Review of Evan Winter’s Rage of Dragons, book one of The Burning (no spoilers)

[@TheNerdyNarrative]

I really enjoyed the societal aspect of this one, but I really thrived reading Tao’s journey. Action packed, sure. But he was going hard, he needed to get to where he needed to be and nothing was allowed to get in his way. I think it was an appropriate and logical response - who knows what we would do, if we were in that situation. Thank you for your thoughts, Philip. Listening to this brought back my joy reading this story

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

You're exactly right, Lezlie. I can't honestly predict how I would react after suffering what Tau suffered, and it's worth mentioning that people in the real world have suffered similar things on the basis of a rigid social hierarchy. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@simonsuarez7561]

There's true ingenuity behind these last thumbnails! Very funny and clever these little subtleties for the book reviews, hahaha. It is getting better this aesthetic aspect of the channel. Cheers Philip!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Simon! We are embracing the art of thumbnail making around here!

[@FineReads]

Loved your review! Thanks for taking the time! It really helped me understand what the book is about and now has me curious. I find stories that tackle social issues very fascinating.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It’s worth a look, I think. The focus on social hierarchy definitely elevated Rage of Dragons for me. Cheers, Fine!

[@perrywakefield1698]

Great review as always. I agree with w everything you said. I would add one thing. I think the rage that Tao has is his way of dealing with the guilt from what happened to his father. He is a teenager, and I think that would be a natural way for a young person to act. I'm looking forward to his overall character arc in the series.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That’s an excellent point, Perry. Guilt over his father stepping in is definitely a driving factor. Thanks for watching!

[@blakeminiard7051]

Im so excited to see you doing videos on this series, I’ve recently just finished the second book of the series and had a blast reading them both!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Blake! Rage of Dragons was an incredibly fast read for me and very entertaining. I’m glad you enjoyed the second book as well!

[@blakeminiard7051]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Don't get me wrong I love a dense book that nearly forces you to reread each page as you're reading along (looking at you, MBotF) but it's refreshing to read a fantasy series that's both epic in scope and in its world-building, but also has a ton of action and pushes the plot along fairly quickly. These books were a nice escape from a lot of the epic fantasy I've read recently, and as someone who grew up in a rural midwest town I loved having names and characters that weren't inspired by medieval England/Europe, even if it made it harder to pronounce a lot of the words!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@blakeminiard7051 I do the same thing, Blake! A nice palette cleanser can be just the thing to get me excited again for a denser read.

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

I'm happy you read and reviewed this book. I read it last year in 2 or 3 days; I couldn't put it down. And it made my top 10 books for last year.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It's definitely a book that's hard to put down, Michael. I'm also happy I read it, and I'm looking forward to book two, which I've heard improves on book one.

[@RedFuryBooks]

This one has been on my TBR for awhile now- I need to pick it up soon. Thanks for another great review - I always appreciate your depth of analysis while not revealing spoilers!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you! It's worth picking up, I think. I hope you'll enjoy it when you do!

[@alexnieves]

Evan Winter's strongest point is definitely the combat which is certainly a main focus of the book. The setting was a big bonus for me as well when I read it as it was exciting to see a non-Medieval Europe fantasy story. This brought a different perspective and background to the book that I don't think many of us are used to. The caste system is definitely a major plot point and the driving force behind Tau's rage. Glad you enjoyed it and I have a feeling you'll enjoy Fires of Vengeance!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Alex! I’m confident you’re right about book two - a lot of readers have told me it improves on the first book, which makes me think it’s likely very good. I look forward to finding out!

[@mvinson8706]

So glad you did a review of this. I read this earlier this year and enjoyed it. Immediately bought book two lol. Waiting for the next books. Such a cool book in many aspects. Great video!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I'm curious to read book two since a lot of readers have told me it improves on the promise of book one. Thanks, Michelle!

[@tovx76]

Wow, love your perspective on this book and thoughts on the cast system and how much that would impact the decisions characters make. You have the best book reviews on booktube, always bringing new insights. Truly a pleasure listening to you talk about books sir.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you for the kind words, Drew! I really do think Winter's inclusion of the social hierarchy theme elevates Rage of Dragons beyond an action-packed power fantasy.

[@libraryofaviking]

Excellent review! I have heard great things about this book but the amount of action does worry me a bit. I will probably give this one a try eventually!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I think it's worth giving a try. If you do, I'll be very curious to hear your thoughts on Rage of Dragons!

[@akellerhouse83]

I've been putting this one off for a couple years now. Every time someone reviews it on booktube I'm reminded that I should read it. Maybe this will be the year I finally pick it up! Great review Philip.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

If you do read it this year, I hope you'll get a lot from it!

[@CircesBooked]

I feel like my reading style is like yours in that I do prefer books to have those quiet moments where we really get to know these characters. It's probably why I'm enjoying the Dark Tower series so much right now. But every once in a while, I want something fast paced so I'm glad you enjoyed this one. It's been on my list to get to for a while. Hopefully soon🤞

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Dark Tower is fantastic, in my opinion. If you try Rage of Dragons, I hope you’ll enjoy it, Ercy!

[@pepijnvs9297]

Thank you for the review! I definitely agree with you. I gotta say that I really enjoyed the book and it was very refreshing. I flew through this book and its sequence in no time. It just felt so easy going. I suspected it to become repetitive because it has so much fighting, but I enjoyed every minute!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Definitely a page turner! Sometimes we need a quick and exciting read. There’s some depth there too, I think.

[@ves138]

I love that you focused on the social injustices of a caste system or any hierarchy. IMO this book was ALL about that, and giving us only Tao's perspective Winter did an amazing job in making you see a system like that from a PoV of someone who is most damaged by it. Yes, Tau is a dumb dumb sometimes and acts purely out of rage but I don't think I've ever felt the rage of our main character as I did with Tau, Winter managed to completely make me feel that rage so at times I was also as dumb as Tau and in my head was thinking "YES DO IT" even tho the decision was , looking back, a stupid one. All that to say this book sometimes gets a bad rep and labeled as "popcorn action packed read", but I felt that while yes it certainly is action packed, it wasn't really that shallow as people make it out to be. It wasn't the deepest book I've ever read by any means but there was depth there, and the world was so imaginative with it's African inspired roots that as a whole package it was a great read. If i really had any big gripes with it it was the prose and the dialogue, i felt it was way too modern day conversation like and it took me a WHILE to immerse myself in the world and there were times especially during heavy info dumps where I was completely thrown out of the story. But it is a debut novel, so I wont judge it too harshly on that.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Well said, Ves! Winter does an excellent job of exploring the consequences of a rigid social structure and how it dehumanizes people. That alone makes this book valuable. I was actually okay with the prose and, for the most part, with the dialogue, though the latter was occasionally immersion breaking (like during the sex scene). As you say, as a debut novel, it's a significant success.

[@collinwilliamson607]

Great review as always! I read this book last year and I really enjoyed some of the action sequences and magic systems. Evan Winter is an awesome guy and really accessible. I had a great chat with him over on Twitter and he loves to engage his fans about his work and is always open to discussions on fantasy.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Very cool! I've found that authors who engage with fans on social media tend to be really nice people. It's a risk for them, but clearly they enjoy the interactions. Cheers, Collin!

[@TheBookish1]

This is my next fantasy read after A Game of Thrones. Evan seems such a nice, genuine guy with a pure love of the genre. Very excited to read this one. Fantastic video as always.

[@angelaholmes8888]

It's a great read I also enjoyed the sequel fires of vengeance

[@TheBookish1]

@@angelaholmes8888 I've got both sitting on my shelves! There's just something about those covers that keep drawing me in! But for now I'm in Winterfell.

[@ves138]

@@TheBookish1 winter is coming, and Rage Of Dragons is a fiery read for sure Im sorry

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Dan! I have a feeling you will like this one, though A Game of Thrones is a tough act to follow.

[@John-qy5rq]

Good review Philip. I was excited to your thoughts on one of my favourite book of all time. I agree with you with how will done the cast system was and the need for a little bit more character development

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, John! I’m glad you enjoyed the review, and I can see why Rage of Dragons is one of your favorites!

[@cipriansirbu3699]

I'm glad to hear that you liked this book.I haven't read it yet and I was very curious to hear your opinion especially because most of the people hate Tau and therefore the book.I've heard that The Fires of Vengeance is better.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I definitely don't hate Tau. I was frustrated with him at times, but I feel like it would be wrong for me to judge him too harshly since I really don't know how I'd react if I were in his place. I hope you'll enjoy the book if you try it, Ciprian!

[@TreySaunders88]

its really good book once you get the names and titles figured out. i look forward to getting to book 2. i preordered it and got it on release but my ever growing TBR has left it on the shelf for more than a year lol. keep up the good work, Philip. loved your discussion with Mike the other day

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I'm curious to see how I'll find book two, which I've heard is even better. I'm glad you enjoyed the chat with Mike, Trey!

[@ravenbellebooks5665]

I never really understand why Tao gets so much hate. I really enjoyed his character, even if he didn't make the best decisions all the time. His determination and perseverance are outstanding - and he's got a little sass to boot, haha!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I completely agree - Given what happens, I think he deserves a little understanding. Plus, he’s rather young as well.

[@praetorxyn]

It suddenly occurred to me what you're always wearing, and now I can't pay attention to anything you say, because my brain is just on a constant loop of "I'll bet tweed is so itchy..." 😅 Haven't read Rage of Dragons yet, but Winter is a success story in self-publishing. I saw an interview he did where he talked about how he used the Kindle store "algorithm" to his advantage and it was very interesting.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Ha ha! My tweed jackets all have inner lining, so no itching. They do, however, protect me from fireballs and other threats!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

That thumbnail. 🤣🤣🤣 👏👏👏 to your assistant.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I'll pass along the praise! She will, no doubt, be tickled to hear it.

[@edosaomoruyi1]

Ayyeee I’ve been anticipating this review for a minute and I’m glad you enjoyed it for the most part! I agree with most of your takeaways And naturally, I believe that Even Wynter begins to flesh out his own distinct voice and balance between peeks and valleys in the second installment. Looking forward to you continuing the series and Great video as always Phillip!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I’ve heard from several people that book two improves on book one, which makes me excited to read it. Evan Winter has a solid start here, and I think his emphasis on class structure gives him the potential to write something profound. Not to mention that he writes action very well!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Incredible review! I felt the exact same way about everything, and I think you’re in for a treat with bk 2, which slows down and goes less heavy on the action-with very interesting character development!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's awesome to hear, Benjamin! The fact that you found book 2 an improvement is encouraging to me.

[@claradaniels1472]

Just recently added this to my tbr! Great review, I'm excited to read it, especially with the African inspiration, as I've not read anything like it before. I'm curious to see if the action will be too much for me because although I love a good action sequence, I sometimes prefer to just sit with the characters.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

If you give it a try, I hope you'll enjoy it, Clara. I completely agree with you about sitting with characters. It accomplished a lot, in fact. Not only do such moments allow authors to develop the characters, but they also help readers to feel more invested in them.

[@itscatoclock]

I'm glad you're doing some more reviews. I'll put this on my TBR. Oh, and this time I took extra care when looking at the thumbnail. Where's Philip; it was a hard one to catch 😉

[@RedFuryBooks]

I didn’t even see him! His daughter has certainly upped his thumbnail game!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Ha ha! Yes, I was hiding this time, though the look on my face is not very subtle. I'm glad you spotted me!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@RedFuryBooks That's for sure!

[@Johanna_reads]

I might have audibly given a sigh of relief watching this review! I loved Rage of Dragons, and it’s almost mysterious to me that I did because of the relentless action sequences and Tau being a one-note, single-minded character. He does make some dumb decisions, which you brought into perspective so well! We humans are rarely clever when in chronic fight-or-flight, and being a Lesser in that society makes it easy to be easily triggered. I also agree that the romance was cringe-worthy and unnecessary. Fantastic review, Philip! Best Rage of Dragons review thumbnail as well! 😁

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's so true about people who are in situations of perpetual trauma due to the messed up world around them, Johanna. It's the most important thing to take from this book, in my opinion. I'm glad you enjoyed the review and the thumbnail!

[@dinocollins720]

I agree about giving our characters privacy haha I've always preferred the fade to black

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It’s something that’s most often done either awkwardly or unrealistically, and it’s rare that it adds anything to the story.

[@dinocollins720]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Right! You stole the words from my mouth!

[@Ulmo90]

Excited to read this one soon, it's been sitting on my shelf for a while now

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I hope you’ll enjoy it when you get to it! I think it’s worth the investment.

[@Boronian]

What a coincidence, I just finished the book two days ago. I liked it all in all for the same reasons too (good action, very fast paced, interesting setting and world), but I agree with you that it is basically just action scene after action scene and slowing that down a little bit would have been good for it to give the character(s) more time to grow and also to have more notable side characters which are more than just names to possibly die. I also personally was not convinced by some of Tau's really fast changes of opinions (e.g. in regards to Jayyed's ideas). Started the second book and up to now (at around 50%) it has the same strengths and weaknesses. Two characters suddenly appeared and got more time who seemed to be kinda close to Tau, and I looked them up, because I could not remember them at all: Their names came up exactly once in the whole first book. So as a reader I had no connection to them, didn't really care about them. But like you said, this series is a good recommendation for everyone who likes fast paced, well written action in an interesting promising fantasy world, they won't be disappointed.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It's fantastic to hear from you! It sounds like we had very similar reactions to Rage of Dragons. While I do find the continuous action scenes the slightest bit tiresome, the emphasis on social hierarchy and its consequences elevates this book, in my opinion. I'll be curious to hear more about your thoughts on book two since I'm debating when to fit it into my schedule. Cheers!

[@Boronian]

​@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I've finished the second book now and can give you my thoughts on it. It is basically the same as book 1. A straight forward story without surprises going from fight to fight. To me it felt like the tempo was increased with less time to catch some breath. The action scenes felt slowly a little bit repetitive, I noticed that they got shorter in the end too because you get the feeling Tau can't be defeated by any human anymore. The character development stays the weakness though. There are several "bad losses" happening which didn't feel like much to me because they were either telegraphed for a long time or just names with no real connection for me. But it felt like I should feel with Tau because he was very upset about them. Tau is this young man filled with rage and determination. The whole first book was about him raging against the caste system and its injustice done to his father and to reach his goals he is willing to sacrifice anything. This changed in the second book and I couldn't follow that change. I mean, I know why it happened but the change didn't feel natural, more something the story wanted. We get some more background lore which is nice, the world is very interesting after all. The caste system is not as prominent anymore, it is mostly background noises now. I expected the possibility of some social riots with Tau being the champion now. But this change is almost always only viewed from the lense of nobles feeling affronted by a lesser holding that position. Overall I liked the first book a little bit more. Maybe because it felt fresher, maybe because it was slower, maybe because I like stories with a hero growing with the challenges (Tau didn't do that anymore in the second book, his skills are basically the same). But the book is solid, it is a fun and quick read for fans of fast paced books with a ton of action scenes.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Boronian Great to hear your take! Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like Winter took the series in a direction I would have enjoyed more. The social commentary elevated the first book somewhat for me, and I would hate to think that part is largely dropped. I also was hoping the second book would slow the pace a bit to allow some quiet moments and character development. Well, I’ll still give book two a shot eventually, but I’ll keep my expectations at a level that will be most conducive for me to enjoy the book for what it is.

[@BookishChas]

Great review Philip! I’m glad you enjoyed this book. It wasn’t for me unfortunately, but not every book is. I agree that for a debut novel he did a pretty good job. In the end he talks about being a screenwriter I believe, and it shows.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

The screenwriter connection would make a lot of sense. It's certainly a very "visual" or "cinematic" book. Thanks, Chas!

[@brush2canvas849]

Thank you, for the great review Philip! You had me at African inspired as I'm always on the lookout for books that don't have a European centred approach. The societal premise sounds very interesting as well. Like you I do not need non stop action but this seems to have enough other things going to have me tempted. So another one for the TBR. The thumbnail wizard also has reached new hights of her power! But I have to say that look on your face. Do we have to get concerned? I mean parental abuse is not unheard of.😁

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Ha ha! I was going for a look that says, "I'm about to be in a battle, and I'd rather be somewhere -- anywhere -- else!" If you give this one a try, I hope you'll find it engaging. The emphasis on social hierarchy elevates it, in my opinion.

[@brush2canvas849]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Ha, ha, I see. The "I've read Malazan and know what happens in battle" look. My other scenario was that your artistic director demanded more money.😁 The social hierarchy element recommends this more for me right now than possible action/battle scenes. Is there actually fantasy without battles? There probably is I just can't think of any.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@brush2canvas849 Conflict seems to be an element of almost all storytelling. There are some fantasy books without battles, but they tend to be more modern or urban fantasy.

[@brush2canvas849]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Good point about conflict. If it's not outer conflict then there is most likely an inner one. Which makes a lot of sense because without conflict we would not have much character development. Thanks Philip!

[@SJ-GodofGnomes21]

As always a great review, it was a fast read, filled with action which I think overall suits me better, but you definitely had a point about both the fact that there was no real let up and that the villians did need a little work. The Hierarchy aspect was perfect and like you I do love a caste system ! Tao was a little hard to like , but I think that was on purpose and that made me like him all the more. As you pointed out, he had many reasons to be angry! I think you will like book two more as its a little slower paced (not by much though) as always a great review of what I thought was an incredible debut novel.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Well said, Si! It’s important to keep in mind that Rage of Dragons is a debut novel, making Winter’s accomplishment that much more impressive.

[@esmayrosalyne]

Yay for finally getting this one off the TBR, haha. I read The Rage of Dragons right around the time when the hype was at its peak and I have to admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by it. I generally don't mind action, but this was just a bit too much for me. And while I think Tau's rage is justified, I just got so frustrated with his impulsive and often dumb actions, lol 🥲 That said, I definitely agree that the worldbuilding, magic system and themes were super cool. I hadn't read much non-western fantasy at that point, so it really felt like a breath of fresh air within the fantasy genre. Though, by now I have read a lot more non-western works that I have enjoyed a lot more, so I personally don't feel the need to continue on with this particular series. I am very glad to hear that you are still interested in the rest of the books though! Thanks for this great review, I loved hearing your thoughts ☺

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Esmay! I understand your reaction to Rage of Dragons, and while I think I will continue with the series (mainly because a lot of readers tell me that book two really improves on book 1), I get the need to prioritize other reads. There are so many great series out there, which is a wonderful problem, isn't it?

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Honestly, I am not even mad to have that problem, haha. And I have only heard excellent things about book 2 as well, so I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on it whenever you get to it! Enjoy :)

[@safinan8008]

Hi great review video!! Happy reading to you!! 👋😊📖

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Safina! Happy reading to you too!

[@allenchase4388]

Ursula LeGuin says that men seem much more likely to share sexual/romantic details than are women. Women, she says, are more careful or respectful regarding personal/intimate details. I wonder about that since I've always assumed that women write more romance novels than do men. Perhaps she's correct if we're talking about fantasy or science fiction? Do you have an opinion about that?

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

A very interesting question! I don’t know if there’s a difference in how often male and female authors portray sex, but I imagine there could be a qualitative difference in the way it’s portrayed. In other words, what is the focus during the scene? What is its purpose in the story? How are its consequences dealt with? We might see some differences here, but I’m also not well read in romance or romantic fantasy, to be honest, so I could be wildly off in my conjecture.

[@davidslone2937]

I figured you’d be unsatisfied with the amount of character work. I think Winter is very Sandersonesque: unique ideas, interesting magic, accessible prose, but slightly underdeveloped characters. I guess the 12 year old boy in me can throw that out the window so long as you have lots of sword fights, though. Glad to hear you liked it. Cheers, Philip!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

There's definitely a very lively 12 year old boy in me too, David! I think the Sanderson comparison is fair for all the reasons you mention.

[@sgriffin9960]

I’ve been wanting to read this book seems like forever! Good review and even though there’s that privacy issue, I’m still going ahead with my plan to read it. I’ll just skip a few pages!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I hope you’ll enjoy Rage of Dragons when you read it!

[@robpaul7544]

This wasn't one of my favourite reads in recent years, but enjoyable nonetheless. Fast-paced and action packed for sure, though the characters and plot felt a bit shallow and predictable. It combines a bit of Battle Royale with a bit of Gladiator - both of which I love - with a bit of its own flavor.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's an interesting comparison, Rob, and also illuminating, I think. The Gladiator part I could see as soon as I read your comment. I haven't seen Battle Royale, though. Cheers!

[@HeyYallListenUp]

Great review. I had issues with the book, but I enjoyed the fast pace and it is well written.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks! It’s not going to make my list of favorites, but it’s a solid book and a strong debut. Definitely worth the read!

[@SJ-GodofGnomes21]

Typical! At work at the moment. Shall watch eagerly this evening.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I hope you'll enjoy it, Si, and best wishes for your day at work!

[@MetalGildarts]

I read this twice, but wasn’t too stoked about it. I read book 2 and siding like it at all so I DNF’d the series. Just wasn’t my thing. Glad you enjoyed it though.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I'm going to give book two a try, Marco. More often than not, people have told me that it's an improvement over book one. I'm curious to see how I'll find it, but I'm not sure when I'll fit it in yet. That said, I can see where the relentless action can become tedious for some readers.

[@MetalGildarts]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy it wasn’t that I think it was just Tau responding to everything with anger. Felt pretty YA to me. I know why he acted as such, but it was still jarring. Maybe I’ll give the series another shot when it’s completed. We’ll see.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@MetalGildarts Someone else in the comments compared Winter with Sanderson, which I think is a fair, and mostly positive, comparison.

[@BaldBookTuber]

Nice review sir! I read this in January and had essentially the same complaints. All-action, all the time wasn’t particularly what I wanted from the book. Solid read, but definitely nowhere near an all-time favorite for me.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's a fair characterization, Scot. It's certainly solid and shows great promise.

[@thejdizzle117]

Great review as always. I've just picked this up on kindle for 99p so great value for money! Also good to hear it has African influence. Having recently read Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James (and now starting on the sequel Moon Witch Spider King) I'm hungry for more African influence in fantasy.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I hope you’ll enjoy it when you read it, Jack!

[@shawnturpin197]

It's cool to see a unique world in fantasy. This is probably what I liked best about this book. Will definitely read the whole series. I agree with you about modern dialogue in fantasy. It's the number one way for me to DNF a fantasy book. Absolutely detest it.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I’m glad I’m not alone in my distaste for modern dialogue in my fantasy (unless it’s urban fantasy). There’s a lot to appreciate in Rage of Dragons, and I’m looking forward to eventually continuing in The Burning.

[@Dwish305]

Great review!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Danel!

[@dinocollins720]

great review!!!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Dino!

[@Altruismisreal27]

Nicely done!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks so much!

[@covi_reads7398]

Great review! I think I'll add it to my TBR. Which means I'll probably get to it in 3 years lol

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Ha ha! That sounds like my TBR!

[@covi_reads7398]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy What a great and terrible problem to have lol I am thankful to be living in a time when there are SO many promising books I want to read!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@covi_reads7398 That’s exactly right!

[@angelaholmes8888]

Glad you like rage of dragons 👍

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Angela!

[@thesmuli83]

Hi. Nice that you liked the book. I think it's a good book. I haven’t had time to read the next part of the series.

[@angelaholmes8888]

It definitely gets better with fires of vengeance I really enjoyed it 🙂

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It's definitely enough to make me want to keep reading. A solid debut!

[@terryking3232]

Good review, Philip. Been a while since I read it, and my aged brain had trouble recalling the story. Be very careful of TC Klune’s works if you don’t want to read about sex. Especially dragon on unicorn gay sex. It was grand (IMO).

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I actually don’t mind sex in books if it serves the story, isn’t obviously voyeuristic, and is well written. I can’t say the scene in Rage of Dragons is well written. I found myself laughing, in fact, which is immersion breaking and probably not the desired effect. That said, I think it’s very difficult to write a good sex scene. Cheers!

[@kennymocivnik6408]

Thank you for the review. After watching your review, I'm not sure I want to read this book. I agree with you that certain books would be better if they had less action and more characters. Also, I do not like when books have sex scenes.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

There's one sex scene, and if I'm being honest, I would have to admit it's not written well. I'm not opposed to sex in books, especially if it serves the story, but I personally think it often works better "off stage." I don't like feeling like a voyeur. The rest of the book is well written for the most part, but it's very heavy on action, and I do think the characters could have been more developed with some quieter moments.

[@tammaraliberty]

Lol. Love the thumbnail.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Ha ha! Thanks! My assistant seems to enjoy putting me in ridiculous poses.

[@Namorat]

To me it felt like Red Rising as fantasy instead of science fiction.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I’m going to need to read Red Rising - I hear good things. Cheers!

[@Namorat]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I think it is worth a read. I am curious if you would also see many similarities, now that it has been mentioned. Have a nice day.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Namorat Have a great day too!

[@stacymccaskill-lilja2944]

I really loved this book. Still need to read the sequel. Very thoughtful review. 😊

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Stacy! I'm curious to see how I'll like book two. A lot of people say it improves on the first.

[@stacymccaskill-lilja2944]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I've heard that too. I look forward to finding out. 😊

[@MrRorosuri]

💜💜✨✨🐲

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you!

[@TheyTalkPolitics]

Great review. This book has has a lot of buzz.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks, Joseph. I think it deserves much of the buzz. It's a solid debut novel.

[@fayem4091]

I loved the sword scenes but... Did i grow too old for this shit? Idk. What i know is this book had nothing new to add. I picked it up because it was african inspired fantasy. To see and feel something different. Instead i got a predictable story. Now don't get me wrong, predictable is NOT equal bad. I had a bunch of books that were predictable but i loved every paige. So what went wrong? The writing is above average, and the sword scenes are beautiful, i could literally picture them as if they were live. The story was full of tropes like i said, but it wasn't terrible either. The world building wasn't bad... But it was the furthest thing from good, or mediocre And then it hit me... Both the worlds and the characters felt ... Empty. Shallow. A shell of what they should have been. Getting through that book was quite painful at times, because i couldn't care less about the characters. I struggled to recognise the side characters (with few exceptions) that all of them are blunt and NOT developed not underdeveloped, THERE WHERE NO development at all. Same thing for tau. As for the romance in this book. I COULDN'T get it. This felt more like, oh he has abs so let's hit it girl! Zuri, honey? Are you ok? The guy hit you get the fuck away from him, don't fuck him. (Don't give the ptsd shit. It was unacceptable.). I could keep going but... This book let me down, because it had potential, but it lucked any true emotion. The emotional scenes feel forced and performed even laughable at times. It didn't work for me but it was still a very low medium ride... Fantasy you let me down again.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

My biggest criticism was in line with yours - the constant emphasis on action didn’t leave enough room for character development. I didn’t like the sex scene because I thought it wasn’t well written - the dialogue made me wince. I’ll have to think about your concerns around it too. Winter does write great action scenes, and I really think he’s doing something important by exploring trauma caused by exploitative social hierarchies. So, while I do agree with your points, there’s enough there for me to give book two a try. My best wishes to you for your next read!

[@VicRibeiro777]

Great review Philip ^_^

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Vic!

[@deusignis7582]

Sounds like SJW nonsense.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I didn't think of it that way. The characters are all dark in skin tone, and the social hierarchy doesn't seem to be based on skin color at all. The main distinction is that the upper class characters tend to be taller and stronger, but that might partly be a dietary effect. In any case, though it doesn't correlate with any society I know of in our world, the effects of that social hierarchy are indeed a big part of the story.