I will update this review when I read more of it but so far I'm intrigued by the story. I have a few things that I'm not entirely sure about.

So, the story starts with a fight immediately wich people don't tend to like but I personally don't mind it as long as it's explained at some point and makes sense. However, so far nothing has bee explained. I am very early on in the book so this makes sense. However, there was a second fight right after the first one and I still don't understand much about it and the terms used tend to be a bit confusing so early on in the book but I believe it will make sense later on. Now, what strikes me as weird is that the story didn't start with the POV of the Queen's kid which is what i expected and wanted. However, I will keep reading and will hopefully have the answers when I get a little further on into the book.

Full review to come after I have finished the book.

This is an interesting and well-crafted story. Written in the first person it is largely told from the point of view of the central character. However, the author shifts perspective from time to time to allow for secondary character and plot development. These swaps occur for whole chapters/sections and so it does not cause confusion, but does feel a little contrived at times.

The world-building is effective and the geography is reinforced both directly and indirectly throughout. Description of the landscape and context reflects the perceptions of the character and so is a little idiosyncratic in that it will focus on something the character sees rather than necessarily the position relative to the geography. This provides a very personalised view and the vista is revealed as the character passes through it. The socio-political system and its historical context is very rich and forms a fundamental part of the story; however, without a readily available glossary, it is easy to get lost in the terminology.

The magic system is well-structured and as this is revealed as the story progresses it retains an air of mystery and inherent complexity that can be a little frustrating.

Characterisation is strong and there are quite a number of characters, both central and peripheral, that are well-drawn. What is interesting is that the author is prepared to lose individual characters that have been fleshed out. This provides the reader with an experience that is more realistic and adds to the on-going tension. The central character is obviously the most effectively drawn and is both hero and anti-hero depending on the context. What is apparent is that this character is obsessive; whether this is enough to account for his experiences is questionable. Other characters question how he could achieve so much and the reader is also left a little bemused.

The plot is quite straightforward but there are frequent twists and moments of tension that provide hooks for the reader. Such is the frequency of these changes that the flow of the story can feel very episodic and, despite its richness, quite under-developed. The flow of time is also variable and this adds to the disjointed feeling.

Violence, death and sex are all present within the story and are described in detail. This is not gratuitous, but certainly violence predominates as it is core to the plot.

The pace of the story is quite fast with a great deal going on throughout. As noted, it can affect the flow of the story if the reader loses track of who is involved.

This is the first book in a series and as such it ends with building blocks in place for the next book.

Sci-fi isnt my go to choice to read, I love historical fiction based in the ancient world, but I'm rapidly running out of stuff to read so I'm trying to broaden my horizons. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book, the action kept me hooked and was well written. The story line kept me hooked and wanting to read "just one more chapter". All in all I really enjoyed it, well done Evan!

This book really came out of nowhere for me and I really enjoyed it. It tells the story of Tau, a young lesser who embarks on a plan for revenge when his father is brutally murdered by a noble.

The Positives: The world building is so immersive and incredibly detailed, which I loved. It was so refreshing to read an epic fantasy with African folkloric elements and I think that Evan Winter has done a fantastic job of creating this world. I loved all of the training school elements of the narrative. Although this is a reasonably common plot device in fantasy, I thought it was really well done here and that the brutality of the training really came across. This is a pretty graphic novel, in terms of violence, but it never felt gratuitous in any way - instead, it just contributed to the overall sense of danger that Winter has created. I think that the magic system is very intriguing and we were given enough information to understand the rules,without becoming too exposition-heavy.

The Negatives: Tau is pretty insufferable throughout, which made it difficult to connect to him. There were also quite a few instances of misogyny in the narrative, which I think were intended to demonstrate the nature of the society we are dealing with, but they were still unpleasant to read.

Overall, this was an incredibly impressive debut that should be on a lot more people's radar and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed The Poppy War.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jeezo what a book!
The Rage of Dragons is intense and action packed. It starts off on a slow burn then pulls you in and takes off at break neck speed.
It's a story of revenge that's well written, a pure fantasy feast.
Looking forward to the next.
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

Almost every book that you read will have the author ease you into it through a gentle prologue or more quiet, introductory chapters. Not Evan Winter, and not The Rage of Dragons.

Starting this novel is like waking up in an aeroplane. The lights aren’t on. There’s nobody around. The hatch opens and you are thrown out from 15,000 feet. You free-fall, skin raw from the shrieking winds. Somehow you survive and land, the heat sweltering. You take in your surroundings and realise a battle rages around you. A sword is pressed into your hands. You take it. There’s a scream. You turn and see seven foot of muscle charging you.

And. It. Does. Not. Stop.

—

The Rage of Dragons is the most intense book I have ever read. From the first page to the last you will be gripped and your adrenal gland will be working overtime, like you are in the war-zone.

This novel is an African inspired military fantasy focused on its main character, Tau. His main motivation, and the basis of the story, is revenge and it is this cacophonous want that hammers and shapes his initial softness into something sharp, violent, and nightmarish.

He’s not a lovable or a totally relatable character but he is intensely compelling. The external and personal influences which define his story are believable, exceptionally so, and you can’t help but root for him.

Tau reminded me a great deal of Fitz from Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings in that he isn’t blessed, nor does he have any entitlement or advantages. But through effort, determination and above all, sacrifice he exceeds everybody's expectations.

- The sword was his religion and, a devout disciple, he sacrificed to it without end.

Given the plot is very much centred on Tau and that he has a very internal, driven focus, there isn’t a massive amount of characterisation in the supporting cast. This isn’t a bad thing and in terms of the narrative is realistic. After all Tau’s main interactions with his fellow Ihashe are in training and during battles so you learn how they fight and see the levels of their courage. During the infrequent periods of downtime there are glimpses of their personality and so they do all have a uniqueness, and it was nice to read their repeated attempts at engaging with Tau.

One thing that I absolutely loved was that during the Ihashe training there were real stakes. Soldiers were injured, maimed, and killed which was so refreshing as in the bulk of books where there is training like this there are usually magical means to heal and mend all wounds. The whole training setup was reminiscent of Ender’s Game and I was so down for that.

The world-building by Evan Winter is fantastic with the Omehi possessing a highly detailed and organic society. There is a caste system which has a noble class, common class, and the Drudge/slaves at the bottom. Elitism and social injustice permeate the civilisation which leads to relatable and engaging conflict occurring both in and around the plot.

- The only Lessers who became Drudge were the ones who didn’t make it into the real military and still refused to join the Ihagu.
Survival rates for Ihagu, the low-level, unskilled fighters who made up the front lines of every battle, were abysmal.

There is also a cleverly conceived magic system that has a unique background, being linked to Isihogo the underworld of this universe. The implications of this link make the use of magic dangerous and when it is used it feels deliberate and has horrifying consequences, not just for the target.

- With fingers clawed, she tore at her face, peeling stripes of flesh away in rolls.

In terms of pacing The Rage of Dragons is action almost throughout, there are slower periods at certain points but I really just wanted to get back into the fracas.

While I haven’t read a lot of military fiction, I have read a lot of fictional battles and these are among the best. Evan Winter has such a gift for writing about physical conflict, he is a weapon-master of words. The battle-scenes and combat are written exquisitely, they are fluid and cinematic throughout. It’s not just the mechanics of the battle that impress but how immersive they feel, as if you’re in an adrenaline slowed moment. You will feel physical reactions to the rage and violence in this novel and it will be hard to tear your eyes away.

- Swords flickered, flesh and bone broke, men died, and their blood filthied the sands of this alien shore.

There are however some points which meant I couldn’t award the full five stars;

There are a lot of names, ranks and titles thrown at you which are as unique as the setting. At times it was difficult to keep a track of who was who, and what was what, and this had me flicking backwards and forwards in mild confusion.

Ideally I would have also enjoyed some background, and a more rounded presentation of the Xiddeen. They are portrayed very simply as a primal, barbarous antagonist. In truth given the history I can see why they would be aggrieved and fighting the Omehi.

Finally not a lot of page time was given to the powerful women who existed within the book, given there is a strong matriarchal aspect to the society this seemed a little odd. When you have a description like this you’d expect more than a handful of paragraphs;

- Her skin was dark as a moonless night and she had lips like the sunrise. Her face was framed by delicate cheekbones, and beneath long lashes she had eyes like almonds.

But these minor points do nothing to take away from how awesome this novel was, and I’ve got a feeling they won’t be an issue in book two.

Overall The Rage of Dragons is an exhilarating, heart-pounding read jam-packed with revenge, betrayal, and brutal cinematic action.


Who would I recommend this to?

As touched upon in the review The Rage of Dragons has a number of similarities with the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game, I think anyone who enjoyed that and who has an inclination towards fantasy will find themselves absolutely at home.
Given the theme of a young person being hellbent on murderous revenge I’d possibly suggest it to people who enjoyed the Nevernight series. But the writing styles are vastly different and The Rage of Dragons eschews Nevernight’s playful floridity for a more direct and blunt narrative.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
---

An excellent debut with an incredible lore and worldbuilding! The characters could be developed more and I am looking forward to seeing that in the upcoming installments in this series.

Overall rating:
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full reviewed to come