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sierrah_2101 's review for:
The Fires of Vengeance
by Evan Winter
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I consider the Goddess intelligent enough to find a purpose for men besides the killing of others."
An almost perfect sequel to an essentially perfect fantasy novel. The Fires of Vengeance was a stunning and explosive story of Tau's continued journey for, well, vengeance. Just like any sequel, the stakes must be raised, and Winter really helped himself by having Rage of Dragons have, overall, fairly low stakes, at least for the world. Tau's stakes were high as hell, but the world itself wasn't at risk... That we knew of. The themes of war, classism, revenge, and humanity continues with even more fervor. Now, more than ever, Tau must face the mirror, see the consequences and the repercussions of the path he has chosen-even if he may think it is not a choice. And such questions and introspection are the strength and beauty of Winter's writing, especially that he does it without you even realizing it. Of course, reading back, the quotes are pointed, not an inch of subtly, but they are all drenched is so much atmosphere, you're so engrossed in the action and the people of this world that it penetrates your psyche with no resistance.
One of my favorites from the end of the book:
He waited to feel different. He'd balanced the scales, and that had to count for something, but his father and Zuri were still gone, and it didn't hurt less because the man responsible was dead.
And the ending? Somehow, Winter seamlessly ups the stakes once again in a completely believable but still shocking way. The last page made me crave his next book, and I think that's the mark of a true writer. When I need to read more, to see what happens to these people I've grown fond of, of this world I feel I'm a part of? That's powerful.
My only two complaints was that the pace felt quite breakneck for Fires of Vengeance, especially in comparison to Rage of Dragons, and reading them back to back was a bit of whiplash. Also, the
Overall, I'm completely and thoroughly obsessed. I was after The Rage of Dragons, but the fact that the sequel was just as impactful to me personally is kind of phenomenal. Usually the second book in a series can be a bit of a flop, but this one did at all sage under the weight. Winter, you fucker, you did it again. Keep doing it dude.
PS the