The main character in the entire series is Tau. 'It's very important for me to find some level of truth in the story that I'm telling. 'Now, as I'm trying to get into the deeper sociopolitical issues that contribute to the warlike nature of all that's happening, the violence and the cycles of violence, I'm leaning more heavily on looking at academic papers or intellectual thought - so that I can hopefully express it in the narrative in a way that feels very real to how things actually work in our world.' I could draw on my own history, having grown up in Africa. 'In the beginning, the story was a bit more personal and I could draw on my own experiences. It takes elements from our world, of course -it's almost impossible for me to imagine something so completely divorced from what we all know and how we exist. What I'm finding is that, as I move into book two and in book three, which I'm writing right now as part of the four book series, I'm doing more and more research.

'There's a very rigid and overt caste system that plays a big part in sort of how people are viewed - and who has power and who does not.

'But at the same time, there are deep magics in this sort of universe that certain characters can access. It takes elements from our world, of course - it's almost impossible for me to imagine something so completely divorced from what we all know and how we exist. Winter spoke with The Next Chapter about writing the fantasy series. CBC Books named Winter a 2020 writer to watch and The Rage of Dragons was on the Canada Reads 2020 longlist. The latest in the series, The Fires of Vengeance, the main protagonist Tau and his Queen prepare for battle as they have to protect the capital and the Indigenous people of Xidda. It is the first book in a planned series. The self-published book was a bestseller and was acquired and re-released by Orbit Books as part of a four-book deal. In his first fantasy novel, The Rage of Dragons, a world with an African-inspired setting is caught in an eternal war - and the book's main protagonist, Tau, is his people's only hope for survival.ĭescribed as a mix of Game of Thrones and Gladiator, The Rage of Dragonsfollows Tau as he attempts to get revenge and become the greatest swordsman to ever live. This episode originally aired on March 20, 2021.Įvan Winter is an author based in Markham, Ont.

Evan winter the rage of dragons