The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
gkaltam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and War
moberndaseball's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
only 4 stars bc it was difficult to continue at certain points since the story is told from the POV of colonizers. i really hope that later in the series there will be some sort of acknowledgement of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
Moderate: Genocide
rob's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Epic quotes from this book:
Life is nothing more than moments in time. To achieve greatness, you have to give up those moments. You have to give your life to your goal.
The wars you'll wage, aren't decided when you fight them. They're decided before that, by the extent of your efforts, and the substance of your sacrifices.
Evan Winter might be my new favorite author! The Rage of Dragons has set a new bar, it redefines what a 5 star rating is for me. I might just go back and lower the score on my other 5 star reads.
This book is a surprising source of inspiration.It was shockingly emotional for me when Tao realized that no amount of training would bring him to his goal. That his trainer lied when he said anything was possible. Tao's response, both in words and in action, showed a level of determination I'd never before seen. When working on a challenging task, pushing myself on a hard run, or lifting heavy weights in the gym, I find myself thinking, "Would Tao quit?"
Evan Winter might be my new favorite author! The Rage of Dragons has set a new bar, it redefines what a 5 star rating is for me. I might just go back and lower the score on my other 5 star reads.
This book is a surprising source of inspiration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Gore, Blood, and Death of parent
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was not easy to get into and made me question why I even like fantasy or plot-driven books — bc goddamn is this book action-driven, we don't get actual plot until 80% in ðŸ˜. Anyway, I came so close to dnfing so many times bc I was not caring about the invasive Omehi or Tau and his journey but I kept reading positive reviews and I didn't want to start another book so I committed and hell yeah it paid off. After 84 years I finished this but what a chaotic treat it eventually was! Tau's journey is frenetic as hell and you really start rooting for him. Narrative-wise the book is one huge fight/training sequence after another with a few tidbits of world building info scattered throughout which can be very off putting and frustrating if you're a more character- and plot-driven reader who wants extensive and intensive world building writing and dialogue, which I've realized I now am, to some extent. Like teenage, early 20s me would've loved every single action-packed packed sequence with little plot and inner monologue and unpolished character development but now I need all that in equal measure and this book doesn't fully deliver in that front. Or maybe I still dig this type of writing as is but in shorter doses, this book would've been great if it were 200 pages fewer. Anyway, this book begs to be adapted to the screen, especially as an anime bc the visuals of the Ingonyama and the Enragers, the Gifted, and the nonstop training and fighting sequences would really shine in that medium. In the end the book is an enthralling fantasy ride and I'm glad to have stuck to it. This book does suffer from the "read the sequel if you MUST know more" style of writing and I'm not sure if I'm rushing to read the follow-up. I have to sit with my feelings for a few days but Tau is so badass (there's a point he channels Ip Man, bruh lmao) that maybe I wanna stick around and see where he goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Violence, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fatphobia
decembermagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
blacksphinx's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Death of parent, War, Violence, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual content and Vomit
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
emi_book_stack's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Death, and War
murphysmate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Lots and lots of fight scenes, but otherwise very good, with a great magic system, and a different universe to most fantasy books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, Death, War, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
_forestofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
If you enjoy a frustratingly stupid main character who has no character growth and a book with a lot of training montages, you might like this book.
I however, did not enjoy my time reading this.Â
The pacing started out slow, revved up and got interesting then slowed down until the last 100 pages or so. The characters, including Tau are fairly one dimensional and none of them are given the time or tlc to make me care about any of them, which really is a shame because a few of them had such interesting introductions, but the author did nothing with them.Â
The plot is a typical revenge fantasy, but because that's not enough apparently the author added in a colonizer vs colonized war plot that came in at the last second to delay the actual revenge plot. The fact that the people that you are supposed to be rooting for are the colonizing force that started the war is hardly touched on until the last 100 pages.Â
The world building is interesting, but a lot of it is just set dressing for the training montages and skirmishes. About 85% of the book is just that; battles and training then more battles and more training etc. For a book called Rage of DRAGONS there sure is a lack of dragons.
Now onto the personal issues: the book has a society that is Matriarchal, but the only really important recurring female character is Tau's lover who really just served to move the plot forward and to be an expositional device. The only other important female character is the Queen who is just talked about but doesn't appear until near the conclusion of the book. There are a lot of lines that are said by soldiers or thought by Tau that are casually sexist or just generally disrespectful towards women, this bothered me since the book already is very male centric despite it having a society where women supposedly hold all the power. Historically women are marginalized, but this is a FANTASY book and I really don't understand why fiction authors especially in fantasy, keep mirroring their societies on the real world, when they coul literally do anything they want. Like, for example, not demeen women.Â
Another issue was the malicious and colonizing nature of the Omehi. They are the aggressors and also built a classist society and are constantly seen as Gifted by their Goddess and are right to be doing the horrible things they do. The classism is such an interesting conversation but everytime the author got close to really diving into that, he'd change the subject by having Tau do something stupid.
Honestly, the absolute stupidity and lack of awareness of Tau was the main reason this rating is so low. Having an unlikable MC is fine, but stupidity I can't tolerate. He never learns from his mistakes, has no regard for people's lives even, and especially the people he supposedly cares for. And he does so many things that, by the laws of the society he lives in, should get him killed on the spot, yet he somehow just gets away with it?
(Side rant: for a book filled with detailed gore and violence and literal child murder, the fake/made up curse words are a strange choice. Like cursing is where the author draws the line but graphic body horror is totally fine?)
This entire story was frusrating and uninteresting. Nothing was explored, all of the characters were forgettable to me, and Tau was so painful the read. I will read book two because I paid money for it, and I hope, given my low expectations, that I will like it.
I however, did not enjoy my time reading this.Â
The pacing started out slow, revved up and got interesting then slowed down until the last 100 pages or so. The characters, including Tau are fairly one dimensional and none of them are given the time or tlc to make me care about any of them, which really is a shame because a few of them had such interesting introductions, but the author did nothing with them.Â
The plot is a typical revenge fantasy, but because that's not enough apparently the author added in a colonizer vs colonized war plot that came in at the last second to delay the actual revenge plot. The fact that the people that you are supposed to be rooting for are the colonizing force that started the war is hardly touched on until the last 100 pages.Â
The world building is interesting, but a lot of it is just set dressing for the training montages and skirmishes. About 85% of the book is just that; battles and training then more battles and more training etc. For a book called Rage of DRAGONS there sure is a lack of dragons.
Now onto the personal issues: the book has a society that is Matriarchal, but the only really important recurring female character is Tau's lover who really just served to move the plot forward and to be an expositional device. The only other important female character is the Queen who is just talked about but doesn't appear until near the conclusion of the book. There are a lot of lines that are said by soldiers or thought by Tau that are casually sexist or just generally disrespectful towards women, this bothered me since the book already is very male centric despite it having a society where women supposedly hold all the power. Historically women are marginalized, but this is a FANTASY book and I really don't understand why fiction authors especially in fantasy, keep mirroring their societies on the real world, when they coul literally do anything they want. Like, for example, not demeen women.Â
Another issue was the malicious and colonizing nature of the Omehi. They are the aggressors and also built a classist society and are constantly seen as Gifted by their Goddess and are right to be doing the horrible things they do. The classism is such an interesting conversation but everytime the author got close to really diving into that, he'd change the subject by having Tau do something stupid.
Honestly, the absolute stupidity and lack of awareness of Tau was the main reason this rating is so low. Having an unlikable MC is fine, but stupidity I can't tolerate. He never learns from his mistakes, has no regard for people's lives even, and especially the people he supposedly cares for. And he does so many things that, by the laws of the society he lives in, should get him killed on the spot, yet he somehow just gets away with it?
(Side rant: for a book filled with detailed gore and violence and literal child murder, the fake/made up curse words are a strange choice. Like cursing is where the author draws the line but graphic body horror is totally fine?)
This entire story was frusrating and uninteresting. Nothing was explored, all of the characters were forgettable to me, and Tau was so painful the read. I will read book two because I paid money for it, and I hope, given my low expectations, that I will like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Classism, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, and Sexism
revenant_tomato's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, and Violence