The Rage of Dragons

Most of the fantasy world is abuzz at the moment with The Rage of Dragons, as the second instalment is just around the corner.
Evan Winter???s book is highly acclaimed and has recently gained a place on ???the most influential??? lists. A high accolade indeed! Does it deserve it? Damn right it does! This is a fantastic book that has everything from Dragons, demons to incredible fight scenes and exhilarating action.
The Rage of Dragons begins with a battle against two races of people. One who has just arrived from some unknown lands and the inhabitants of the lands that they have landed on. We are immediately thrown into the action from Page One, where a brutal and bloody battle that is raging. The prologue sets the tone for the book, describing the brutality of the battle, introducing the magic system of the book that is purely centred around bolstering military might, and introduces us to the Omehi people or ???The Chosen??? as they believe themselves to be.
We then move onto the main story of the book and quickly introduced to the book???s main character, Tau.
From the beginning of the book, Winters build his world, describing the political system, the caste system that governs the Omehi people and the militaristic way that the inhabitants live their life. The world that Tau lives in is a harsh world that is governed solely by caste and tradition and everyone knows their place.
At the beginning of the book, Tau is happy with his standing, wanting nothing more than to attend The Testing, a ritual competition to test fighting prowess and skill, and join the Ihashe, a division of the army. However, when he attends his friend Jabari???s testing as his second, events occur that will change Tau and his life forever. At the testing, Tau is assigned to an incompetent noble???s son to spar with, but unfortunately for Tau, the noble is as proud as he incompetent and attacks Tau. Tau responds by disarming the noble and thus brings about the attention of Councillor Odili and Tau???s fate is sealed, setting him on a path of pain, obsession and revenge.
For the rest of the story, Tau vows to become the ultimate killing machine. He vows that he will gain a place in the Ihashe and become the greatest fighter that the Omehi people have ever seen. So, that he can gain his ultimate revenge on those who destroyed his life. And he will do this at whatever cost to himself or those around him.
As we move through the story we learn that the years of tradition have created an unjust and unfair society where the lowest of the governed people are seen as nothing more than bodies for the everlasting, unwinnable war that rages with the Hedeni, whilst the privileged members of society do not recognise the worth of those that they see beneath them and are corrupt and cruel. And this cruelty is displayed time and time again throughout the tale of Tau and his sword brothers.
In the meantime, Tau???s story is developed, and he becomes the very thing that he set out to be. However, his character is flawed by the trauma he has endured. He scorns friendship and comradeship focussing totally on his ultimate goal. However, others are not willing to give up on him and eventually his comrades break through his barriers and he eventually forms long lasting bonds with those around him.
Winters masterfully interlaces a tale of comradeship, winning against the odds and determination in his story of Tau. However, be prepared! This is not a happy tale, and whilst there are light moments of friendship in the book, Winters does not shy away from the brutality of war and the cruelty that is rife amongst the socio-political structure that his characters inhabit. However, it is a dazzling story that will have you gripped, as I was from the very start.

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This was a powerful book. The Rage of Dragons is effectively a study in the power of class as a driver of prejudice, but taking a more african cultural bent to it in a fantasy setting. This puts it in an intriguingly unique position.

I have spent the last year trying to diversify my fantasy reading away from the standard European medieval fantasy setting that has historically dominated the genre, and Evan Winter provides a really intriguing twist on the African fantasy. He has created a civilization that is extremely stratified, with the nobles holding an extreme degree of privilege over those below them, which manifests in generally superior physical stature along with very biased rules. Our main protagonist (Tau) is someone from one of the lower classes whose family is destroyed by the casual prejudice of those from higher up the social spectrum, and this drives him to seek revenge.

This drive for revenge gives him the strength of will to push himself in training so that he can not only match but defeat his supposed betters. Most of this first novel focusses on this gladiatorial style training as he searches to find the nobles he feels that have wronged him. Tau ultimately finds himself being drawn into some of the political intrigue at the top of his society.

This is high fantasy with an intriguing voice. It is hard to believe this is a debut - it is a superbly crafted and well written story. Highly recommended

The one hour i listened to was divided as such:
- 70% action scenes
- 30% stating proper names, of characters, places, groups of people, etc.

The naming scheme was VERY offsetting, it was some African/Spanish combination.

The author failed to create an empathic protagonist by naming dozens of characters, I couldn't tell who I was suppose to care about. It has become common for reviewers to say “oh, the first few dozen of pages is crap, but keep reading it and you'll be rewarded”. I'm not one with patience for that. The books I like have me hooked form the first sentence up to a maximum of the first page.

The prologue was interesting, but it followed a way too common pattern that I hate: make a good prologue, proceed to a over the top boring nothing related to it first chapter.

A group of people arrived at a foreign land looking for a place to live. Instead of a typical colonization, they have been forced to leave their homeland or be annihilated by some not yet revealed reason.

They faced a never before crossed sea, and on arrival, they met a fierce resistance by the natives, who wielded some form of magic different and more powerful than theirs.

They managed to defeat them by calling upon the aid of their dragons, something that was very risky for them to do. Still, most of their people have been killed in the battle.

Then chapter one starts, 184 years latter.


Read 1:19 / 10:53 8%

I've had this book on my shelf for a long time. I bought both the ebook and audiobook knowing I will like it but sometimes, I just don't feel like reading hyped books and it's been languishing since. But now that I've decided I want to get through atleast some of the series I own in 2022, this was one of the first ones I decided to pick up. It helps that I have nothing else to do and can just immerse myself in it while recovering from Covid. And what an experience this turned out to be.

Except for a couple breaks, I listened to this at a single stretch. I just didn't wanna stop. But that's understandable because the book is relentless in every way possible. I'm so used to reading more character focused books that even when there are amazing action sequences, the ones I read aren't always that gritty (a major exception being the Poppy War trilogy which is all kinds of bloody). However, this book is about conflict and war and revenge. The fighting starts in the prologue and it goes on and on in some form or the other throughout. We have elaborate battles, competitive melees, personal duels, rage filled skirmishes - you think of it, and this book has that kind of an action sequence.

That's not to say it's all the book is about. Because it's the underlying causes for these fights that make us care enough to keep reading. The world building is not very expansive but we get to know enough about the history, the reasons for the never ending war between the Omehi and Hedeni, and the oppressive caste system within the Omehi which leaves the non-gifted commoners to get slaughtered first while protecting the powerful nobles. This is a story about one person's vengeance yes, but it's also about what that path can lead to, and what happens when people who have always been told they are lesser finally see signs that they may have been lied to. The audiobook narration is also very good and the narrator keeps the tension up and our adrenaline pumping with his very expressive style.

We mostly get only our main character Tau's POV and while it's not easy to like him, it's very easy to root for him. From someone who just wanted to get married to his childhood sweetheart and have a peaceful life, he is forced to become a warrior hell bent on revenge, but that transformation comes at a cost. He is one of the most determined characters I've probably ever read - he knows who he needs to kill, knows he isn't strong enough to do so, and he will forego every other aspect of his life to home his body and mind into a trained and capable fighter. The alternate subplots of his training montages and the fighting competitions really drove that point home about how much he is working towards his goal and how he is improving. It also means that he can be impulsive and reckless, and make decisions in the heat of the moment that affect not just his life, but of his comrades too. He puts himself through all kinds of horrors to be able to withstand his enemies but he never gains respite, and it was heartbreaking to see him encounter only more pain in his path.

There are many side characters but everyone's presence is muted because of how Tau towers above all. I could never get a handle on Zuri initially about what she wanted - I knew there was love between them but I also felt she wasn't able to truly understand his anguish. However, she is the only somewhat significant female character in the story and I hope we have more in the sequel because it was weird to not meet a lot of women in a world where they rule and they are the ones who are gifted with powers. Tau's friends in Scale Jayyed were all awesome characters too and I admired them for trying to keep him grounded and offering friendship even when he wasn't ready for it. Jayyed was another character I was fascinated by but wanted more of. And finally we get only a little glimpse of the queen but I can see she is formidable and hopefully we'll get to know her better in the next.

Overall, this was thrilling, fast paced, full of tension African inspired epic fantasy that will wow you with its truly epic battle scenes, and then make you feel all the pain that the characters are feeling. It's such an impressive debut and very unputdownable and I can totally see now why everyone loved it so much. I have only heard even better things about the sequel, so I'm sure I will love that too. The only question is whether I'll pick it up right away or put it off for later like I always do.

Pros: brilliant worldbuilding, interesting magic and mythology, interesting characters

Cons:

Two hundred cycles ago, Omehi refugees landed on the shores of Xidda and fought off the natives to claim a peninsula. They hold it through the force of their army and their Gifted. Tau Solarin is a High Common, nearing manhood and the test that will either let him train for his mandatory military service or force him to become a drudge. Neither future appeals to him, but a series of tragedies leaves him burning for revenge. Suddenly military training is the only future that matters.

The worldbuilding in this book is brilliant. There's a lot of vocabulary to learn in the prologue and first chapter, but by chapter two I knew what everything meant. There is a glossary at the back of the book if you need it though. I'd heard online the book had African influences. After reading it I looked up some of the words and they are from the Xhosa language, though the meanings don't all seem to translate to how they're used in the book.

I loved the intricacies of how everything fit together: the military, the Chosen, the Gifted, the castes. There's history on the peninsula as well as a mostly forgotten history of why they fled their homeland. A lot is left unsaid and I'm hoping some of that history will come up in the sequels. The world felt so real at times that I burned for the injustices felt by the Lessers and the often arbitrary justice the Noble castes could inflict on them.

Magic is sparingly used but I loved learning about it. I also liked that there are different beliefs in magic by the natives and invaders. There are limits to its use, which meant the stakes stayed high during battle. I also enjoyed learning about their underworld, the demons, etc.

The characters were all unique. Tau wasn't the most likeable character. At times I felt sorry for him, at others I wanted to shake some sense into him. I loved some of the supporting cast members - especially the members in his core training group. I was impressed that the author introduced characters slowly, so you could really get to know them before adding more people to the group. It made it easy to remember who everyone was.

There's a light romance. So light at the beginning of the novel that I expected the woman to disappear from the narrative entirely and was very happy that she not only came back in but had her own interests and goals (ie, wasn't just the ‘love interest') and played an important role at the end of the book.

Speaking of women, among the Omehi they are the rulers and Gifted (though have little import outside of those roles) while among the natives women are fully integrated into the military. It was cool to see some different social norms.

The book gets pretty brutal at times and very intense. Towards the end I needed a few breaks even though I wanted to know what would happen next. I'm not a huge fan of grimdark as I find the books can go too far in their attempts to be edgy and shocking, and so was happy there were no rape scenes in this (though there is mention that it does happen in the world).

If you're looking for something different and like grimdark fantasy, give this a go.

Fast-paced, but still deep. A perfect criticism of classism wrapped up in one young man's quest for vengeance.

The battle scenes were well written and I didn't want to skim them to get back to the larger plot. There are several jaw dropping moments throughout the book and there is also a bit of a mystery that is revealed towards the end that I appreciated.

Highly recommend even if fantasy isn't a genre you normally read.

3.5/5

Whoever keeps approving the “Game of Thrones Meets [X]” tags needs to stop. If anything, this book was more Gladiator meets Spartacus, without much that could lead someone to think that it's in the same vein as Game of Thrones. The book is actually good without the comparison.

Tau is an okay protagonist with an arc that is simple and easy to follow. Most of the supporting characters lack true depth, in my opinion, with some being more of a name than an actual realized part of the story. But it's not a huge detractor from the story if characters aren't the biggest necessity for you with a book. I actually think the book would have benefitted from multiple points of view. There were a few chapters that would follow different characters with stories that would've been fun to follow throughout the entire book. It also would've given a nice break from Tau's perspective, which felt flat at certain points in the book to be honest.

What makes the book rise above its shortcomings is the world that Evan creates. While the world would've been more engaging had we seen more perspectives in the story, it's enough to go off of for you to want to see more. The third act of the book, while convoluted in some places, is an exciting end to the first book and a preview of what's coming next. Not only is the African/Xhosa influence prominent and intriguing, but the political landscape set up in the end sets the second book high on my list of anticipated reads.

Overall, The Rage of Dragons is a good introduction to Evan's world and future installments. On its own, it's a good read with an easy-to-follow plot, a few slow moments, and an action-packed third act. I'm eager to get a glimpse of the next book!

This book was meh. I can see why everyone likes it, but his is my second time trying to read his book and while his time a finished it I was left wanting more from the book.

I think my issue is the revenge part of the story is a bit slow. I enjoyed the fight scenes and some of the character moments, but expected more from Tao than I got.

The magic system is fascinating and l would love to learn more about it.

The ending restored my hope in this book and I wish here was more moments with the same drive or energy throughout the rest of the book.

An okay book, nothing incredible.

A new favorite!

I haven't read this excellent of a debut book from a new author since Senlin Ascends. This is the type of innovation I love to see in fantasy; a story that branches into a new scope of ideas with characters that breathe vivacious lives that are believable. Besides writing fantastic characters, which is the greatest trait any fiction author should have, Winters illustrates his fight scenes incredibly well, perhaps some of the best I've seen.

By the time I'm writing this, I'm already halfway done with this book's sequel. I'm absolutely looking forward to more Evan Winters.

In Evan Winter's debut novel, we follow Tau, a young man of the Lesser caste who is being trained by his father to be a warrior. When his father is killed in a skirmish with the Noble caste, Tau sets his sights on revenge. With the backdrop of castes, dragons, demons, and the underworld, Tau must train to become the best fighter he can be to avenge his father.

I went into this book very wary. I had heard such mixed reviews. People either loved it or hated it. I ended up being in the former group. I was enthralled throughout this whole book. The main criticism I saw people giving about the book was the narrow-mindedness with which Tau sought revenge. He had no other motivations and made a lot of stupid decisions based on that drive. I 100% agree with all of that. But the world and the setting and the action were so amazingly done that I was still able to really enjoy reading this. I also think that by the end of this book, Tau's character really did evolve into something other than revenge, and it made for a very fulfilling ending.

The world building is spectacular. The way it was presented to the reader incrementally was extraordinary. The whole concept of using hell to call a dragon to your defense is so unique, and the way Tau uses Isihogo I thought was cleverly done. The hedeni's were two-dimensional at the beginning of the book, but by the end we really get to have a more well-rounded view of who they are. I'm sure we'll get even more of an explanation in the second book (which I've already requested from my library).

Overall, I really loved reading this book. The action, the world, the found family, and the characters all created a wonderfully woven story that I am so excited to continue.

TW: alcohol abuse, attempted rape, genocide, gore, misogyny, sexual assault, slavery, animal abuse, demons, amputation, murder, war, violence

Loved this book so much I finished it in three days and that is unheard of for me.


Every time someone would describe this book, they would emphasize the fact that it's a military fantasy, and that they loved the book even though they didn't always like the main character. I, however, loved the main character. He didn't always make the best decisions for those around him, but his decisions were true to his character. I understood him and rooted for him the whole way. I can't wait to read book 2 so I can see how the world building will grow and how much Tao will develop as well.

[a:Evan Winter 17087338 Evan Winter https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506183476p2/17087338.jpg] does a fantastic job in his debut, [b:The Rage of Dragons 44330000 The Rage of Dragons (The Burning, #1) Evan Winter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563407420l/44330000.SX50.jpg 57522473]. He keeps the action going, picking up the pace as the book goes along. The way he sprinkles the world lore into the settings is brilliant, giving the reader just enough to understand, but allowing the mystery of the bigger picture to linger. There were a few scenes that told me instead of showing me what was happening, but those were few and far between. I am very excited to read what lies in store for these characters in the next book of The Burning series

Somewhat generic dystopian Chosen One revenge plot. It's an action-packed, fast paced, page turner, which is what I was looking for, but not so good I'd really recommend it to others. Never got that invested in the main character - I feel like the writing didn't build up the epic parts as much as they could have, and the stakes just felt a bit low overall.

3,5 stars. I went up and down while I was reading it, but I gotta round it down.

The story of this is your average revenge story (that reminded me a bit of Arya Stark's) which I wasn't really invested in as the one guy he focuses on the most was very obviously the one least deserving of it. I liked basically anyone else better than our main character (Tau) and found him too selfish to care for. I liked it when other characters called him out on it though.

There are some really interesting parts in this. The cruelty at the start that shows you how evil the Nobles could actually be was great. I also liked Tau's unique way of training.

I just didn't love the world too much, and there was a bit too much fighting involving characters I couldn't remember or cared about. The only ones I found interesting were Uduak and Kellan.

While I was getting nearer to the end, I was debating whether I would check out the sequel, as apparently that has multiple POV's other than Tau's, which could maybe work in its favor. But the way the story ended, I'm not sure I'll be interested enough in the main story for it to be worth it.

The Rage of Dragons is as action packed as any book I’ve read in my life. It was really well done and I was engrossed in it the whole time, but I wish that sometimes it just chilled out for a chapter and built a story outside of fighting. Tau is a frustrating main character at times, which I think is purposeful to show his flaws but sometimes he’s just plain stupid and he definitely doesn’t deserve Zuri. Although, if you just look at him as a fighter he’s perfect and the way the fight scenes are written make it so easy to visualize exactly what he looks like doing it. The ending sets it up well for him to grow in the sequel and although I don’t trust that he will, I’m excited to read it and find out.

Evan Winter does a great job at story telling and builds a strong world with a nice magic system. Tau is a nicely crafted if character and his development is fairly interesting to follow. His friends while given some pages never really form a strong support cast. The strongest component of the book is the magic system which is fairly unique in that magic is invested through others and dragons are a part of that system. However, I am unlikely to move further into the series as I never developed a bond with Tau. It feels like a very emotionless journey as you follow him and in the end you are left unsatisfied. ‘Would still recommend it as a worthy read as it may be more up your alley than mine.

Wow. All the stars for this book. It's been a long time since a book was written in such a way that made it super easy to convey the images in my head. The fighting scenes were amazing but my favorite had to be the Daaso Headtaker excerpt... I could see it, like a movie. I was her, I was seeing what she was seeing... and

It reminds me a lot of The Way of Kings in that the main character is an underdog from a lower “class”, who strives to become as strong as the warrior nobles (a feat considered impossible).

However, unlike TWOK it only follows one character's perspective, and he spends all his time surrounded by dudes as they train together and fight against each other. Even though their society is supposed to be matriarchal, the only evidence of that is that people take their mother's surname. Beyond that I'm not really seeing anything different and would've liked the author to explore that aspect a bit more.

I think I did feel a bit disappointed that although the women have strength (they can summon dragons) they still need to be protected by the men, and the main female characters only seem to exist as potential love interests. I've probably been spoiled by the Priory of the Orange Tree!

Nonetheless it was still an enjoyable read though, would recommend for fantasy lovers.

Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter delivers a powerful punch. The story of Tau, a warrior driven by vengeance in a brutal world, is both thrilling and emotional. Winter's descriptive writing brings the battles and characters to life, making you feel the desperation and determination in every fight.

Rage of Dragons hooks you from the start. Winter throws you into the heart of the conflict without delay, slowly revealing the brutal world Tau fights to survive in. The fast pace is perfectly complemented by the short sub-chapters, making it a quick and engaging read.

If you're looking for a gripping fantasy adventure with unforgettable characters, Rage of Dragons won't disappoint.