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[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko" by Matthew Tysz.]

We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko is the second book in the We are Voulhire fantasy series by Matthew Tysz. Voulhire is going through a Golden age, a new era and the industrial city of Virko has been chosen to usher it in. Venden Hrelek the founder and lord of the city of Virko is dying and is determined to end noble sovereignty in Virko, in essence, introduce capitalism but his son Hans Hrelek may have some other plans for Virko.
Galen accompanied by his two new friends, Rowan and Demetrius are sent off to Virko to source iron by the Mayor of Magnum Caelum. The entire journey to Virko seems like a fun adventure at first but quickly takes a dark turn. 

"The only discipline the people of Virko observed was industry." - Page 11.  

Virko is the most hardworking and productive city of Voulhire, but there's a darkness that hovers above it powerful enough to destroy the city unless Galen, Rowan and Demetrius can stop the dark forces before it is unleashed on the unsuspecting people of Virko. 

I did like several things about this book. For instance, I loved the author's ability to explicitly project the emotions of the characters to the reader, the scene where the trio meets a demon is absolutely terrifying and very well written. The fear described there, is a living tangible thing and even the reader can feel it. This book is fast-paced, suspenseful and very intriguing, easily buttressing my appreciation of the first book. Matthew Tysz's great ability to paint imageries in the reader's mind is proven once again in this book.

The world-building and character developments are very impressive, we're introduced to new characters at almost every turn of the book but the descriptions of people and places are very well written and not skimpy on the details. 
I especially enjoyed seeing Virko from Galen's eyes and perspective once again but this time in place of the naive, wide-eyed, timid refugee from the Land of the Princes is a brave, courageous young man who slays demons and fights for the people of Virko. 

The only dislike I had was that there weren't any major female characters in the book. All the major characters portrayed in this book were males. While I can understand that this is a medieval fantasy book set in a time when women didn't have any crucial role in politics or society business, it still may not sit well with some readers just like it didn't with me.

However, while this book is very well written in terms of vocabulary and grammar, it's not recommendable for all readers. A lot of sensitive topics like violent murders, horrific tortures and rape are described explicitly in certain scenes. Moreover, the element of horror and darkness, which is a predominant theme in this book may not appeal to certain readers. Coupled with the lots of profanities and sexual undertones found, it definitely won't be suitable for younger readers. 

Nevertheless, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to all fans and lovers of science fiction, mystery and thriller. I found only one typographical error and I believe that this book was professionally and exceptionally well-edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars despite the negatives I noted because it was a real page-turner and I enjoyed reading it. 

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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I agree with the fact that female characters are scarce in the story. I hope it's different in other books in the series. Thanks for your review.

Ayora wrote: ↑30 Dec 2020, 13:43 I agree with the fact that female characters are scarce in the story. I hope it's different in other books in the series. Thanks for your review.

I really hope that changes in the next books too . Thanks for stopping by.

I love Tysz's writing, especially his fantastic method of visualization. I like a bit of darkness in the books I read, and his books always seem to satisfy that craving. He has an undeniable instinct for human nature and reactions to situations. Due to his tendency to sexualize female characters, I really don't mind that there aren't any in this book. I'll be adding this one to my (ever-expanding) reading list. Excellent review, thanks!

Kelyn wrote: ↑30 Dec 2020, 22:24 I love Tysz's writing, especially his fantastic method of visualization. I like a bit of darkness in the books I read, and his books always seem to satisfy that craving. He has an undeniable instinct for human nature and reactions to situations. Due to his tendency to sexualize female characters, I really don't mind that there aren't any in this book. I'll be adding this one to my (ever-expanding) reading list. Excellent review, thanks!

His tendency to sexualize female characters??? Woah!, didn't really notice that. Are you talking about some of his other books?

Ijay + wrote: ↑31 Dec 2020, 00:59

Kelyn wrote: ↑30 Dec 2020, 22:24 I love Tysz's writing, especially his fantastic method of visualization. I like a bit of darkness in the books I read, and his books always seem to satisfy that craving. He has an undeniable instinct for human nature and reactions to situations. Due to his tendency to sexualize female characters, I really don't mind that there aren't any in this book. I'll be adding this one to my (ever-expanding) reading list. Excellent review, thanks!

His tendency to sexualize female characters??? Woah!, didn't really notice that. Are you talking about some of his other books?

Yes, most specifically The Last City of America. The very first thing any male she is introduced to brings to attention (non-verbally of course) is her "ample bosom.)

Kelyn wrote: ↑31 Dec 2020, 14:46

Ijay + wrote: ↑31 Dec 2020, 00:59

Kelyn wrote: ↑30 Dec 2020, 22:24 I love Tysz's writing, especially his fantastic method of visualization. I like a bit of darkness in the books I read, and his books always seem to satisfy that craving. He has an undeniable instinct for human nature and reactions to situations. Due to his tendency to sexualize female characters, I really don't mind that there aren't any in this book. I'll be adding this one to my (ever-expanding) reading list. Excellent review, thanks!

His tendency to sexualize female characters??? Woah!, didn't really notice that. Are you talking about some of his other books?

Yes, most specifically The Last City of America. The very first thing any male she is introduced to brings to attention (non-verbally of course) is her "ample bosom.)

Oh, I understand your point now.

Thanks for sharing your opinion. It's true that there aren't many female characters in the first three books of the series, but there will be more in the sequels. Also, if you want strong and independent female characters, Tysz's other series, The Turn, can be a good choice .

Sou Hi wrote: ↑01 Jan 2021, 04:55 Thanks for sharing your opinion. It's true that there aren't many female characters in the first three books of the series, but there will be more in the sequels. Also, if you want strong and independent female characters, Tysz's other series, The Turn, can be a good choice .

Sure, I definitely check the series out. Thanks for stopping by.

Personally, this book wasn't so intriguing to me, but it was engaging. The issue of strong female characters is sorted in the sequels. I enjoyed reading your review.

Tarilan wrote: ↑05 Jan 2021, 14:31 Personally, this book wasn't so intriguing to me, but it was engaging. The issue of strong female characters is sorted in the sequels. I enjoyed reading your review.

Oh well, I'm glad the issue of female characters was sorted out, I'm looking forward to reading the next books then. Thanks for stopping by.

Seems to me like this book takes us to golden age of the industrial city of Virko. Thanks for your insightful review.

sanjus wrote: ↑07 Jan 2021, 10:58 Seems to me like this book takes us to golden age of the industrial city of Virko. Thanks for your insightful review.

Oh yes it does! thanks for stopping by yourself.