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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
“I am your curse,” the Lesser said. “I am your end.”
Truly one of the best debut novels I have ever read!
The Rage of Dragons is from the get-go intense; starting literally in the midst of battle. Definitely one of the best uses of a prologue I’ve seen.
From there it just keeps escalating as we follow Tau on his quest for vengeance, set roughly two hundred years after the initial prologue.
With a world as unique as Evan Winters is creating with this series, you’re bound to have a phase of assimilation. As with any fantasy there is new terminology and magic to discover, and that might take a little getting used. And this being such a complex world that process might take a bit longer. So, you should consider giving it at least fifty pages before deciding whether or not it is for you.
I love the trend we’re seeing in modern fantasy of straying away from traditional, European settings. With books such as [b:The Poppy War|35068705|The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)|R.F. Kuang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515691735l/35068705._SY75_.jpg|56364137], [b:Children of Blood and Bone|34728667|Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)|Tomi Adeyemi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516127989l/34728667._SX50_.jpg|55911580] and, here, The Rage of Dragons we’re seeing authors draw inspiration from both different mythology and history.
The Rage of Dragons is an African-inspired fantasy – some referring to it as Zulu-inspired, and Winters, the author, having Xhosa-ancestry.
I obviously won’t claim to be well-versed in the mythology and history this series draws inspiration from. But I really liked how, as a fantasy, it still had themes connecting it to both older and more modern history. The way it explored caste-systems and colonization was brutally raw in a way that only real history can be. While the dragons might be completely fictional, the conflicts and oppression are not.
Creativity, uniqueness and diversity alone do not a good book make. Luckily, there is so much more to like about The Rage of Dragons. The chapters are short, but well-paced. Characters are morally ambiguous. And while straight-to-the-point, the writing can also be beautiful.
“I’m here.” “For how long?” “For these breaths.”
The only small thing holding this book back from being perfect, is my own subjective preference. I’m very much a character-based reader and this book can be very plot-driven. It’s a revenge-story after all. And while Tau is interesting for a main character, I didn’t read this for his story. Standing alone, his story feels underdeveloped. It stands as a stark contrast with everything else; as everyone and everything changes, Tau remains filled with a hatred and a seeking revenge.
I’m sure that will be resolved within the rest of the series, and I’m already dreading having to wait for several months before getting the sequel.
Tau is a young man of the humbler casts, he has a plan to get himself injured to avoid the war, to settle down with the woman he loves, create a family, and live in peace.
Plans do not always work out the way we want them and through a strange turn Tau's entire life is set upside down.
Fuelled by rage he works himself to exhaustion and sacrifices himself and his sanity to get revenge on the people that wronged him.
I can not accurately describe this without giving any spoilers. This is a fast paced story with a lot of action. This is a fantasy world like none I have ever read before. I loved this book.
The only reason it took long to read was because I didn't want it to end.
