a quote from The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

What is The Rage of Dragons About?

Oh my, oh my, oh my. Folks, this one is a banger.

Dragons no longer exclusively exist in the Eurocentric fantasy realms of history. They have traveled far and brought incredible new tales.

The Rage of Dragons begins a series of epic fantasy books called “The Burning.” Evan Winter creates a new epic fantasy world based in ancient Africa. In this first book, we meet Tau Solarin, a young man of humble origins. Tau lives in a society based upon extreme castes and great divides between “Nobles” and “Lessers” like him. Through a series of events, Tau begins his journey to becoming a weapon, a blademaster of the highest skill, a ruthless killing machine. His quest for revenge leads him down dangerous paths to hone his skill and reveals harsh truths and conspiracies that threaten those he loves most.

How I Discovered It

I had seen many, many, MANY recommendations about this book on TikTok and Instagram. Of course, the cover was intriguing as well. Honestly, I bought this book and the follow-up on a whim without knowing what they were about. I am happy to report that the choice was an excellent one.

Thoughts

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure about the book. The dialogue included words I wasn’t familiar with, and the setting was unfamiliar. Then, I realized what was happening. My whiteness was getting in the way. How many other fantasy books have I read that have words I don’t know? Or cultures that I have no clue of their origins? EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM! The difference was that, in every other book, things felt familiar. Not the case here. So, I checked my whiteness at the door and dove in. And I am so grateful I did. This book has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy novels and certainly one of the best books I read in 2022.

What I Liked About It

The pacing is relentless. I’ve read comments from Evan Winter on how he outlines and thinks about not wasting any time. You feel that intensity reading through the book. You have to turn the page to see what happens next. You don’t have a choice. It’s just a relentless push to drive forward. I loved it.

Winter creates characters you love and hate. There aren’t any in-betweens here. Friendships are forged in training and battle. Trust is built. Love is kindled.

Now, let’s talk about the magic system. The lore behind Enervators, Enragers, and the rest intrigued me since it involved not only drawing power from another world (think Shadesmar in the Cosmere) but also a person’s ability is based upon their caste. The higher the caste, the more magic you can handle. There’s more to this, it seems, especially relating to Tau. I hope to see the magic system more in-depth in the coming titles.

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