ame of Thrones meets Gladiator in this debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people’s only hope for survival.

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He’s going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn’t get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

Out July 2019

544 pages approx.

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a bruiser of a book! Every page is worth it! Evan Winter, where have you been all my fantasy loving life?

Incredibly put together with a tremendous and expertly written dose of action, fight scenes and amazing characters! Winter is proving to be one of the major new talents to keep your eyes on.  His ability to create, push breath into intricate and realistic characters, who grow and expand throughout the book; while giving them battles, crazy things to overcome… His secondary characters serve purpose, but at the same time breathe life into the story-line by pushing the MC along at an immersive pace that leaves you breathless.

The world-building… OMG! Taking his time on details, structure and making settings new and exciting, inventive and original. Then you have his magic-system… brilliant, detailed and easy to follow.

What a refreshing concept this series promises. This is book one in the series and I can’t wait to read the next book. If you like a book where the pages turn at rapid speed, the pacing leaves you breathless, the characters leave you cheering and awe-struck, then you need to pick up this book.

Only true Fantasy lovers will get my excitement and why I gush on and on about this book. For fantasy, you must have perfect world-building skills, Winter does. There has to be a working and easily understood, yet complex magic system, there is. Settings have to be immersive, wonderful, fully developed and desirable, they are. The writing has to be intense–it is. There has to be action, action, action. Present and accounted for. The story-line must be inventive and not over done. Boyo it is!

If a series, the first book must introduce everything, but not bore the reader while accomplishing this. This of course, makes for a lengthy book. WHO CARES!!? I wish The Rage of Dragons was longer. Great characters, magic system, setting, pace, plot, plot twists, unanswered issues, all must be in place for the next book. Then, there has to be conflicts that need resolution to show the reader that this book has grit, that the story-line will continue to be immersive, intense, and action packed throughout the series. On top of everything, the first book must show the talent of the author. This all is done in spade! Winter’s is a genius!

I gave it: