The Rage of Dragons (The Burning, #1)

by Evan Winter

I expected way too much of this book due to the hype. It was just not as good as people say it was. It is a pretty basic revenge story with an unlikable main character. Ok, that's not fair. He is likable but frustrating and you probably won't agree with anything he does. But this book does nothing groundbreakingly new. Personally I would say that this is the fantasy YA version of Red Rising with gore and a lot of detailed fighting. The plot twists were almost non-existent because they have been done before. And I know this book isn't YA. I would personally say that it falls into the same category as A Darker Shade of Magic and other adult books that are really accessible for YA readers due to a simpler writing style. Of course, there are exceptions, but generally speaking. And this is honestly a good thing.
Evan Winter writes simple but powerful. I didn't want to put this book down. Not because of the story (which is also good but not that special), but because of the way he writes.
While I wasn't a huge fan of this book, I will definitely read the second installment when it comes out and won't give up on this series.