The Rage of Dragons

By: Evan Winter

Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi

Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this blockbuster 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.

Winner of the Reddit/Fantasy Award for Best Debut Fantasy Novel

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years. 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.

The Rage of Dragons launches a stunning and powerful debut epic fantasy series that readers are already calling "the best fantasy book in years."

The BurningThe Rage of Dragons

Critic reviews

"Expertly structured with a keen eye for action and character, The Rage of Dragons is a captivating epic heroic fantasy from a major new talent."—Anthony Ryan, author of Blood Song

"It may be cliche to say a book was impossible to put down, but well, dang it, this book was impossible to put down!... a rip-roaring good story."—Rick Riordan

"People ask the last book I couldn't put down, and I tell them The Rage of Dragons. The tension rises with every page until you fear it will break you in two."—Peter V. Brett, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Warded Man

"Winter's stunning debut fantasy epic is rich in complex characters and a well-wrought world with both European and African influences. ... This impressive series launch holds tremendous promise."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A unique military fantasy....The fast-paced action will have readers eager to follow Tau into the next book of this captivating epic."—Booklist (starred review)

"A refreshingly brutal and imaginative tale of survival and revenge. Evan Winter's battles are visceral, bloody masterpieces, and Tau's climb from exiled Lesser to legendary warrior is earned in a way few writers could hope to match."—David Dalglish, author of the Shadowdance Series

"The Rage of Dragons takes the best parts of epic fantasy and sets them in a refreshing and inventive new world, a gripping tale that makes clear the true cost of war and colonialism with one of the most enthralling hero's journeys I've read."—S. A. Chakraborty, author of City of Brass

"Winter's debut will draw strong comparisons to George R.R. Martin and Brandon Sanderson, and the strong African influences and ties create a singular, exciting epic with intriguing characters and culture. Readers will be clamoring for the next installment."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Compelling, expansive and rich. Winter has created an exciting and immersive world of magic, vengeance and wonder"—Micah Yongo, author of Lost Gods

"A Xhosa-inspired world complete with magic, dragons, demons and curses, The Rage of Dragons takes classic fantasy and imbues it with a fresh and exciting twist."—Anna Stephens, author of Godblind

"Wow. This book hits the ground with stunning action and danger, and it barely lets up as the pages fly by. I loved the African-influence culture, the unique use of dragons and demons, the complex martial and class hierarchy, and it has a magic system unlike anything I've seen before. What a terrific set up for a series!"—David Anthony Durham, author of The Acacia Trilogy

"Intense, inventive and action-packed from beginning to end - a relentlessly gripping, brilliant read."—James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

Gladiator meets lord of the rings

Great new world, lots of action. Epic Battles. Dragons and underworlds come together for a story and world like no other.

Unfolded in ways I couldn’t predict

Often when you stay in a genre for a long time, you begin to see what is coming. The protagonist and their story is laid out, the obstacles are introduced, and one can guess how it will resolve itself.

This book was not that way. It was constantly evolving in a way that made the tropes I thought would happen fall entirely away from the plot with much greater issues replacing them. I thought it was masterfully done.

outta left field! Great book.

I like . I can't remember how I ran across this book but I'm very glad I did

Battle for survival!

Evan Winter wrote a fantastic piece of work! The main character Tau fights an internal and external battle all the way through this book. The Narrator, Prentice Onayemi brings the story to life! It is interesting and full of action, mystery and enjoyable to listen to while driving or relaxing. Thanks for a great book!

Wow

Incredible beginning to a epic story. This book held me spellbound in same way Tolkien and Madeline Engle Earthsea trilogy and books like Dune and the others .

Best book in years.

Hidden gem. It has been a long time since I enjoyed an audio book this much.

The story I've been craving.

This story had everything I wanted. I will definitely read everything this author has to offer and will recommend this book to all of my friends who love to read.

Read it.

I found this book after researching new black authors. I unwittingly found my favorite (and most heartbreaking) book that I’ve read. The game of thrones comparisons are warranted but this book is beyond powerful. I’d write more but my words wouldn’t do it justice. In the meantime, I’ll be rereading it until the sequel comes out in November. Evan Winter, if you read this, thank you. It’s been years since I’ve been this invested in a new series and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for lesser Tao Solari.

Best Story I've Heard in a While

The author does an excellent job of building up the main character in a natural progression, and while maintaining the focus on the main character's immediate self/progression, provides enough clues to the larger world around him until the main character's problems merge with the larger problems. Excellent story writing. I'm sorry if this sounds a bit vague but I'm doing it on purpose so as to not offer any spoilers. Please read/listen.

solid 10/10

I got this book on a whim as I had finished another series, and could not be more surprised. This book surpassed all imaginations as to how good a book in the genre could be.