Review by ankit252 -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko

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ankit252
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Review by ankit252 -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko

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[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 is the second instalment in the We are Voulhire series by Matthew Tysz. The book is set in the city of Virko in the southern Voulhire, where politics and magic are quickly changing not only the fate of the city but also that of the nation.

Galen Bray has restarted his uncle’s business in Magnum Caelum, but most of the iron from the mining town of Alcovia is going to the capitalist city of Virko. To get a favourable amount of iron, Galen and his friends, Rowan and Demeritus, visit the ill Lord Venden. The last wish of the Lord of Virko, in which the trio get involved, causes a change in the power dynamics of the city and the nation.

I liked the complex characters that the author has created for the book. Apart from the characters who were introduced in the first book, there are many other characters such as Folcro, Kayden, Lord Dragan, Alabaster and the Eoidi, who add to the political and magical power struggles. Even the demon called Sod gets an interesting character arc. The conflict in ideologies and philosophies between different characters was engaging. I also liked the motif of control that each character expresses differently. The desire to control has motivated the actions of the King, Meldorath, Folcro, Kayden, Dragan, and Demeritus.

We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko continues the same narrative structure as the first book in the series. Galen’s chapters are narrated in the first-person and the other characters are shown from a third-person point of view. While I have liked the scheme, it might confuse other readers. It also continues directly from the events of the first book. Had I not read the first book, I would have missed a lot of details. I did not like that the very few female characters introduced in the book did not play an important role in the plot.

The book gets darker than its predecessor. The darkness can be experienced from the first chapter itself. I think it is suitable for mature readers. There is some use of profanity and indications of prostitution and the homosexual relationship between characters. However, intimate scenes are absent. The book could be enjoyed by those who are used to with dark fantasy.

The editing is professionally done. I could not find any error in the novel.

I would like to give the book 4 out of 4 stars because of the complex world and the myriad of interesting characters with different ideologies and motivations.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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