Easily one of my favorite Fantasy novels I’ve read this year, The Rage of Dragons is an epic and action packed character driven story with intricate intriguing worldbuilding. It’s the first of a planned four book series, and the sequel is due to come out this November. I cannot wait!⁣
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Tau is a Lesser of the Omehi people, a heavily caste based society that believe themselves to be the Chosen people of their Goddess. With a powerful military helmed by the powers of a select few Gifted magic users, they fight a centuries long war against the godless people whose land they’ve invaded. Fueled by a thirst for revenge, our protagonist Tau sets out on a quest to become the world’s greatest sword fighter, and though the novel follows closely his personal journey, the larger political machinations are well developed in the background and leave a thrilling amount of room upon which to expand in the remainder of the series.⁣
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There is so much complexity in the worldbuilding, from the classist society and the rigid structures it enforces, to the secrecy surrounding the magic and the hints that not everything is as it is presented to be, to the very foundation of the people’s self-conception, centuries divorced from their homeland and first commitment to this “righteous” war. Rich expansive worldbuilding is one of my favorite elements of great Fantasy, and Winter nails it on every level, then goes above and beyond with Tau, a dynamic character that grows and changes over the course of this lengthy tome. Heck yes, I’m never gonna stop shouting about this book!⁣