by Evan Winter
DETAILS:
Series: The Burning, Book One
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: March 10, 2020
Format: Paperback
Length: 523 pg.
Read Date: February 2-5, 2026
“The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve.”
Tau ran harder. He was not the strongest, the quickest, or the most talented, not by any measure. He knew this and knew he could not control this. However, he could control his effort, the work he put in, and there he would not be beaten.
He made a pact with himself, a pact he swore on his father’s soul. If he were asked to run a thousand strides, he would run two thousand. If he were told to spar three rounds, he would spar six. And if he fought a match to surrender, the man who surrendered would not be him. He would fight until he won or he died. There would be, he swore, no days without difficulty.
What’s The Rage of Dragons About?
Tau is a teenager who is destined for military service—like pretty much everyone in his nation. Tau’s advantage is his father’s tutelage as a swordsman. His father is training Tau’s higher-class friend and works Tau into the lessons.
Their nation, the Omehi, was driven from their ancestral home and took refuge in another land—and has spent every day since then combating the indigenous people for enough land to survive.
Several injustices are visited by people close to Tau, and then his father is struck down in a senseless fight—and those who did the killing (and ordered it) are protected by their status. Tau is not much more than a competent sword-fighter, but he commits himself to becoming skilled enough, powerful enough, to kill everyone involved in his father’s death.
The next few hundred pages tracks all of this learning and efforts toward that goal—the allies he makes, the many mistakes he makes, and the blood he spills along the way as his quest intersects with the Omehi’s war.
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
I started this because it was the Book Club pick for the month—and I was pretty curious, because I remember a lot of positive buzz when it was released years ago.
I kept at it because as frustrating Tau was—infuriatingly so, at times—I had to see what was going to happen to him. The broad brushstrokes of the plot were pretty obvious—it was a question of how he got to the point of “greatest living warrior.” Did he have allies left? Had he changed his worldview? Did he actually get any of the vengeance he set out for? Did he become some sort of monster along the way? Did he pick up any kind of wisdom?
Also, it’d just been a while since I’d read a fantasy novel with a bunch of action—and I tell you what, this is so far beyond “a bunch of action.” This was a big brick of adrenaline, and there’s no chance to think about stopping.
A Portrait of Monomania
Single-minded is an understatement when it comes to Tau. Where a lot of people will talk about devoting themselves to revenge, or justice, or a new business. But other than Bruce Wayne before he returns to Gotham, we’ll see them relax with a friend, take time for pleasure in something, and take care of themselves. Tau, on the other hand, literally has to be ordered to bathe; he eats and sleeps just enough to keep going—other than that, from waking to sleep, he’s working. His work ethic (obsession) reminded me of Adam Lowe, the Olympic Long Jumper from Running and Jumping by Steven Kedie, just more intense.
Where Adam is so focused on a millimeter or two of distance for the record—always just a little further, a little faster, Tau looks for just a little bit of edge when it comes to combat. And then a little more, and a little more, and then a little more. He’s destroying himself in the process of becoming what he demands of himself—and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now, those of his fighting unit (“Scale”) are not unlike Tau—they’ve lost family members, they’re of the lowest caste—without a real opportunity to make anything of themselves to support their family if not as warriors (and even then, it’s not that much of an opportunity). They want all the things that Tau does—and more. But they’re not willing to give up as much, to deny themselves as much, to push themselves as much. They’d love the opportunity to help Tau, to be a team for him—to take part of his burdens on their shoulders, and have them do the same for him. But he’s so…obstinately focused on his vengeance that he doesn’t pay them the heed he should.
For example, one of his Scale is a solid tactician and could really help Tau with patience, subtlety, a plan. Tau’s idea of subtle is not shouting a battle cry before he attacks; a plan for him is knowing which sword he’s going to use first against you. That’s not true—he comes up with several plans throughout the book—and then abandons them at the first opportunity for a wild impulse to come along.
The Non-Tau Elements of the Book
If it sounds like I’m down on Tau, I’m really not. He’s an impetuous hot-head, but you can’t help rooting for him (as you keep wanting some sense to get knocked into him). But, it’s really good that he’s surrounded by characters who aren’t exasperating—and for the most part, are the kind of characters you’d typically want to focus on. The others in his Scale, his commanders, his love interest, his childhood friend, even some of the men he’s trying to kill are just really good, even fantastic characters—there’s even at least one Xiddeen that I enjoyed getting to know (as angry as I was with her for who she killed).
The magic system, the government of the Omehi, the way they control dragons (although I want to see them burn by dragonfire for it), the mysterious Cull that drove the Omehi from their land…all of that—utterly fascinating, so rich, frequently so unlike things we’re not used to seeing in Fantasy.
And really, you remove Tau from the equation and leave everything else—and Winter’d have the making of a pretty decent Fantasy novel/series. But when you mix in the living weapon that is Tau to the mix? Then you get something epic.
So, what did I think about The Rage of Dragons?
This is deep, this is rich, this is thoughtful—and it’s non-stop action. How Winter pulls off that trick is something you’d have to study this for yourself to really understand. But he does it.
I haven’t actually said it yet, but the combat scenes—either in training, or real combat—or the giant battle scenes? Some of the best I can recall. If it weren’t for Michael Michel, I’d probably say I couldn’t remember the last time I’d read some that were so good.
The Rage of Dragons hits all the marks you want in a Fantasy novel—characters, magic, setting, combat, a struggle between nations/peoples that’s a scale almost to hard to comprehend, an intricate social structure, and the promise of more of all of that in the books to come. Oh, and dragons. Can’t overlook them!
If you haven’t picked this up yet, you’re going to want to. If you have—you’ll understand my excitement about this. I’m eager to find a way to work the second book into my schedule this year—and I heartily suggest you find a spot for The Rage of Dragons.
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