I’ve read and reviewed more than 400 fantasy books now, and my instincts scream that The Fires of Vengeance has efficaciously proven Evan Winter as a future big-name in the fantasy genre. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, an exceptional sequel that succeeded over its incredible predecessor. The characterizations are better, the stakes are higher, the scales of the battles are bigger, and the devastations inflicted are grimmer. The Fires of Vengeance is being released next month in November alongside other future best-selling books in the epic fantasy genre like Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, The Burning God by Rebecca Kuang, Call of the Bone Ships by R.J. Barker, The Stone Knife by Anna Stephens, and several more. I’m confident in saying that you would be giving yourself a massive disservice if you decided to skip on this in favor of the others. Instead, here’s a better option, buy/borrow and read them all. Consider November as a celebratory month to treat yourself, and consume this absorbing story about war, resistance, camaraderie, and justice. The Fires of Vengeance is the second instalment in The Burning, by Evan Winter. So far, this series is what I would call a masterpiece. I enjoy most books, but rarely do I have no complaint at all. The Firs of Vengeance accompanies The Rage of Dragons in providing a perfect reading experience for me. First off, I once again want to commend Karla Ortiz on the artwork she has created that adorns the covers of this series. I thought she could not top the beautiful art she did for The Rage of Dragons, but I like the cover for Fires of Vengeance even better and can honestly say that it would make me buy this book even knowing nothing about it. It’s gorgeous and I would not be lying in saying I am overly excited to see the remaining two covers! All in all, I have to admit that main characters really grew on me in this sequel and I cannot wait to find out how will their story continue in the next instalment. Highly recommended!

This story is epic in every sense of the word. The world expands organically as our protagonists are forced to find new and creative ways to defeat their enemies. I loved learning more about the Cull, the history of the Omehi people, and the realm of Isihogo. Every snippet, every single piece of information that was given had me more intrigued and invested in the story as I went along. The rest of the cast is solid as well, whether it be Jabari or Uduak or the newcomers of Auset and Ramia. I’m sorry to hear about your father’s passing... I can’t begin to imagine the grief; but I do hope that, as time goes on, your memories of him begin to bring more joy, than sorrow—from your dedication, he sounded like a great man.Fair warning, what I write here will undoubtedly sound more negative than I intend. The book was enjoyable for the most part, but there were a handful of elements that seriously detracted from my experience. I said it in the first review and ill say it again. i love the way Tau's story is told. it's so focused on him that the pacing is never bogged down with worldbuilding. He is doing impossible feats and never really takes time to think about them. their is so much happening around him. the worldbuilding is placed around him seamlessly. Winter's does not harp on every detail. It is told to Tau and the reader discovers the rest. I read many books where the author is so enamored with their worldbuilding or magic system they won't shut up about it and what makes the story unique is it's downfall. the side character, politic, and war are all thing happening around Tau. but not the focus, still intrigues the reader. I'll give an example to those who have read this. there is a POV change to the queen's sister and i found it interesting her focus was mostly on Tau but really made me wonder what was her deal. there is a great story there! there are a few POV changes and i found them all good albeit short and they left me wanting to know more. certainly gave me something other than Tau's spectacular storyline to sink my teeth in! Fires of Vengeance" took everything I loved from Rage of Dragons and amplified it. Similar to the Rage of Dragons, it is mainly told from Tau’s point of view with entries from other supporting characters (Duma’s POV made me cry). The story maintains its riveting fast pace with addicting fight scenes and humorous moments between the dark setting. Now the Queen’s Champion, Tau is now tasked with more than simply training to get his revenge, he now has to navigate the politics of the Noble Omehi people. Here, his status as a lesser is not inconspicuous and he is reminded by those involved that he is not worthy of his title. I can smile and talk as sweet as cane sugar. I can follow every rule you’ll ever make, and it will never be good enough for people like you, because people like you don’t see me as people.” I could see why the author did this since it seems like he has a larger than originally expected story to tell. The next minor grievances I have are with certain characters and how they were treated. I didn’t like the introduction of Tau’s mother at all. I feel like the character to be introduced should have been his sister as it could open different avenues of character development. Kana’s complete 180 as a character just felt wrong with how deep it went, where any sympathy I had disappeared.

As I was writing Fires, my father passed away, and going through that pain and loss was the most difficult thing I’ve had to do in all my life. I wasn’t anywhere near normal for an entire year after his passing and that alone was enough to make the experience of writing these two books vastly different. I wrote Rage just for me, while hoping that a few other people might care. I also wrote Fires for me, but it was now also for so many other people too, and one of those people is my father. The Fires of Vengeance is dedicated to him. Tau,” she said, and Goddess wept, the emotion she put into saying his name felt real and warm and kind. “You are enough.” Evan Winter proves that he is here to stay. The Rage of Dragons was my favorite debut novel of all time, not an easy act to follow up. But damm Evan Winter did it. The first thing I want to focus on is our main POV character Tau. Tau was my favorite part of the first book. His relentless determination, single minded focus on revenge, and incredible drive made him very compelling. For all that Tau was very compelling in the first book, he also felt somewhat one dimensional at times because how extreme his focus was. I don’t mean this as a criticism of The Rage of Dragons. It made complete sense that Tau would be who he was in the first book. His wounds were fresh and he was a very broken, hurting character. In The Fires of Vengeance we get more nuanced character development from Tau. He is still very driven, but he developes other motivations throughout this book that make him even more interesting to follow. He even begins to heal a little bit throughout the narrative as he grows close to those around him and begins to believe in something greater than himself and his own revenge.

Tau’s desire for vengeance is a driving force for this tale, but I love that Winter has provided extra layers that make this more than just a story for revenge. It shows the rifts in friendships, combats social constructs and offers a multifaceted story that is not simply Good VS Bad. Tau now has increased responsibilities as champion of Queen Tsiora. He continues to seek revenge, but must make compromises to maintain his role. He is faced with a whole new set of trials and tribulations, as he must either prioritise his duty, or his revenge. He continues to be a fantastic central character who acts as the almost continuous perspective.