“They were good men, and the Ikessars took them from us. Before your father’s war, we had a Dragonlord who chose to wander the world instead of rule. And his father before him…” He spat again. “Shoddy rule after shoddy rule, and now this. Now you have the chance to prove to Jin-Sayeng we don’t need the bastards at all.”
My fingers tightened around the staff. “We don’t, Ozo. But this alliance was my father’s decision.”
“A sorry excuse for an alliance. I’ve never seen an alliance where the other party slinks away and refuses to do their part for half a decade. And if you do decide to go to the empire, what then? Do you know how corrupt their cities are? Their officials won’t help you. As far as they’re concerned, Jin-Sayeng is a land of penniless peasants, and they wouldn’t be wrong. And all you’ve got is that cracked halfblood adviser of yours, and Captain Nor. Nor’s Oren-yaro, at least—I don’t doubt her capabilities, but she’s not Agos.”
“Don’t start this, General. Not again.”
He lowered his sticks. “He was the best guard captain my army had produced, and you threw it all away for nothing. Don’t come running to me for help if you get in trouble.” He started to walk away.
“Not another step, General,” I said in a low voice.
“You’ve got a sword. Put me in my place if you want to stop me,” he snarled.
I dropped the staff and drew my sword.
He turned his head to the side and laughed. “Now what? Cut me down.”
“Don’t test me.”
“But I am,” he said, laughing. “I am, and you’re failing. You hesitate. You always do, pup, and I’m sure when the time comes, you’ll hesitate with him, too. Your lenience will be the death of us all.” With a wave of his hand, he walked off. If he was anyone else, I could’ve had him executed on the spot, but… he was still a lord. An elder. In many ways, his authority eclipsed mine.
My fingers trembled as I watched him disappear around the bend, the same way my husband had done all those years ago. War. The word twisted inside my gut. General Ozo had wanted it declared the eve of the coronation. War would bolster Oren-yaro rule… if we won it. We had the largest army in the land, but that meant nothing if the others united against us.
“Mother.”
A second voice, one that most days would have calmed me. Today, it filled me with dread. I sheathed my sword, wiped my face, and turned to my son.
“I heard what the general said,” Thanh breathed. He hesitated. “Is it true?”
“You really shouldn’t be eavesdropping on grown-ups.”
He cocked his head to the side, the way he always did when I called him out for things and he understood he’d done wrong, he’d just rather not dwell on it. I believe my father would’ve called it something like discourtesy. Defiance. I merely found it amusing. “But are you really going to see Father? You’re going to bring him back?”
Up until that moment, I hadn’t been sure what I was going to do. A part of me was inclined to set the letter aside. I had done it before. After Rayyel left, it took a whole month for his first letter to arrive. It was an angry letter, full of his misgivings about our relationship. I left it inside my desk, refusing to read the rest of it. I had hoped he would send another soon, that time would ease the anger, would allow us to speak without throwing barbed words at each other.
That soon became five years. The letter in my hands was his second.
“If I do go to Anzhao,” I said, “I can bring you back a book, or a falcon. I’ve heard they breed such beautiful falcons in Anzhao City. A white one, perhaps. And they have these little dogs…”
“I want my father,” Thanh said, his voice growing stern.
I stared at my son, at the way he held himself, firm jaw, straight back, more pride and dignity than most adults I’ve known. My beautiful boy, seven years old, aged by his father’s absence in a way I couldn’t have anticipated. I had watched him turn from that chubby-cheeked toddler calling impatiently for his papa to this calm, quiet child who could no longer recall his father’s face. Do you know what it feels like to see your son looking back at you, waiting for an answer that would soothe away those hurts, all those years of crying for his father in the night? To know that your words could crush his hopes and dreams in an instant? The boy could break me.
I held my breath and spoke before I could even really think it through. “So I will,” I said. “I’ll bring your father back, even if it’s against his will. I promise. We’ll be a family again.”
If they were lies, they were such beautiful lies. The rush of relief in his eyes sealed the deal.
Praise for THE RAGE OF DRAGONS
“Expertly structured with a keen eye for action and character, The Rage of Dragons is a captivating epic heroic fantasy from a major new talent.”
—Anthony Ryan, author of Blood Song
“The Rage of Dragons takes the best parts of epic fantasy and sets them in a refreshing and inventive new world, a gripping tale that makes clear the true cost of war and colonialism with one of the most enthralling hero’s journeys I’ve read.”
—S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
“People ask the last book I couldn’t put down, and I tell them The Rage of Dragons. The tension rises with every page until you fear it will break you in two.”
—Peter V. Brett, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Warded Man
“Winter’s stunning debut fantasy epic is rich in complex characters and a well-wrought world with both European and African influences.… This impressive series launch holds tremendous promise.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Intense, inventive, and action packed from beginning to end—a relentlessly gripping, brilliant read.”
—James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost
“A unique military fantasy.… The fast-paced action will have readers eager to follow Tau into the next book of this captivating epic.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“A refreshingly brutal and imaginative tale of survival and revenge. Evan Winter’s battles are visceral, bloody masterpieces, and Tau’s climb from exiled Lesser to legendary warrior is earned in a way few writers could hope to match.”
—David Dalglish, author of the Shadowdance series
“Winter’s debut will draw strong comparisons to George R. R. Martin and Brandon Sanderson, and the strong African influences and ties create a singular, exciting epic with intriguing characters and culture. Readers will be clamoring for the next installment.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Compelling, expansive, and rich. Winter has created an exciting and immersive world of magic, vengeance, and wonder.”
—Micah Yongo, author of Lost Gods
“A Xhosa-inspired world complete with magic, dragons, demons, and curses, The Rage of Dragons takes classic fantasy and imbues it with a fresh and exciting twist.”
—Anna Stephens, author of Godblind
“Wow. This book hits the ground with stunning action and danger, and it barely lets up as the pages fly by. I loved the African-influenced culture, the unique use of dragons and demons, the complex martial and class hierarchy, and it has a magic system unlike anything I’ve seen before. What a terrific set up for a series!”