Author: Evan Winter
Publication Date: November 10th 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Find it on: Amazon, Goodreads
Synopsis
Desperate to delay an impending attack by the indigenous people of Xidda, Tau and his queen craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all-out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the ‘true’ Queen of the Omehi.
If the city can be taken, if Tsiora can reclaim her throne and reunite her people, then the Omehi might have a chance to survive the coming onslaught.
From Goodreads
Review
TLDR; Evan Winter has become one of my favorite authors in a short time, and is well deserving of the acclaim he’s received on his debut series
This second book in Evan Winter’s The Burning series is an intense sequel to the first, brimming with political intrigue, fierce battle scenes, continued exploration of their fascinating magic system, and of course dragons. After the stunning conclusion of the first book, The Rage of Dragons, Tau is driven to seek vengeance. Yet it’s a challenging time to be so singularly focused – now as one of the most powerful men of the Xidda people he has become a symbol of changing times. Battling with the rage inside, can he help lead and train those who need him most?
Queen Tsiora seeks to unite her people, convinced their gods themselves chose her for the task. She’s prepared to wage war to dethrone her sister whom she loves and feels is maneuvered by the enemy. But to what extent is she willing to go on this quest? Tsiora has a good heart and well meaning intentions but she needs support. Tau agrees to help Tsiora as her champion for the time being, but can he be trusted when his dark motivations blaze in his mind?
This was a fantastic read, and an excellent follow up to the first book! I may have even enjoyed it more. Since readers are already familiar with the basics of the world and magic system there’s more room to broaden the detail and drive a strong plot. This book did end in a huge hook for the next book, which is devastatingly not out yet. I had pre-ordered this second book immediately after finishing the first and you’ll be sure I’m doing the same for the next book once it’s available. Evan Winter has become one of my favorite authors in a short time, and is well deserving of the acclaim he’s received on his debut series (including Times’ 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time and NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2020). I highly recommend picking this up if you enjoy dragon and war based fantasy.
Renee Reviews 