Review by Chali -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko

[Chali]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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We Are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko written by Matthew Tysz is the second book in the series, We Are Voulhire. In this story, we read about Virko, one of the most prosperous and prestigious cities in Voulhire. Lord Venden (Virko's leader) is ailing from an illness that puts his power-hungry son dangerously close to achieving his goal. A sudden change in the rules of government means he cannot inherit his father's seat. We bear witness to his machinations, crafted solely with the aim of him gaining power under whichever means. Will his sinister plans come to fruition? Then there is Galen, whose explorations lead him to Virko, right to Lord Valden's doorsteps. He undertakes a huge mission that is supposed to bring economic benefits to his seaport town. This comes to a sudden halt when his friend Demetrius accidentally unleashes untold evil upon Virko. They then have to stop it before irreversible damage is caused on unsuspecting citizens.

As was in the first book, there is a map of Voulhire and a link to a glossary at the start of the book. Tysz narrates in the third person through all characters, but Galen, whose story is done in his voice. The author overlooks the use of chapters. He instead names the sections after the character whose story is focused on. He has a genius way of slowly revealing the plot, maintaining the mystery, and at the same time feeding the reader's curiosity. There is a lot of satisfaction drawn from his fully-fledged characters. They all portray exactly what the author intends of them. For instance, Eiodi maintains his naive, gullible, and sometimes stupid element, until his unfortunate eventuality. The author leaves nothing to chance. The image of the gruesome war scenes will leave many remembering this story long after its completion.

I unashamedly rain all these praises on this well-deserved work of art because everything about it is perfect. I have nothing to complain about. The cover art communicates a vibe of a historical theme. The plot is timely, with a slow introduction that picks up exactly when the reader gets comfortable. The characters are well-developed, revealing all their qualities as expected. The editing is professionally done, with no typos or grammatical errors.

My rating is a whopping four out of four stars. I recommend the book to a mature crowd because of the graphic scenes and profanities I encountered.

Lovers of fantastical stories will be right at home with this one. Readers should be warned that the series contains nine books and that the stories are best enjoyed chronologically starting from book one.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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[Saint Bruno]

I read the first book of this series and found it fascinating too. Thanks for this insightful review and recommendation.

[Chali]

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