The Rage of Dragons, by Evan Winter

This book was busy making a name for itself in 2019, so when it popped up in my library, I decided to jump in and see what all the fuss was about. This “African” (the diversity of cultures in that continent make this a broad statement) based fantasy revolves around Tau, a young lower class man, who embarks on a quest to avenge the death of his father at the hands of some dastardly nobles. To do this, Tau must rise through the military ranks so he can challenge them to blood duels. The problem is, even if the first part of his plan comes to fruition, one of the advantages of noble blood is superior strength and speed. How Tau endeavours to solve this problem is very much part of the plot, but there is so much more to TROD than this. Also, it has dragons. Here’s my thoughts on this fine novel:

• The depth in the world-building is amazing – the caste system alone is worth the price of admission. Luckily, there’s a handy glossary at the back for you to peruse if (when) you become lost. The difference between the classes is well portrayed. Not only are the physical differences clearly detailed, but how the upper classes view the lower as little more than chattel is made very obvious
• The magic system is nicely done, as the various different mages have to tap in to their hell to draw on its power. This, as you can well imagine, is fraught with danger. Of course, in a militarized culture such as this one, there isn’t really an option to refuse your “calling”. Some of the abilities of the mages include getting soldiers to “hulk out,” and (my favourite) enervate, which sends enemies (and sometimes allies) into the demon zone temporarily, rendering them incapable of fighting 
• The plot has many strands, some of which are stronger than others. The basic plot, Tau rising through the ranks, is not dissimilar to many other books of this ilk, but there is a terrific secondary plot twist midway through that rattles Tau to his core, and leads him to question his motives
• Don’t get me wrong about the main plot. While it certainly has a whiff of “chosen one” about it, this is no Hogwarts-type plot. Instead, Tau’s toils in sweat and blood to make his way up the ranks, and the methods he stoops to achieve his goals threaten his very sanity, as well as his life. Remember he is of one of the weaker classes, and has to find a way to compete at the highest level
• The action scenes in this book, and there are many, are visceral and exciting, and all are different. Tau is the obvious hero, but he can’t do it on his own and the other people in his unit bring their own skills to the table – Tau is not the be all and end all. In fact, his fellow soldier Hadith, the brains of the operation, was probably my favourite character, and had his own motivations for striving for success.

Verdict

Easily one of the finest books I read in 2019, and by a debut author to boot. If you haven’t read it already, you should probably get on that. Oh yeah, did I mention there were dragons?