapters and characters. I think the revenge story is not something new but the author still managed to put his own twist on it and make it unique which explains the success it has been finding. I am very satisfied by this debut and I can’t wait for the second book!



You can get more books from Book Depository

[ChopinFC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read even more incredible than the first go round! The audiobook for Rage of Dragons is near perfection, and the voice-over actor gives a stunning interpretation with 'African' accent, that brings the realism to a crisp! My original thoughts below...


5 Stars (Masterpiece)


I was so blown away by the intensity, the action, the plot and characterization, the magic system and the GENIUS, behind The Rage of Dragons, that it has shot up as one of my favorite books of ALL TIMES!!!

God, this book is so fucking good I don’t even know where to start! I’ve heard the buzz about ‘Rage’ from some online youtube reviews, and strong GR reviewers (shout out Petrik...as usual) and went full steam into it! I sampled the ‘audiobook’ version, and as soon as I heard the ‘African accent’ narration by the brilliant ‘Prentice Onayemi’ I was hooked! In the process of reading, I was so enthralled by the narrative and characters- that I went ahead and bought the kindle edition to support Evan Winter in this amazing freshman stellar debut!





The Rage of Dragons is a crossbreed between Gladiator and Game of Thrones on steroids!! This may seem like a gimmick, but the story is so richly thick with drama, action and characterization, that it flies and sores high on its own merit! The African-inspired fantasy places the reader in the middle of a world where a civilization known as ‘Omehi’ are subdivided into casts of ‘nobles’ and gift-less citizens. Together, both factions are pooled together in a war against a much stronger enemy that has lasted for the last 200 years! The story centers on ‘Tau’, a young gift-less that has planned to escape, and leave a different life.




Tau



The prologue is an epically well written introduction- amongst the best I’ve ever read! After the first 20% , the narrative becomes unrelenting, unyielding, and highly addictive!



Evan Winter masterfully blends epic fantasy elements with a richly inspired African- wartribe influence. It’s quite daunting how this story has all the elements that are so attractive to me: a coming of age story about a young warrior who was born without any ‘talents’ or ‘magical gifts’, yet has the perseverance and true-heart to fight to the death for what he believes!

Winter is able to weave a story that integrates a ‘fighting’ school with epic duels, just like in ‘Gladiator’! We see characters that are rich in prose and description, and become organic by the conclusion of the narrative. ‘Tau’ has a small close group of ‘sword brothers’ that add so much to the story! I loved the relationship dynamics between Tau, his sword brothers as well as his love interest.

The magic system is so well developed, and involves the few of the Omehi gifted entering an ‘outside’ world where they can draw power and summon unsurmountable ‘monsters’ and creatures to blend in the epic battles! Oh… and we also have Dragons, lots of Dragons.


Gifted controlling Dragons

The Rage of Dragons has clearly topped any book I’ve read since last years’ majestic ‘Sword of Keigen’ or ‘Recursion’. Here on the other hand, is the promise of another 2 stellar books that will carry and develop the storyline of such a strong and disturbed protagonist such as Tau. I would be remiss not to emphasize the brilliance of the voice-over actor Prentice Onayemi, who sleighs the story from beginning to end! His cadance, voice-over interpretations, African accent, adds so much realism to the story, that I can’t recommend it enough!

The Rage of Dragons is a masterpiece of epic-fantasy storytelling! Elements of revenge, war, epic duels, undying and unsuspecting friendships and a love affair makes this one of my favorite books of all times.

5 Stars!!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other than dragons, a revenge story, and mostly 5 star reviews from my friends… I had no idea what to expect. Little did I know, I was reading a new all time favorite.

The Rage of Dragons is an epic fantasy, unlike anything I’ve ever read. The gorgeous African influences, and jaw dropping world building, instantly caught my attention. Evan Winter wrote this so cinematically, and with so much depth and emotion, that you can’t help but fall in love and cheer for these amazing characters.

“Improvement can only come through intentioned effort. Every day must be hard for you. The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve.”

Tau (our main character) has to go down in history as one of the most driven and determined fictional characters ever written. This young man’s story is full of heart ache, but then again… how can your favorite characters claim revenge without loss and trauma?

“He desired mastery more than he desired breath. It was that he wanted revenge more than he wanted to live.”

I was constantly impressed by Tau’s focus, and it’s no surprise that I admired his sense of loyalty and intelligence. I love a character that fights with two blades, and battles against impossible odds.

It did take me a while to understand and accept the caste system of lessers & nobles, and how different tribes referred to each other as “savages” and “heathens.” Typically these phrases fill me with rage, but I think that’s exactly why the author wrote it this way. The combination of the caste system and military privileges, were so crucial to this brutal story. I will always root for the underdog and hope for an uprising for the oppressed. How Tau fights, and instills hope, gave me full body chills (and probably a few tears, but shhh don’t tell anyone.) Naturally I adored how this world recognized the strength in women, as world leaders, heads of household, passing their familial names through the maternal bloodline, and as a society they praise the goddess, Ananthi.

The training, and battle scenes have to be some of my favorite ever written! Tau‘s skill and sense of revenge, fuel the explosive energy of this extraordinary saga, which draws some of my favorite characters together (the chosen 5.)

“By refusing to surrender, no matter how bad the chances, because as long as we fight, the outcome is not set. As long as we fight, there is a chance.”

If you didn’t already think INCREDIBLE world building, an amazing magic system, fantastic characters, or an intense revenge saga were enough… there’s also a sweet love story! Oh, and vicious dragons. Truthfully, I could discuss the powerful elements in this book for days. With that being said, if this has been sitting on your TBR for a while, do yourself a favor and read this magnificent book.

“Where we fight, the world burns!”

[Becca & The Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend reading along with the audio for this one - the guy's voice is like butter

[mina reads™️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justice for the hedeni

[Mica Santos ⇢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic Fantasy + Original Magic System

An excellent start to a series that promises a lot. It has a pretty innovative magic system and the development of the plot is very interesting. The characters are well portrayed and it's easy to connect with them.
I liked the writing style, everything is well explained and described, short chapters and fast-paced. It lacks better world building but there's a map and that makes up for it. 🙄

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Un excelente comienzo de serie que promete mucho. Tiene un sistema de magia bastante innovador y el desarrollo de la trama es muy interesante. Los personajes están bien definidos y es fácil conectar con ellos.
Me gustó el estilo de escritura, está todo bien explicado y descripto, capítulos cortos y un ritmo rápido. Le falta una mejor construcción del mundo pero hay un mapa y con eso compensa. 🙄

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOAHHHH

Tau is such a great character, and that was such an epic read.

[Eon Windrunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

A heart-stoppingly ferocious fantasy achievement, The Rage of Dragons is exhilarating in its execution and an enthralling debut you won’t want to miss.

Let’s not deny it. We have all bought a book based on its cover alone. Most of the times we get lucky and the story is great, but now and then we feel like fools for making such impulsive purchases without checking reviews. The Rage of Dragons lured me in with just such a cover in a moment of weakness, but I can happily say the contents match, if not surpass the exterior. Before I get carried away though, let’s take a moment to appreciate the art of Karla Ortiz:



The story starts with a roar of a prologue, dropping us into a massive battle that immediately thrills with its sheer scope, breathtaking duels, bloodthirsty ferocity and glimpses of unknown magic. It’s reminiscent of the prologue that Brandon Sanderson wrote in The Way of Kings, in that it is a glimpse of a terrible event with far-reaching consequences for the story we are about to follow and it takes place in the distant past. As the story shifts to our present, we meet our protagonist Tau, who is no-one important. He is a Lesser among his people, the Omehi, whose society is based on a caste system. Tau serves his betters as is his place and expected of him. Some would rage against these shackles and want more than they are given, but Tau, for the most part, is content. He has a plan, and with some minor luck he will be able to avoid becoming a soldier; fodder in the everlasting war his people fight against the natives. If his plan succeeds, peace and the woman he loves will be within his grasp. Fate is ever a cruel and fickle mistress though, and events cause a dramatic shift in Tau’s future outlook, giving birth to a burning hatred within him and a plot device that stokes the flames of my bookish heart:

VENGEANCE.

To quote one of my favourite films:

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.".

GOOSEBUMPS…

I don’t want to cover the plot much more than that, because this is such a great experience of a book, but I will say that Tau is consumed by an overwhelming anger, hatred and the need for revenge, and through sheer will and determination sets himself on the path of becoming an elite soldier in order to fulfill his vengeance. His single-mindedness is an effective tool that helps his quest of becoming the weapon he needs to be, but boy could it be frustrating at times. So much so that at one point I complained to a friend that I wanted to slap Tau in the hope of removing his blinkers. His character motivations are always believable though, and I found myself easily invested in him, despite his moments of madness, bad judgement or stubbornness. Tau is not always likeable, but he is human, and just like any of us, fallible. How do we react in the face of violence, murder, bloodshed? Can we rise above and find a path to peace? Can we break the cycle of violence? Turn the other cheek? Forgive? These are some of the questions that Evan Winter asks of his creations, and there is a delight in seeing how they respond.

Speaking of the characters... The only quibble I have with the story is something I noticed about halfway through that felt off. There is a distinct lack of women featured in the story, apart from Tau’s love interest, Zuri, and one other. And it is weird because the Omehi venerates females. They are above men in standing, with many women in powerful positions. They are ruled by a queen for example, and their magic wielders known as Gifted, are all extremely powerful women. Thinking back on the story, I think there was a female warrior among the enemies of the Omehi, so perhaps it’s a cultural thing specific to them. I just felt it needed a mention, as once you notice - it’s hard to ignore. Hopefully, they get more page time in book two, because the little bit of them we see shows interesting, complex characters that can add even more to the story.

Hints of a larger world are present as early as the gripping opening sequence, but The Rage of Dragons chooses to tell us a much more intimate, personal story of one man’s vengeance, and as such we are confined to a small corner of what sounds like a vast, imaginative world. The author has mentioned that the story is African-inspired and I imagine I enjoyed this facet a bit more than most people will, recognising many of the foreign words. I was born in a place called KwaZulu Natal and Zulu is one of the main languages. Words such as Indlovu (elephants) as a name for a warrior group or Inyoku (snake) for a warrior that is said to strike very fast or even Isihogo, which means Hell, are prominent throughout and I loved knowing their meaning. Although I have heard that the words used are Xhosa, they are similar if not the same as many of the Zulu words that I know (I have since read that they are mutually intelligible) and they reinforced the African feel, deepening my immersion.

“I can't imagine a world where the man holding a sword does not have the last say over the man without one.”

With vengeance being Tau’s main driving force, it is not surprising that scintillating action takes centre stage in The Rage of Dragons. And I mean, FRONT and CENTRE. Major battles, skirmishes and duels are prevalent throughout, but that would mean nothing if they weren't well written, and boyyyyyyy are they well written. Evan Winter should not be able to pull off this level of skill in a debut, but he must have made a sacrifice to the writing gods because he is clearly gifted. Scintillating, immersive, vivid, ferocious and cinematic - there are not many authors who can match the pulse-pounding action scenes that The Rage of Dragons brings to the table and I couldn't get enough of it. Five hundred plus pages? Who knew? The pace never flagged, and even though this is a chonker of a book it was over to soon. The sequel, please Mr Winter!

“That’s the price. Life is nothing more than moments in time. To achieve greatness, you have to give up those moments. You have to give your life to your goal.”

Without a doubt, The Rage of Dragons is a stellar debut and easily one of the best books I have read this year. Don’t take my word for it though. Read it, experience it for yourself and remember Evan Winter’s name; he is going to be a giant in fantasy.

Oh, did I mention that there are DRAGONS?
Should have led with that probably :)



We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.
—Heinrich Heine

PS: You can read the opening chapters for free over here

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY COW i wish i'd read this sooner, i literally stayed up until the early hours of the morning reading this because i couldn't put it down!

The setting is unique and fascinating and the world development is remarkably well done, i really felt like i was in this story with Tau and really enjoyed his character development too.

Chef's kiss!

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing first entry into a fantasy series with an extremely unique setting

Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.

This book really does live up to the massive amount of hype that surrounds it. The plot is compelling, the fight scenes are intense and gritty, and you really feel the emotional connection to each of these characters.

I love the worldbuilding that has been done here. It does a lot of things that I absolutely adore in my fantasy novels. I love it when a fantasy setting is unique, and the African inspired book is something I have never read in a fantasy novel before. I love when a world is much larger than the plot of the book, when you have entire continents that are important to the plot but never seen by a POV character. I love books that have the main character far exceeding the artificial limits that have been placed upon them by the rules of their world. And for some reason I love fantasy books that have a "school" setting or a "tournament" setting.

I do think that the plot is too narrow however, and I was desperate for it to be a bit more complex. This book is still a 5/5 stars for me, but I wouldn't put it in the elite category of 5/5s that I have read. I also thought the characters were a bit one-dimensional. This may be solved in future books, but in this one they didn't have a lot of complexity.

I eagerly look forward to reading book #2 in this series.

[Anthony Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stultifying and dehumanising effects of a caste-based society and the seductive but ultimately destructive nature of vengeance lie at the heart of Evan Winter’s tale. A feudal people known as the Omehi fight a never-ending war against encroaching tribes to maintain their hold on a peninsular they invaded two hundred years before. 'Lesser Common' Tau Solarin drives himself to the point of madness as he gains the warrior skills needed to avenge himself on the noble caste. Expertly structured with a keen eye for action and character, Rage of Dragons is a captivating epic heroic fantasy from a major new talent.

[James Islington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome - intense, inventive and action-packed from beginning to end. It included a ton of things that I like in a story, and then executed that story really, really well.

Where the blurb mentions Game of Thrones, I’d liken it more to something like Red Rising, with its protagonist driven by revenge, class system to overcome, and story that moves forward with a kind of forceful, gripping, action-oriented pace. In fact, I think that fans of Pierce Brown’s series (as I am) would almost certainly find something to love here.

But The Rage of Dragons is very much its own thing, too. The magic system is clearly defined, used inventively, and allows room for some interesting development in the future. The world itself is distinctive and well-realised, and yet it’s clear that this book only scrapes the surface of a larger conflict, too. There’s definitely plenty of territory for the sequels to expand into.

Finally, for those who want to know about mature content – swearing is a non-issue, the violence is brutal but not gratuitous in any way, and there’s one brief sex scene. It's somewhere between Brandon Sanderson’s books and Game of Thrones, but much closer to the former. There’s certainly nothing that would make me hesitate to widely recommend it.

So all up, a very enthusiastic ‘go and read it’ from me!

[Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is 5/5 stars enough?

No.

I am RUINED by this. I can't trust a single thing I've read so far, and I absolutely love that feeling. I'm so hyped for the next book, it's UNBELIEVABLE.

UGH HE DID THAT

[Sebastien Castell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter is the best fantasy debut I've read this year. This surprised me, because I've been generally trying to get away from books about great wars and warriors, lofty magic and military organizations being the centre of the story. Yet Winter's debut kept me captivated precisely because he managed to do what many of those books seem to avoid: he kept the story incredibly contained within the life of its main character.

Tau is a Lesser – a low-caste commoner in this African-inspired fantasy realm. He's neither particularly strong nor skilled and, quite frankly, would be pretty fine with avoiding military service altogether and trying to build a life with Zuri, the girl he loves and who might just love him back. But, of course, in such a hierarchical society, injustice is at the very root of life, and it soon comes to destroy Tau's hopes and dreams. Watching the way in which Tau deals with those losses is simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring, both epically grand and yet nuanced.

Tau is neither true hero nor callous Grimdark-style anti-hero. He's just dealing with the hand fate has dealt him and wrestling with every decision along the way. He becomes obsessive about becoming the deadliest swordsman he can be, and along this journey makes sacrifices that carve out pieces of his soul. Always Zuri comes back into the picture, though, and tries to bring Tau back to the boy he once was.

All of this against the backdrop of dragons, armies, a fascinating magic system, and a spirit of camaraderie that fans of old-school fantasy will appreciate just as much as those looking to go beyond European-inspired medievalist tales will enjoy a new cultural context for their fantastical tales. Put together, all of this makes The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter a captivating read for fantasy fans old and new.

[ଘRory]

𓍯𓂃 currently reading:
Just started this and it better deliver! Honestly, at this point, any man named Evan has my trust—real or fictional ☠️ So Evan Winter, the fate of my winter break is in your hands.

[Zitong Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

me frantically panting after finishing this book be like

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD.

Yeah…

I know

The truth is, I really have not been reading a lot of books that I have been loving recently for whatever reason, in fact, this is my first 5 star in a month, and my first five star for a fantasy book since I read {book: Warbreaker] by Brando Sando since the start of February. Needless to say, I’m very happy to have read this, and all the praise that I have heard about it are very well deserved.

Lots of fantasy now does seem generic and it can be hard to stand out, yet The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter does just that, and I think because of that, it’s had some very well earned success. This is also the author debut’s which only makes it the more impressive, and right now, I can’t wait for book 2 to be released on November 10th, 2020.

The Rage of Dragons is a very military focussed fantasy, filled with action scenes, vigorous training and a tinge of political drama, which are all things I like in my fantasy books, yet I understand that the constant action and fighting is not suited for everyone, especially because of the volatile time that we currently are in. If anyone does need an escape to a wholly original world that breathes awesome, than I highly recommend that you pick up this book.

It is Xhosa inspired fantasy, which is a culture that I know very little about, yet am intrigued to learn a whole lot more about now. I’m really loving at how authors are branching away from European based cultures and are basing their fantasies on the rest of the world, and frankly, I just find to be very refreshing to have these authors with backgrounds from different cultures to be writing these books, as they are awesome. Yes, lots of my favourite fantasies are heavily European influenced, yet now with more books being published by authors who are not white in a genre who biggest figureheads are predominantly white people(think Jordan, Tolkien, Martin, Sanderson), I am really loving books these new, far more refreshing takes on the genre(think Jemisin, Tahir, Winter).

The characters in this book frustrate me, especially Tau, yet they are all have this ability that makes me to emphasise with them, to feel for their anger, pain and frustration and that makes them more real. Yes, he can be annoying, yet who isn’t slightly a pain sometimes in life. The rest of the characters in his group, called a scale, were all characters I ended up really enjoying and even just a few brief moments with them really helped me connect to them. One thing is that, I think due to the way the culture is set up and that they spend a good portion of the book training for combat, is that there is not many female characters, and we really only get two throughout the whole book. I do hope that going forward we do get more female characters since I really liked Zuri in this one and wanted for of her.

There is a romance that does feel sort of like instalove, though I understand that the characters have known each other for ages before hand, and even during their romance, Winter shows that even though the two of them love each other, not everything is perfect. They disagree on things, they argue all the time on what is right and wrong, and because of that, the romance, which does seem to be urged forward by hormones and lust, gives it a more real element to it that often isn’t shown in romances in fantasy, since often, once two characters fall in love in fantasy, that’s it and everything is going to be perfect. That doesn’t happen here, and it makes me like the characters because of that.

The world is very well built and I really enjoyed every moment that I spent in it and the author really managed to display the sort of military culture the Omehi possess. Furthermore, the Castes displayed the unfairness of life for some people, and it was interesting to see people further up being stronger than the people on the lower Castes, which is always an interesting concept to explore, in that people are quite literally born unequal in this world, which makes equality all the more difficult.

The action scenes, of which there is an abundance of, are executed well and with skill, and they are precise, quick and extremely fast paced, which kept me wanting for more. They are concise and get straight to the point, without needless over explanations, yet providing the reader enough so that I could see that fight playing out. In fact, I liked Winter’s writing style as a whole, since it was never info dumpy, expect maybe on this one occasion, but nor was it overly descriptive, yet gave enough for the reader to picture what was required, yet never too much, so that it did not bog down the story.

It’s an awesome Epic fantasy story, and if the rest of the series when it comes out(which I’ll be eagerly awaiting) also end up being this good or better, this could easily become one of my favourite fantasy series. As it stands right now, this is already one of my favourite books of the year so far. 9.5/10

[Spencer Orey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge and battle! Tau has everything ripped away from him and will go to any length to become a warrior capable of taking his revenge. There's scary magic, a demon world, and nonstop fighting. There was actually too much fighting for me, but at least the battles were well written.

I love the middle section of this book, in which all of the battles gain urgency as a subjugated battle school group rises up against super-sized and magical nobles to prove that they're equals. We even get a fantastic lovable antagonist who Tau absolutely wants dead. There's great tension there, as we see both perspectives and can't help but root for revenge regardless.

The opening and ending (more battles) are a bit less gripping for me but still engaging. There's a lot at stake in both, as whole cultures are put at risk of extermination. But for me, the personal struggles were always more interesting, which meant the intense middle really captured my heart.

I also would have loved more women characters with more to say, though what women are here all have extreme magic.

If you're looking for good battles and an epic fantasy inspired by southern African history (but with more demon magic), this one is for you.

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5/5 stars] Rage of Dragons was a promising start to a new series.

The dueling/battle scenes were fantastic! Among the best I’ve read. They offered a lot of variation in execution and tactics and the focus was always more on the motives of the characters within them than just and endless stream of sword bashing. I generally find battle scenes boring, even in books I’m loving otherwise. It’s rare to find some this engaging. This is a good thing, because it felt like the book was about 75% fighting with little room for anything else. If you’re going to highlight something at that volume, it had better be done well. Truthfully, how well they were executed (pun) is the main reason I rated the book so favorable. They went a long way to compensate for the book’s flaws, and it did have a few.

Character development left a little to be desired. Many of the profiles felt contrived, especially at the beginning. The relationships and feelings were conveyed, but they weren’t shown with any depth. Then, somewhere around the 80% mark, that changed. I began to feel the bond between the main character and his comrades and from that point on the book lived up to its potential. I also had a hard time with the single-minded focus of the main character. He was kind of an idiot in that regard and didn’t really serve his end-game that well with some of his rash decisions. I will at least concede that he was a consistent character – kind of an idiot in all aspects – so it felt like his behavior was a part of his construct rather than a means to advance plot. And actually he was probably more realistic because his obsessive pursuit of vengeance at any cost defied rational decision making in itself. I also liked that he was an underdog. Not even particularly gifted in swordplay, he had to work hard for everything he achieved, and that sort of development is always massively satisfying to read about. The author got major bonus points for taking the time to develop that aspect of character thoroughly. Overall, this area was decent enough as a whole to keep me entertained, but I can see how those who desire a stronger connection to the characters from the get-go might struggle.

For a book with such interesting concepts and exotic setting, the world-building felt like a missed opportunity. The premise is a people trying to aggressively settle a new land after fleeing their own. There’s not a satisfying explanation about their origins, their magic systems, or their end-goals. Just a lot of fighting. What’s more, the indigenous people who are defending their homeland don’t get any screen-time until near the end. I’m hoping many of these things will be expanded on in future books (I think it’s slated as a 4 book series), but at the moment I wish I’d learned a bit more. After talking to some peeps here on Goodreads and my book club members, there’s a consensus that the overall plot is hard to get behind. The entire perspective is from the invaders and it’s very difficult to root for a people who are so obviously the instigators. It didn’t bother me as much while I was reading, but after all the discussion it’s clear that is an issue.

And speaking of world-building, there was a distinct lack of dragons. I expected them to be integrated into the story more, but through the entire thing they were only on the periphery. When they did make an appearance it was vague, lacking a lot of detail and description to really ground the imagery into my head. I get it – they’re important to the entire plot, but not the main focus of the book – but I wanted more (I always do with dragons).

I did like the writing style. The author mentions in his clever review of the book that he was going for a Pierce Brown/Red Rising affect and I could definitely see the influence. It was very fast-paced and in the moment (which is probably why the fight scenes were so good), and highlighted events and action more than anything else. Note that I say “fast-paced” to describe the writing within each scene. The overall plot progression was actually kind of slow (not a bad thing). In comparison, I think it could’ve used a few more slower moments for reflection and character development to make it feel more robust, but the overall style was a mark in its favor.

Recommendations: This is a battle-rich novel with an interesting if controversial premise. It has some of the most entertaining fight scenes (in abundance) that I’ve ever read and a fast-paced writing style. The character development took a while to feel authentic and the world-building had some missed opportunities. However, the strengths outweighed the weaknesses and I would recommend this as a good start to a series. Great for those who want a good action flick. Warning: there be few dragons.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

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