This book review was part of a podcast discussion.
Listen to the episode here.
Are you bored of Western centric fantasy, then this is the book for you. This book is a wonderful dip into African culture and it was wonderfully refreshing. The Rage of Dragons follows Tau who loses everything he cares about and is driven to become the world’s best swordsman in a culture breed for war. While reading the book a fell things stood out to me. The first is the magic, next was the narrator, and finally the intrigue. The only thing I did not like was how limited Tau was during the novel.
The Omehi people are breed for war those who do not serve when able are treated like less then dirt. The magic of the world is similarly aimed to war. 1 in 100 men (mostly nobles) can turn into a giant killing monster while 1 in 2000 women has the ability to call dragons down on the enemy and send men to the underworld. I loved learning about the limits of the system and its true nature. The next thing that stood out to me was the narrator, Prentice Onayemi, his voice brought the characters to life and was smoothing even in the tensest moments. His narration brought everything together for me and made the experience ten times more enjoyable. The final thing that I loved about the books was unravelling all the lies that the Omehi government and people have told. I cannot go to much in-depth without spoiling stuff but it was a wild ride. The only real critic I have about the book was that Tau’s personality was rather limited. He was only one facet Rage. I feel like this could be intentional to should his commitment but I got bored with it around the midpoint of the book.
I could not put this book down and I am awaiting the sequel to unravel more of the secrets and lies that have been told to Tau. I highly suggest the audiobook if you are able because it is well worth it.
South Carolina
I am new podcaster who has been enjoying the fantasy genre for many, many… many years. I will read most any fantasy book but high and steampunk are my favorite subgenres.
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