Review by alexandralarion -- We are Voulhire: The Fires ...
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alexandralarion
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- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End by Matthew Tysz
Review by alexandralarion -- We are Voulhire: The Fires ...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko" by Matthew Tysz.]
4 out of 4 stars
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When Lord Venden Hrelek finds a vast but infertile land, called “The Auburn Planes”, he takes the opportunity to transform the place into an industrial power named Virko. Decades later, he wants to eliminate feudalism and replace it with capitalism, adjustment that would put merchants in charge of the city. Some noblemen, including his son, are not in favor of this plan. Sadly, Lord Venden is now on his deathbed and his son is in charge of his estate. He has different ideas for the future of the city, plans that are going to be enforced with the help of a demon bound to the estate. While Lord Venden is desperately trying to stop his son’s evil scheme, Galen and his friends arrive in Virko looking for iron and chaos ensues.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies is the second book of the We are Voulhire Series, written by Matthew Tysz. The author doesn’t give any details about the previous book, so for a better understanding the reader should start by reading the first book in order to get a grasp on the characters and events. Unlike the first book, the second one is a little slow-paced in the beginning, but I think it was necessary because, in this way, the author paints a detailed portrait of the city of Virko and its inhabitants, picture that is going to help the reader understand better the development of the following events.
Matthew Tysz kept the main themes from the first book, this one still being a fantasy story filled with adventure and magic, having as characters lords and warriors. What changed is the addition of several dark topics: demons proliferate in this book and scenes of rape, torture and mass killing are recurrent. This modification is what makes the book suitable for adult readers only. It approaches subjects as science, religion, magic and politics, the author drawing a parallel between this world and the real one with the inclusion of some elements, like the Eiodi and the Heius priests, who correspond to the Roman Catholic pope and cardinals, or the Diadem and the Vilendrians, reminiscing of the Vatican and the Swiss Guards. The new factor is the combination of religion and the usage of magic.
What I enjoyed the most about this book is that, unlike the previous one, this one focused not only on the events but also showed some development in the characters’ personalities. For example, Galen is starting to get used to the lifestyle in Voulhire, he becomes more confident and starts to make decisions that are affecting not only him but also his friends. Rowan doesn’t resemble the arrogant character he used to be in the first book, this time paying attention to the people around him and listening to other opinions. The writer shows how far men are willing to go to keep what they think is their entitlement. They would even sell their soul to keep enjoying the earthly pleasures. Even though the demons attacked Virko in the end, it was the men who set them free only as an attempt to keep their power over the city.
I will give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was extremely well written and really well edited, which made me enjoy it even more. The plot is intriguing, the story is thrilling and the characters have such distinctive personality traits that make the reader want to understand them better and to see more of them. I would recommend this book to any adult reader who enjoys a good fantasy novel with a touch of magic. If you are sensitive to some explicit themes or violence, maybe this book is not suitable for you.
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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
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When Lord Venden Hrelek finds a vast but infertile land, called “The Auburn Planes”, he takes the opportunity to transform the place into an industrial power named Virko. Decades later, he wants to eliminate feudalism and replace it with capitalism, adjustment that would put merchants in charge of the city. Some noblemen, including his son, are not in favor of this plan. Sadly, Lord Venden is now on his deathbed and his son is in charge of his estate. He has different ideas for the future of the city, plans that are going to be enforced with the help of a demon bound to the estate. While Lord Venden is desperately trying to stop his son’s evil scheme, Galen and his friends arrive in Virko looking for iron and chaos ensues.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies is the second book of the We are Voulhire Series, written by Matthew Tysz. The author doesn’t give any details about the previous book, so for a better understanding the reader should start by reading the first book in order to get a grasp on the characters and events. Unlike the first book, the second one is a little slow-paced in the beginning, but I think it was necessary because, in this way, the author paints a detailed portrait of the city of Virko and its inhabitants, picture that is going to help the reader understand better the development of the following events.
Matthew Tysz kept the main themes from the first book, this one still being a fantasy story filled with adventure and magic, having as characters lords and warriors. What changed is the addition of several dark topics: demons proliferate in this book and scenes of rape, torture and mass killing are recurrent. This modification is what makes the book suitable for adult readers only. It approaches subjects as science, religion, magic and politics, the author drawing a parallel between this world and the real one with the inclusion of some elements, like the Eiodi and the Heius priests, who correspond to the Roman Catholic pope and cardinals, or the Diadem and the Vilendrians, reminiscing of the Vatican and the Swiss Guards. The new factor is the combination of religion and the usage of magic.
What I enjoyed the most about this book is that, unlike the previous one, this one focused not only on the events but also showed some development in the characters’ personalities. For example, Galen is starting to get used to the lifestyle in Voulhire, he becomes more confident and starts to make decisions that are affecting not only him but also his friends. Rowan doesn’t resemble the arrogant character he used to be in the first book, this time paying attention to the people around him and listening to other opinions. The writer shows how far men are willing to go to keep what they think is their entitlement. They would even sell their soul to keep enjoying the earthly pleasures. Even though the demons attacked Virko in the end, it was the men who set them free only as an attempt to keep their power over the city.
I will give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was extremely well written and really well edited, which made me enjoy it even more. The plot is intriguing, the story is thrilling and the characters have such distinctive personality traits that make the reader want to understand them better and to see more of them. I would recommend this book to any adult reader who enjoys a good fantasy novel with a touch of magic. If you are sensitive to some explicit themes or violence, maybe this book is not suitable for you.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End by Matthew Tysz
