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nicolehoyme's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder
meant2breading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“To defend against failure, every day must be hard. Every day must strengthen you. For it’s in the crucible of hard days that potential becomes power.”
“In the path of revenge, one risks losing themselves”.
If followed my traditional rating system which considers setting, ending, development of all characters, etc. this likely would have been a 4-4.5 star rating from me. However, this book made me throw all of that out of the window. Could the book have benefited from more side character development, physical dragon appearances, and execution of the matriarchy? Sure. Do I care? Surprisingly not in the slightest! Winter truly delivered an adrenaline rush and a story of REVENGE 😈 start to finish. The many fighting scenes, violence and gore and all, were outstanding. I’ve never read anything like them and was anxiously flipping each page. Reading this felt like I dry scooped pre workout (I don’t) and PRd my compound lifts all week long. Even when Tau was running his mouth and acting reckless, I was STILL rooting for him! Now when I strength train and my legs are burning something fierce, I’ll be thinking about Tau fighting in real time and the demons in Ishiogo. ⚔️ I’m so down for the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual assault
precy's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
There is so much to say about this book, but the main thing is if you like epic action adventure books (and high fantasy): READ THIS BOOK! It takes fantasy readers out of Europe based mythology and bring us to African based mythology in a such immersive way! The books present us a complex society with a rigid caste system, a wonderful and so interesting magic system (each time the book explained how the magic of this world works, I was 100% there, and fascinated), there are a lot of character development, and what I loved is that the magic is there, but it’s only used when needed, what grounds the story in a more relatable world.
The things that for me were an “issue” was the action part. I got why it says is a mix of GOT and Gladiator. As I’m not much for battles, some time I was like “I don’t wanna read about fights anymore” but then something interesting happens!
Let’s talk about the main character: be prepared for a love and hate relationship! The character has its reasons, but many times I was like “stop being stupid!” But I couldn’t stop cheering for him!
The writing: FAST PASSED! Sometimes I had to remember to breathe while I was reading! Well constructed dialogues, necessary descriptions, but not too much to get bored, I got lost sometimes in the action parts, but nothing that was terrible for my reading experience.
I’ll for sure read book 2, I need to know what will happen …
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Rape
crybabybea's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Hmmm. I'm on the fence. It wasn't a terrible book by any means, but for me the pacing felt a bit choppy and off.
First of all, the prologue was amazing and gripped me more than any other prologue I've read, holy.
If you like action scenes, you will really love this book. It's pretty much entirely training/fighting scenes. I will say the fighting scenes are well-written and choreographed, being easy to follow while still being tense and exciting. The middle of the book dragged a bit as we went through training after training and they kind of all muddled together after a while. I love action scenes but I think this had a bit too many for my tastes. They do well to progress the plot, but I would have liked to see more time dedicated to characterization, especially fleshing out the side characters. I did love the action but wanted a bit more time with the characters to really connect to the story.
That being said, The Rage of Dragons is an incredibly immersive read and I was thoroughly impressed by the author's world-building. The writing itself isn't anything flashy, but Evan Winter does a great job at setting each scene and revealing lore bit by bit. There were a couple info-dumpy moments but I can forgive them because the overall experience was quite cinematic and exciting. The magic system is incredibly unique and has extreme drawbacks which makes the magic feel meaningful and awe-inspiring. Even the dragons are unique in the way they are connected to the world and magic system. Speaking of, dragons are an important part of this world but they are not a main character by any means, so don't go into this expecting to read about dragon riders or anything.
I loved the themes of vengeance and breaking the chains of oppression. Our main character, Tau, is a member of the Lesser caste of the Omehi tribe. Because of this, he is biologically destined to be less important, less powerful, and to die as fodder in the war against the native Xiddeen population. But after the death of his father, he uses his unhinged rage to break all the rules and force the old ways to acknowledge the power of a man scorned. I found it really interesting for the main character to be of a lower social caste of an imperial invading army. It was a nice change compared to other books with similar themes and added a complexity to the story that I enjoyed.
Here's the thing though, I'm a character loving girlie. I don't mind plot-based books but to really fall in love with a book I have to fall in love with its characters, whether they are likeable or not. I liked our main character Tau and his descent into pure madness fueled by rage and vengeance. He is a fine sometimes unlikeable character and I admire the author's dedication to his motives. He literally has one goal in mind and will do anything and sacrifice anyone to get there. He reminded me a lot of Rin from The Poppy War. He also had some Leeroy Jenkins moments which were frustrating and entertaining. Though I will say his progression is honestly pretty unbelievable and he seems almost impossibly invincible at times. I'm just also not a huge fan of the meritocratic messaging that you can overcome any obstacle by just training really hard and working harder than everyone else.
The other characters were lacking a lot as well. I found it hard to follow his quest for vengeance because I had no connection to the person he is seeking to avenge. As well, he gains many comrades in his quest along the way, and they kind of all blend into one person because we don't spend much time with them outside of battle. Even the main love interest I found lacking in characterization, and she often came across as just another goal on Tau's list and a plot device to push him forward. Because of this lack of depth, some of the emotionally heavy-hitting moments in the later half of the book don't hit like they should.
If you can push through the lull in the middle of the book, the ending is explosive and thrilling. It just takes a little bit to get there, and I found the emotional reveals a bit lackluster, but still fun.
I would still recommend this to fantasy lovers as I think it is overall fun and engaging. I'm interested in continuing the series though I'm disappointed I didn't get the mind-blowing experience I was expecting out of book one.
First of all, the prologue was amazing and gripped me more than any other prologue I've read, holy.
If you like action scenes, you will really love this book. It's pretty much entirely training/fighting scenes. I will say the fighting scenes are well-written and choreographed, being easy to follow while still being tense and exciting. The middle of the book dragged a bit as we went through training after training and they kind of all muddled together after a while. I love action scenes but I think this had a bit too many for my tastes. They do well to progress the plot, but I would have liked to see more time dedicated to characterization, especially fleshing out the side characters. I did love the action but wanted a bit more time with the characters to really connect to the story.
That being said, The Rage of Dragons is an incredibly immersive read and I was thoroughly impressed by the author's world-building. The writing itself isn't anything flashy, but Evan Winter does a great job at setting each scene and revealing lore bit by bit. There were a couple info-dumpy moments but I can forgive them because the overall experience was quite cinematic and exciting. The magic system is incredibly unique and has extreme drawbacks which makes the magic feel meaningful and awe-inspiring. Even the dragons are unique in the way they are connected to the world and magic system. Speaking of, dragons are an important part of this world but they are not a main character by any means, so don't go into this expecting to read about dragon riders or anything.
I loved the themes of vengeance and breaking the chains of oppression. Our main character, Tau, is a member of the Lesser caste of the Omehi tribe. Because of this, he is biologically destined to be less important, less powerful, and to die as fodder in the war against the native Xiddeen population. But after the death of his father, he uses his unhinged rage to break all the rules and force the old ways to acknowledge the power of a man scorned. I found it really interesting for the main character to be of a lower social caste of an imperial invading army. It was a nice change compared to other books with similar themes and added a complexity to the story that I enjoyed.
Here's the thing though, I'm a character loving girlie. I don't mind plot-based books but to really fall in love with a book I have to fall in love with its characters, whether they are likeable or not. I liked our main character Tau and his descent into pure madness fueled by rage and vengeance. He is a fine sometimes unlikeable character and I admire the author's dedication to his motives. He literally has one goal in mind and will do anything and sacrifice anyone to get there. He reminded me a lot of Rin from The Poppy War. He also had some Leeroy Jenkins moments which were frustrating and entertaining. Though I will say his progression is honestly pretty unbelievable and he seems almost impossibly invincible at times. I'm just also not a huge fan of the meritocratic messaging that you can overcome any obstacle by just training really hard and working harder than everyone else.
The other characters were lacking a lot as well. I found it hard to follow his quest for vengeance because I had no connection to the person he is seeking to avenge. As well, he gains many comrades in his quest along the way, and they kind of all blend into one person because we don't spend much time with them outside of battle. Even the main love interest I found lacking in characterization, and she often came across as just another goal on Tau's list and a plot device to push him forward. Because of this lack of depth, some of the emotionally heavy-hitting moments in the later half of the book don't hit like they should.
If you can push through the lull in the middle of the book, the ending is explosive and thrilling. It just takes a little bit to get there, and I found the emotional reveals a bit lackluster, but still fun.
I would still recommend this to fantasy lovers as I think it is overall fun and engaging. I'm interested in continuing the series though I'm disappointed I didn't get the mind-blowing experience I was expecting out of book one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Blood, Gore, Murder, War, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Body horror, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, and Alcohol
badbadwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, War, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Child death, Gore, Child abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Rape, and Religious bigotry
missmali's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
sierrah_2101's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have no words for how stunningly good this book was. Where do I begin?
Evan Winter's writing is gripping and real, the characters were all so pristinely human despite this being in a fantasy world. In a refreshing setting - based on Brozen Age Africa - and with a rare (at least nowadays) focus on pure revenge, The Rage of Dragons is an absolute epic. Not only is Winter's characterization haunting and gorgeous, but the social and political commentary and intrigue are just as frustrating in all the right ways. At first, most of the views Winter presents about war, power, class, and peace may seem simple, but they were stuck incredibly deep in my skin and Winter's writing allows these ideas to seep into every word of his work. My perspective has been totally changed and humbled and opened within 523 pages.
I want to say more, but frankly, I'm at a loss. Winter is simply a paramount writer, and after reading this I immediately went to put the second book on hold at the library, if that's any proof of just how much of a grip this book had on my psyche.
Also dragons? Did I mention dragons? God, I love dragons.
Please read this book.
Evan Winter's writing is gripping and real, the characters were all so pristinely human despite this being in a fantasy world. In a refreshing setting - based on Brozen Age Africa - and with a rare (at least nowadays) focus on pure revenge, The Rage of Dragons is an absolute epic. Not only is Winter's characterization haunting and gorgeous, but the social and political commentary and intrigue are just as frustrating in all the right ways. At first, most of the views Winter presents about war, power, class, and peace may seem simple, but they were stuck incredibly deep in my skin and Winter's writing allows these ideas to seep into every word of his work. My perspective has been totally changed and humbled and opened within 523 pages.
I want to say more, but frankly, I'm at a loss. Winter is simply a paramount writer, and after reading this I immediately went to put the second book on hold at the library, if that's any proof of just how much of a grip this book had on my psyche.
Also dragons? Did I mention dragons? God, I love dragons.
Please read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death of parent, Classism, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
alanathehangry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Liked it.
This was...an interesting book. I think the first and last third were solid. I think there were way too many training sequences. But I enjoyed watching Tau's character development (if not slow and frustrating at times) and his relationships with his sword brothers grow. I loved how he was eventually able to alter the power dynamic. That was fascinating to see. Often in these epics, the main character will just be good because they were born for it. This is where Winter excels. Tau was never a great fighter, he had no passion for it, and no talent. But by pushing himself as far as he possibly could, going to new heights (and depths), he crafted and molded himself into it. That was probably the best part of this book.
I still think at least 100 pages could be cut for the training scenes.
This was...an interesting book. I think the first and last third were solid. I think there were way too many training sequences. But I enjoyed watching Tau's character development (if not slow and frustrating at times) and his relationships with his sword brothers grow. I loved how he was eventually able to alter the power dynamic. That was fascinating to see. Often in these epics, the main character will just be good because they were born for it. This is where Winter excels. Tau was never a great fighter, he had no passion for it, and no talent. But by pushing himself as far as he possibly could, going to new heights (and depths), he crafted and molded himself into it. That was probably the best part of this book.
I still think at least 100 pages could be cut for the training scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Sexual content, Death, Genocide, Murder, Gore, and Racism
zanderbrown's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, War, Grief, Murder, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Slavery, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was not easy to get into and made me question why I even like fantasy or plot-driven books — bc goddamn is this book action-driven, we don't get actual plot until 80% in 😭. Anyway, I came so close to dnfing so many times bc I was not caring about the invasive Omehi or Tau and his journey but I kept reading positive reviews and I didn't want to start another book so I committed and hell yeah it paid off. After 84 years I finished this but what a chaotic treat it eventually was! Tau's journey is frenetic as hell and you really start rooting for him. Narrative-wise the book is one huge fight/training sequence after another with a few tidbits of world building info scattered throughout which can be very off putting and frustrating if you're a more character- and plot-driven reader who wants extensive and intensive world building writing and dialogue, which I've realized I now am, to some extent. Like teenage, early 20s me would've loved every single action-packed packed sequence with little plot and inner monologue and unpolished character development but now I need all that in equal measure and this book doesn't fully deliver in that front. Or maybe I still dig this type of writing as is but in shorter doses, this book would've been great if it were 200 pages fewer. Anyway, this book begs to be adapted to the screen, especially as an anime bc the visuals of the Ingonyama and the Enragers, the Gifted, and the nonstop training and fighting sequences would really shine in that medium. In the end the book is an enthralling fantasy ride and I'm glad to have stuck to it. This book does suffer from the "read the sequel if you MUST know more" style of writing and I'm not sure if I'm rushing to read the follow-up. I have to sit with my feelings for a few days but Tau is so badass (there's a point he channels Ip Man, bruh lmao) that maybe I wanna stick around and see where he goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Violence, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fatphobia