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The Rage of Dragons

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Member Reviews

This has taken me such a long time to review, and the simple reason for that is because I'm still conflicted on how I feel about it. At its heart, this is a revenge story. A boy seeking to kill those who murdered his father. There's lots of training scenes, battle scenes and expansive monogues questioning motives and the like. And normally I would absolutely love all of that. Except here, I found myself not really getting invested in the story. It's very info heavy at the start, which offsets the pacing so much that it crawls along. And Tau is just endless in his internal struggled. And I mean endless. The guy could go on and on about his plot for revenge, his machinations and plot to seek power. The angst was on another level, and it just all got a bit dull to be honest.

The world itself is really intriguing, this idea that women hold the power (dragons!), drawing on energy from another realm while men hold the strength. The brains and the brawn. If anything, I would have liked to have seen this concept expanded on more, as well as more of a background on the political unrest. Ultimately however, I found that all the constant training and lack of plot progression rrwlly hindered my enjoyment of this. However those who love a slow burn political fantasy will likely lap this up.

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The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter somehow managed to take me by complete surprise - I knew other reviewers had raved about the series, however it wasn’t till I sat by the last page I fully understood what they were talking about.

The Rage of Dragons is an explosive adult Military Fantasy, full of gore and vengeance with a question of how will their people survive, and who will they become if they cannot be soldiers. It is a book about suffering, about conquest and about rising above ‘your station.’

There are pros and cons to this series but over all I think it is a solid high fantasy and Tau as a ‘dumb wooden soldier’ is somehow a wonderful read even as it is tragic.
We so often get to see the Chosen One as this effortless character that springs onto the page without needing to train, but Rage of Dragons is more training montage then anything.
The pacing is wonderfully action packed and the writing is ruthless.

However I do wish we had seen more of the connection with the dragons, and also that we had explored more of the female characters - the lack of their side of the story very much came as a surprise since the society is lead by a Queen and the women seem to be the heads of the households. I’m hoping we will see more of this in the second book.

I also hope the next book will show a more well rounded approach to the idea of ‘conquerers’ and ‘savages’ as I tried to read this book with an open mind, and the hope that Evan Winter’s wrote this book on the precipices of warring nations and the idea that soldiers have to alienate the enemy.

Over all however I was very impressed by this book and am excited to pick up the next one.

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Rating 4/5

Evan Winter makes a solid debut with this African inspired military fantasy. With solid characterisations and non-stop action sequences, The Rage of Dragons is fast paced and manages to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I loved the setting, the dragons (of course), and I loved the main character - Tau.

If you love battles and fight sequences, this is THE book for you! Highly recommended.

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This is such an immersive read that I felt tired and hot reading the fight scenes, set under the scorching sun of an African inspired fantasy setting. The magic system is fantastic and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series, as I want to know more about the politics/social organisation of the Chosen.

(Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!)

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The synopsis describes this book as "Game of Thrones meets Gladiator" and there could be no more apt comparison. The Omehi people have been involved in generations of conflict. A few of their women are born with with the power to take energy from the afterlife and send those in their paths to the demons who dwell there. More of their men are born physically bigger, taller, and stronger. However, most of their people are doomed to the life of an average lower-class being - spending their days preparing for battle and their nights plagued by nightmares of the bitter end they are sure to meet there.

This book was battle-heavy, action-focused, and blood-drenched. The entire almost 600-pages were focused on the intricacies of war politics and training to become another body for the battlefield. This isn't my usual preferential focus inside the fantasy genre, and yet I couldn't tear myself away from these relentlessly-paced scenes.

The magic system was structured quite differently from any other I have read, and I appreciated how unique this addition was to the novel. The magic worked seamlessly alongside both the physical and political conflicts to ensure this remained as intriguing as it was engaging.

Protagonist Tao had much learning to do over the course of the novel, and I enjoyed journeying with him on this course of self-progression. Despite his initial setbacks, he remained a character I could care for. His weaknesses ensured him an authentic individual and I nearly gave myself whiplash for how many times I flinched when he threw himself headfirst into danger, time and time again.

This is the first book in what I am positive will be an entire five-star series and I am just as sure Evan Winter is an author I will read anything and everything from, in the future.

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This is one man’s epic quest for revenge on his father’s killers.
Their world has been at war for generations Tau is a commoner with little hope of improving his class or position in life. All this will change when he trains through the blood duels to become the best swordsman with 2 swords this world has seen. He will have to use the power of the Demon realm to reach his full Potential. In this fantasy world the gifted women have the power to control dragons or even merge with a noble to make an unstoppable machine.
Tau journey is your journey you get invested in his Trials hoping he can beat all the odds. You will feel every setback till he reaches his potential at the side of the Queen but at what cost? This story is the first of a new series and l will await the next instalment with anticipation.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Rage of Dragons is by far the best fantasy book I have ever read. Essentially a revenge story set in whats assuming to be an African fantasy world, we follow Tau after his life plan gets derailed.
The characters were deep and real. The world-building was rich and descriptive. And yet the writing was easy to follow and quick to read.
This book had everything, adventure, magic, war, politics and of course dragons.

A complete and utter 5 star read and I have already preordered the next book.

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I'm not quite sure how to rate this book. The first 30% dragged - I didn't feel the need to pick it up except in my nightly routine of reading before bed. The story hadn't compelled me to keep reading, only habit did.

I kept at because of the good reviews and because the culture of the Omehi people is based on the Xhosa people of my country. It was lovely to see words and names that were familiar to me on a South African context. Up to the half-way mark, I was a bit more interested, but not completely drawn in.

The second half of this book was an absolute power house! The story had finally picked up, every chapter was interesting and I was finally invested. The last couple of chapters were absolutely thrilling and exactly the kind of fantasy that I love to read.

I'm giving this book 4.5/5 stars. Highly recommended for any fantasy lovers, but especially for my fellow South Africans.

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I requested this book because i had heard a booktuber rave about it multiple times and wanted to see what the fuss was about. Thank goodness i did because The Rage of Dragons is brilliant.
The setting is unique and fascinating and the world development is remarkable, i really felt like i was in this story with Tau. The plot is well paced and i was engrossed all of the way through.
I cannot wait to read more from this author.

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This book takes place in alternative version of pre-historic Africa. The Omehi race were seeking to escape turmoil in their homeland and have invaded a nearby land. They have historically used their magical and strategic advantages to keep the more savage natives, who have significant numerical advantages, at bay.
The story follows the development and move into manhood of one of the lower social classes of the Omehi.
Tau is nothing special, one of the lower classes and only mediocre with a sword. He is hoping to get into the army and find himself so badly injured he can be honourably discharged and have the social standing to ask his love to marry him.
However, early on in his testing for acceptance into the army, he wins a fight with a pathetic noble and his father is subsequently murdered for justice.
The story then follows Tau's travels and training in order to be accepted on his own merit. He is quickly accepted into an experimental set of trainees and his development picks up a gear, thought he keeps hidden his secret desire to kill those nobles responsible for his father's death. Through mixing with magic and extreme training, Tau becomes a force to be reckoned with, but is still to pick the right side to fight against.
The writing style is good, however a number of made-up (I presume) terms are used throughout the book, and it can be quite hard to determine what they mean and who they refer to. This covers the different ranks of the armies, so can largely be ignored, but it is a little jarring for the reader.
The pacing was all over the place. It was slow to get moving, and when it did it quickly ground to a halt again, as we suffered through days and weeks of training. While this was generally for the benefit of the overall story as a whole, it did take some effort to get through. If this was a film, it would have needed a montage for sure.
The plot itself starts fairly basic - one man out for revenge against people he can't possibly beat and using this as motivation to better himself. However the final quarter of the book brings in another aspect and the book significantly improves for that.

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«The Rage of Dragons» by Ewan Winter, the first book in the epic African-inspired fantasy, was one of the most intimidating books on my TBR this month. After reading one African-inspired fantasy last year that I didn’t love and had to DNF half-way through, I was rather apprehensive to try again. Besides, there first book is always the most challenging to dive in - there is a new world to get accustomed with, new words, new social and magic systems.

Who would have thought that I’d be able to finish an epic fantasy book with more than 500 pages in just 2 days?! I didn’t!

All the challenges I mentioned above were still there, but Ewan Winter was able to captivate my attention from the very beginning - in fact, the Prologue is one of the most engaging I’ve ever read!

The world and social division were very interesting to learn about. The Omehi population is structured upon a caste system. There are Royals, Nobles and Lessers. Each caste is also divided in classes. For example, for Lessers we have - Governors, Harvesters, Commons and the lowest of all are Drudges. Each class perform different duty.

Because of the constant, never-ending battle, this society is very military orientated. Everyone must serve their Queen and protect their nation. Therefore, the castes also have their own military structure, that is separated purely because of blood and physical conditions - Nobles are stronger, taller and bigger than Lessers, and that gives them an advantage when it comes to fighting.

As you can see, it’s not an easy social organization to grasp, especially when there are many new terms thrown in the middle. But you don’t need to worry about that because Ewan Winter does a great job getting the readers accustomed with the terms and with the castes. If you would ask me right now what is the term for Lessers who are in the military, I wouldn’t be able to tell you, as there are quite a lot of words that start with “I” :D But when I see them on the page and in the sentences they are more than comprehensible now.

The magic system was very unique. I’ve never read anything similar , and I think there is much more to learn in the following installments. Basically, the Omehi people is partly a matriarchal society. I say partly, because while only women can rule, only women can have Gifts and we have mentions of how women are the ones to choose their husbands and propose. But we also see how oppressed women are because they are weaker than man.

The Gifted women are cherished and protected. They are one of the most important elements and their intervention can decide the outcome of the battle. The Gifts are connected with their religion and they draw the power from realm of the demons. There are many little details here that I want you to find out for yourselves.

Until this book, I didn’t know that I loved the martial academy type of stories! «The Rage of Dragons» was a lot of fun! Of all 544 pages, more than 80% were battles, skirmishes, trainings and simulations. There was so much action going on that it was difficult to put this book down even for a second.

This book is definitely gory, lots of blood, death and broken limbs. So be aware of that if you’re not a fan of violence in your books.

Ewan Winter’s writing style is very captivating and one of the main reasons why this books reads so fast. He managed to keep my attention for hours and hours and hours. When I had to put the book down and do something else, all I could think about was Tau [the main character] and what will happen to him next.

This was an incredible first book in the series, and the way it all ended… Uff! I can’t wait to read the second book, because it promises to be just as epic and just as fast-paced.

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It's touted to be a mashup between The Game of Thrones and The Gladiator. And I agree. Though it's more of a Gladiator than The Game of Thrones. It doesn't have the depth of characters or the intrigue present in the Game of thrones. Also, don't be mislead by the title The Rage of Dragons and assume that dragons have a key role to play in it. Though dragons are central to the story, they are not given the agency that they deserve. They are simply used as props, at least in this book of the series. I am not sure if we'll see more of them in the forthcoming books of the series or not.

Synopsis
This is a story of Omehis, a race of gifted people, who escape their motherland and invade another land and spend the next 200 years fighting the native population of the invaded land. While the native Xiddians have numbers in their favor, the Omehis have their dragons. The Omehis also have a complicated hierarchy where the gifted and nobles are considered as higher class and the others (the non-gifted who outnumber the gifted) are considered as lessers.

Tau is one such lesser and he knows his fate is the same as the other lessers i.e. either become fodder for the fight with the Xiddians or live the life of a pitiful destitute. But, a terrible & unfortunate event destroys his best-laid plans and changes his course of life forever. Thirsting for an unquenchable vengeance, he becomes a mercenary and killer. Will he get his vengeance? Will he destroy himself in this quest for retribution or will he realize fate has bigger plans for him? forms the crux of the story.

Ruminations
This book started off really well but after the first trigger point of the story, it was a series of unending fights. The locations, motives, and people changed but the theme was the same. Fighting, fighting and more fighting.

If you are somebody who enjoys action scenes and fights, this book is for you. But, if you are looking for a story, character depth, or even some dragons, then you will be sorely disappointed. The dragons appear only to burn down everything, that's it. They are not characters in the story they are just mindless animals that are manipulated to destroy.

What appealed to me?
I loved the last part of the novel. Ironic, since I didn't care for almost 80% of the story. But, the ending clinched it for me. So much so that I am now eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I liked Zuri's and Jayyed's characters. The only two sane people in the entire story. If I could even remotely care for any characters, it was these two. Tau was also great but my brain disconnected from him whenever he fought and since fighting is all he did in the entire book, I couldn't bring myself to care much for his character. He's an awesome protagonist though and his character development is one to look out for.

What didn't appeal to me?
For starters, from the beginning, the attitude of the Omehis left a very bitter taste in my mouth. The Omehis escape their motherland for some reason and invade this foreign land they call Xidda. They were the perpetrators, yet they claimed victimhood. The natives fought for their land and they kept fighting for 200 years and somehow it's the natives' fault and not the Omehis. This infuriated me.

Their arrogance, their sense of entitlement. It was all a bit too much and too close to home. Though it's a fictional story it reeked too much of colonization. The Omehi queen invaded a foreign land and what did she expect? For the natives to just keel over and die?

The following pertinent questions bothered me:
1. Why didn't the exiled queen beg or bargain for land instead of invading the foreign land and snatching it away from the natives? I could have understood if she had won the war and substantially brought the natives under her control. Instead, her hollow win ensured the continuation of an unnecessary war between the natives and the Omehis for 200 years. What sort of a Queen doesn't use diplomacy? This is a glaring flaw in the story in my opinion.

2. The story began with a dishonorable and detestable act. The natives who were called savages and heathens were driven off from their own land. Though I swallowed my distaste at the despicable victim card the Omehis played despite them being the perpetrators, I was hoping at some point this injustice and skewed morality will be handled in the course of the story. Nope, no such respite. The story didn't address the false victimhood of the Omehis nor did it give any scope for them to see the error in their ways. I can only hope this will be addressed in the next books in the series.

To conclude, you will enjoy this book if you like fighting, gore, and action. This story doesn't have any humor, joy or fun parts. It's action-packed, fast and dark. It is entertaining for the right audience and unfortunately, I am not one of them.

I wasn't impressed with the story, characters or even the underlying principles of this novel. But, I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, it gave me hope. Making a reader, who detested 80% of the story, to, in the end, root for that story is a talent worth mentioning. I am still surprised by how much I liked the last part of the book. I am now eagerly looking forward to the next book. I hope it will be better and the natives are treated better in it.

Initially, this was a two star read for me, but because I enjoyed the ending I bump it up to three stars.

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When I started this I didn't think it would take 20 days. But physically reading this was a struggle. Granted I did go a week or maybe 10 days of not even picking this up.
That was until I bought the audiobook. This definitely helped. I found myself getting more read per sitting.
However I feel like the way the chapters are laid out. Having each split into four or five parts slowed me down. Each chapter would take on average 20 minutes. For some reason long chapters bother me.
Despite the fact I was enjoying this. Found myself intrigued everytime I was listening. I also knew this story was probably not going to stay with me. But at the same time I want to carry on this series once book two is released. The way it ended made me want more. To see where the world building goes. Where Tau story goes.

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An amazing debut for a new series. I loved this book, the world building that mixes different mythologies, and the fleshed out characters.
It's a page turner that kept me hooked till the last page making me turn pages as fast as I could.
The fast paced plot makes it engrossing and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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4.5 Stars

An epic and phenomenal fantasy filled with violence, vengeance, dragons and magic. A truly fantastic story filled with twists, turns and terrific characters.

Synopsis: The Omehi people have been fighting a war for almost 200 years, it is unwinnable and yet they are still fighting. The Omehi people have built their society on war, they live and breathe it, their lives are for the war. The Gifted are lucky. One in every two thousand women are born Gifted, they can call down the Dragons, they have the ability to use gifts. One in every hundred men are born with the ability to transform into a larger, stronger, and faster warrior.

Those who aren’t Gifted are foot soldiers, fodder, those who will die in this unwinnable war.

Tau is not gifted, he is destined to be a low-level soldier who will die in this war. Tau, however, has other plans. He plans an escape, injury, to ensure he can have a happy life with the woman he loves. He doesn’t get the chance.

Circumstances change and Tau starts on a path of revenge. Determined to become the greatest swordsmen, Tau walks a violent path of blood and vengeance.

CW: may contain spoilers!! Rape/sexism, murder, graphic violence, one detailed sex scene, (possibly others I have missed)

The Rage Of Dragons is an amazing African inspired fantasy, and is one of the best fantasies I have read. The contained world is rich and full of dynamic layers, the characters are formidable and intense, and the lore and magic is powerful, distinctive and remarkable.

— Rich, Detailed, Immersive And Impressive —
The Writing Style/Narrative. Evan Winter’s writing style is amazing. Though initially difficult to get into, due to the world specific terminology (there is no hand-holding you are thrown right into this world), it is incredibly immersive. After a couple of chapters you start to easily grasp the terminology and can truly connect with the world that Winter has created. Winter’s writing is very rich and very descriptive, the detail is impressive and the metaphors balanced with strong, direct and sharp language created a strong and effective atmosphere of war, violence and humanity.

The story itself is told from the third person perspective, and it is done brilliantly. The majority of the book is told from Tau, the main character’s, perspective. There are only a couple of instances where the perspective changes, once at the start and later in the book. The changes in perspective have a significant impact on the story and the tone created, it works wonderfully.

The initial perspective throws you straight into what is at the core of this story, war. It cleverly sets up the lore, the violence that lay’s the foundation and the magic that exists. It establishes the strength of the women and her warriors and sets the scene for the society we are about to enter.

The main narrative perspective is, by far, the most intriguing. We get a pure, revenge driven perspective with a hyper focus on training and murder. On top of that he is a Lesser, a lower member of society, designed to be weaker than the elite, to be at the bottom of the pile and yet this is not a concern, only his strength is. This is incredibly intriguing because it is not the perspective of a hero, nor an anti-hero. Tau’s perspective gives us a very unique view of the world he is in, it is a very interesting and refreshing view and it worked very well alongside the books themes.

— Complex And Multidimensional With Dynamic Elements And Layers —
The Story/Plot. The Rage Of Dragons is an extraordinary African inspired fantasy, and is one of the best fantasies I have read. The story is set after The Cull, something now considered a myth, and is in a time of constant war. The Omehi people have been warring with the Hedeni for almost 200 years, the war is constant and unwinnable. We follow Tau as he trains to become an Ihashe, a foot soldier, fodder. The story is a complex one with multiple layers that work together.

Firstly we have the story of Tau and how his plans change from wanting a modest, happy life to a life of revenge and violence. He trains and focuses on becoming the strongest warrior there is, but only so he can enact his revenge. I loved this storyline because Tau is not a hero, right up to the end he is focused on one thing and that doesn’t change- the actual ending is amazing and heart-breaking, the last line is positively chilling and it sets up for a fantastic sequel.

We also follow the larger story of the war between the Omehi and the Hedeni and the effects it is having on the society they live in. Though Tau is not interested in the larger picture of the war, it is always there. The war is unwinnable and the Queen is in a peculiar position, she has to decide on how to proceed and this could make or break their society.

Each element combines to create an epic story overall, one that seems like it will only grow bigger and more phenomenal as the series goes on. We get a lot of smaller elements dropped throughout this story of war and revenge regarding the lore, the dragons and the magic, all of which seem to play a very interesting role in this story but also seems like it will have a much bigger impact later on.

Evan Winter is a magnificent story teller, he masterfully weaves multiple elements together to create an amazing story. The story is incredibly well paced and there is no hand-holding. You are thrown straight into the story, straight into the action immediately setting the pace and tone of the entire plot. From then on the story is action packed the pace is consistent, with well timed increases and drops in pace and tension. There is a great balance of emotions as well – tension, comedy, devastation, and romance that is all carefully created and brilliantly intertwined. Moreover, this story is incredibly unique and unpredictable, it is full of shocking twists and turns that keep you in suspense and is a refreshing take on war filled fantasy.

I do hope to see the Hedeni humanised more later in the series. They are referred to in a lot of negative ways despite having their land taken over, and the Omehi people look down on them and have incredibly racialised views of them – so I hope to see this challenged later on in the series. Moreover, I hope to see a lot of the rigid ideas of the Omehi people challenged as they can have quite sexist and ableist views of their people, particularly if they are Lessers, which leaves a lot of potential for growth in the story. Lastly, the dragons were not as prominent as I thought they would be so I hope to see more of them later on in the series as well. These were my main concerns in the story as a whole.

The Rage Of Dragons is a remarkable and breathtaking story that is well paced, complex and multidimensional with dynamic elements and layers that keep you intrigued, interested and surprised throughout the whole story.

— Very Well Crafted, Very Unique And Very Interesting —
The Magic/World-Building. So, this world is very contained it is set in one area and yet the world building is extensive and so is the magic. This world has very specific class divisions based on genetics. The lower class members, Lessers, are considered weaker, they have less physical strength, less stamina, weaker blood than those of higher castes and so cannot use the power to transform their bodies nor can they be a part of the higher class warriors and nobles.

This class divisions is interesting because it is very different from most power divisions used in fantasy – gender. Women tend to have more agency in this story, if they are Gifted, if not then they fall into the genetic castes established. Power is the true source of division, the Gifted are protected, the stronger the man the more agency they have and the ruler is the Queen who comes from a Gifted bloodline. While this was refreshing and interesting to see and I cannot wait to see how it develops later on in the series, the actual female characters that are interacted with have little power during the course of the story – so I hope to see more women at the forefront in the rest of the series as they are meant to be respected and powerful.

The world itself is focused on where the Omehi people reside, which is not their homeland but somewhere they escaped to after The Cull – this being a myth now means we get little information on it but enough that it is intriguinng and adds mystery to the past and the lore. The world is made up of multiple towns and cities with the capital being the most developed with the higher nobles and stronger warriors. The world is interesting and grows even more so the more you read.

Moreover, there is another dimension in this world, one that is very unique and works in a very specific way. This creates an interesting dynamic to the story that plays out in some peculiar and intriguing ways- this is something that I am very interested in and I cannot wait to see how this has effects on the rest of the series.

The magic is also very individual and unique. The women are the only ones who are Gifted and can utilise the power/gifts that exist, the men cannot be Gifted but the stronger men have stronger blood that allows them to be transformed into bigger, stronger and faster warriors. The women have the ability to use multiple types of gifts, the most powerful being the ability to call down a dragon. The way the magic works is very clever and definitely individual, it has very specific uses and effects and is drawn from a peculair and intriguing source. Overall the Magic system is very well crafted, very unique and very interesting, I look forward to seeing how it develops throughout the rest of the series because it feels like there is more to come.

— Incredibly Distinctive Characters —
The Characters. Winter has created some incredibly distinctive characters who are vastly different and individual from each other. Each character has a strong personality and makes the book more engaging and entertaining. The cast of characters is relatively large but each one stands out, is well developed, and they all have dynamic relationships with each other, and they are all easy to relate to due to the fantastic development. However, due to the tight focus on Tau, some side characters are left behind.

Tau: Tau is the main character, he is a Lesser destined to become an Ihashe. Tau starts of rather weak, determined to trick the system so he can live happily and avoid violence and murder. However, he quickly changes when circumstances change and he becomes angry, hyper-focused and revenge driven. Tau embraces the violence of his society and never deviates from his goal of vengeance. But, he is also loyal, dedicated and devoted to those he cares about.

Tau’s character is complex and flawed, I loved him as a main character because he brought a remarkable view and narrative to the story. Most revenge driven characters are, at their core, good characters – Tau is a good guy but he is not a hero, he does not want to be one. He wants violence, vengeance and blood and that is all he cares about, even when he has the chance to be something more. Tau takes a lot of risks, some I look forward to seeing more of the effects of, and as the story progresses so does his character, definitely a fantastic perpsective.

Tau and Zuri have a complex relationship, one that cannot exist. Their characters work well together, the dynamic is balanced and interesting and they challenge but accept each other. I really liked the relationship that Winter has created between the two characters.

Zuri: Zuri is a brilliant character from the same town as Tau, she is strong, determined, kind and stubborn. I loved Zuri’s character she is a brilliant force and incredibly talented and clever. Zuri has a fantastic course of development but never loses her determination. She develops a great relationship with Tau but is, overall, very independant and will do what is best. She is a contrast to Tau in a lot of ways but can be equally reckless. Overall she is complex and fantastic and I loved her, she is one of the strongest female characters in the book! My only issue was she didn’t have much agency until the end of the story, she was tightly wrapped up in the relationship she has with Tau.

Jayyed: Jayyed is a leader/trainer of one of the Ihashe groups, he is determined to make them the best they can be. Jayyed is determined and headstrong but he is too aware of his position in society and doesn’t believe he can reach beyond it, he is not overly personally ambitious but has ambitions for his own scale of warriors. He will fight for his scale, and he will fight for his society, for what is right. I really liked Jayyed’s character he was a driving force, an inspiration but also a source of contention for various characters. The more that was revealed about him, the more interesting he became.

Jayyed’s 5/6: I loved this group, it’s comprised of multiple different personalities but they all complemented each other perfectly. This group is made up of 5/6 people (Including Tau), and has very strong characters in it. The group has a mix of clever and charming, reserved and violent, quick and loyal, and frenzied but deadly. Each character’s personality is strong and distinctive and helps to balance the group overall making scenes with them in very enjoyable, interesting and witty. They are all ambitious and make for excellent reading as they create a lively dynamic atmosphere that draws you in. I loved these characters and they all develop wonderfully as the story evolves.

Kellan: Kellan is another interesting character who is a ‘villain’ in Tau’s eyes. Kellan is cruel and calculated, he is from a high caste and is an excellent fighter but as the story progresses we see more of his character and he becomes more complex. I liked this character and found him to be incredibly interesting, particularly by the end of the story where we see how complex and human he is. Kellan is very intriguing and only grows more so when we see more than just a bias view.

There are a lot more characters in this story that are equally interesting and complex. From the Queen to other nobles and warriors, they all add more to the story and make it more interesting and I cannot wait to see how some of these characters grow and develop later on in the series. I really hope that there are more significant and strong female characters in the rest of the series, as one of my only concerns was that the women were pushed into the background a little, despite being highly powerful and revered, during the majority of the story and there is so much potential for them to be bold characters with a lot of agency and power – so this was a little disappointing.

— Epic Fantasy That Is Truly Phenomenal And One Of A Kind —
Overall. The Rage Of Dragons is an epic fantasy that is truly phenomenal and one of a kind. This was a book that I couldn’t put down, it kept me hooked, intrigued and entertained all the way through. Winter has created an amazing world with complex and brilliant characters and a unique and shock filled story making it one of the best fantasies I have read.

This was an amazing story and I will definitely be continuing with this epic series. I would recommend this book to any and all fantasy lovers who adore epic, complex worlds and don’t mind being thrown into the action.

I loved this story and I cannot wait to see it continue, this was a truly fantastic read and will be one I recommend to everyone!

*I received an eARC of #TheRageOfDragons by #EvanWinter @EvanWinter from #Netgalley #LittleBrownBooksUK @LittlebrownUK @orbitbooks in exchange for an honest review*

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Really good, enjoyable, good paced fantasy. I'd enjoy it even more if the fight scenes weren't taking so much space.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

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<b>4.5 Stars easy!</b>
I can't wait for the next book!

If you don't like combat in your books then this is <b>not</b> the book for you!

In The Rage of Dragons we follow Tau on his all consuming quest for vengeance. Nothing matters more to him than revenge and in order to get his revenge he needs to become the best swordsman there ever was.
The drawback is that Tau is a lesser. A physically inferior caste of humans in this world. The nobles are taller, stronger and faster than he is so we watch him as he works to bridge the gap between the castes. We follow him as he descends halfway to madness in order to achieve his goals and I loved every minute of it.

His obsession with training is so well written and the relationships forged in this book are fantastic. I loved all of his swordbrothers and the (few) female characters in this book were all bad-asses.

This book is basically one big training/skirmish montage with the story weaved in and I can't recommend it enough. The magic system in this world clearly has a lot of rules that we get to learn slowly throughout the book (but we probably don't know the half of it yet). There's also a deep and rich history and things might not be exactly as they seem.

I am so invested in this world! I need to know more about their lore and magic and I can't wait to learn more about it in the upcoming books!

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Evan Winter deserves praise for breaking the traditional fantasy mould with this book, using a well thought-out African society as the base for the novel. However, The book is quite unforgiving and feels at times like there are too many concepts and ideas going on at once. Taking the opening chapter for example, I can see why Winter wanted to launch us into an important historical moment in his fantasy history but the combination of magically strong warriors, invisible tribespeople, powerful child-magicians, mentally linking with dragons and long-distance magic attacks seemed...overwhelming. The pace slowed from thereon out as concepts were reintroduced more slowly in a more traditional bildungsroman exploration of the young warrior Tau, but I felt that this was an editorial error, akin to opening Lord of the Rings with Sauron's final stand rather than in the house of Bilbo Baggins.

Throughout the novel there are many imagined terms to describe various military units, classes and magicks, howver I felt that these were over-used at times and dragged me out of the setting rather than embedded me in it. I am intrigued to see how the journey of Tau progresses in later books but hope that the narrative can rely more on characterisation rather than an array of magical bells and whistles.

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This book was every were since it came out. Some of my favourite booktubers raved about it and I was so looking forward to the release of the paperback so I can get my hand on this book. And the before the paperback released NetGalley had it available for request. I obviously requested immediately and I was so lucky to get approved. And this books was indeed worth the hype!

Think I liked:

-The story is well written in every aspect. It has the right amount of depiction without info-dumping. The dialogue felt natural and all characters are fleshed and have their own unique personalities, and the fight and battles are well crafted.
-Tau is our main character and yet he is not perfect. He makes mistakes and stupid decision but in a way that felt natural for a young grieving boy blinded by revenge.
-I highly enjoy the fact that Tau wasn't the MC that is always best at everything. Throughout the book, we follow him as he works harder than anyone to improve. And every time we think that he is finally the best warrior someone comes and shows him that he needed more work.
-The love story was well done. It doesn't overtake the story, it adds some challenges and breaks your heart but it's never about the love story.
-This one is an odd one to mention but I loved the sex scene. It was made in a tastefully way and avoided some of the movie's cliches that make me roll my eyes.
-I really liked Kellan. To Tau's eyes, he was the enemy but we got from early on to see that this wasn't the case. And seeing them going from arch-enemy (again in Tau's eyes) to teaming up and almost friends was amazing.
-I like how the Omehi people and the Xiddeen people are not the good and the bad people. It all depends on which side you are looking at.

Things I didn't like:

To be honest there are only two reasons why this book is not a 5 stars.

-This book is extremely heavy in fights and battles. 95% of this book is about Tau training, fighting or battles. Yes, every fight and every battle teaches Tau something and move nicely the plot forward but I didn't feel that I needed maybe a couple more breaks.
-There were a lot of words to describe the Omehi people titles, I'm not sure if those words and from another language or made up, but if you combine the amount of them with my dyslexia I struggle first to pronounce them and two to tell them apart. I don't know if in the printed book there is one but I really wanted to have some kind of "dictionary" at the end just so I can have a clear image of what people are saying and what's their respective title.

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Too much sword-fighting? A too-complex social system? Possibly, for some, but every fight scene is relevant and the social system becomes second nature long before the half-way point. The world-building, the characters, the plot, the writing itself - they all combine in a way that has left me frantically searching my brain for how to describe this book. None of my words are good enough to describe the way I found my body moving to one side or the other during fight scenes, or the emotions I felt, or the way I was THERE, in the story. No one can be disappointed with "The Rage of Dragons".

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

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