The Burning

#324.33 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking

Books 2 books Status Ongoing 2017–present Reading commitment Low Evan Winter Last reviewed 2026-08-11

Overview

An African-inspired epic fantasy trilogy centered on the caste-bound Omehi people, their dragon-mounted warfare, and a young man's fight to rise through a rigidly stratified society.

Epic fantasy · For Adult

Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking

The Burning Evan Winter

WorkYearCanonRating
Cover of The Rage of DragonsThe Rage of Dragons2017core4.30 (49,997 ratings)
Cover of The Fires of VengeanceThe Fires of Vengeance2020core4.38 (23,583 ratings)

New author record. An African-inspired epic fantasy trilogy (the Omehi people's caste-bound, dragon-mounted warfare); no Hugo/Nebula/World Fantasy/Locus/British Fantasy recognition was found for either published book, but TIME named The Rage of Dragons one of its '100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time' (2020) and it was longlisted for CBC's Canada Reads (2020) -- both noted here in prose as critical-reception signals, not registered as AWD rows (neither is a genre-fiction literary award). Core = the 2 published books only; the trilogy's concluding volume, The Lord of Demons, is announced for October 6, 2026 but not yet published as of the latest update -- isn't counted here yet. In progress.

Quick answers

Why is it ranked #32?

Ranked #32 of 664 ranked universes.

How the ranking works →

Why explore this universe?

Top-tier rated · 2 books · Ongoing · 74k ratings · Ranks #32 overall

Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment epic fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.

Reading order

Publication order (2 Core Canon books)

  1. The Rage of Dragons (2017)
  2. The Fires of Vengeance (2020)

Awards (verified)

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Suggestions computed from what The Burning and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.

Official resources

Research details

Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.33 across 73,580 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.

How do we know this?

Admission: Run 6: 3 admissions -- The Well at the World's End, The Dandelion Dynasty, The Burning accepted 2026-08-11

Sources: (see source tier definitions)

Last reviewed: 2026-08-11

Rule: Core = the 2 published books (2017, 2020); in progress. The Lord of Demons (book 3) is announced for October 6, 2026 but not yet published as of this admission -- not registered per Article 2.

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