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

[Mys_Trea]

[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 offering in the 9-part We Are Voulhire series. The author, Matthew Tysz, continues the journey of Galen, an upcoming blacksmith who heeded his late uncle’s call to travel to the land of Voulhire and take over from him as a respected forger. In this fast-paced sequel, we are introduced to interesting new characters who are based mostly in the industrious city of Virko, where cold ambition is the order of the day.

Lord Venden Hrelek is the smart and dynamic man who in his youth, founded the city of Virko. Having steered this once-empty town into an economic powerhouse, the lord is now old and has taken ill. New leadership is on the horizon. The mysterious Hans is the lord’s sole heir and a loner who fascinates himself with magic in his private time. The lord is wary of his son’s dark fancies and, fearful of the possible leadership it may fall into upon his death, he tries his best to do right by his beloved city whilst he is still alive.

I enjoyed how easily Matthew Tysz managed to weave this second book into the Voulhire story. The characters with which I was already acquainted not only stayed believable, but I could tell that their personalities were blossoming, and it was a pleasure to observe. I appreciated the new characters and how the plot evolves and becomes more intricate, showcasing yet another side to the Voulhire kingdom. The story is also very solid on its own and even if one has not read the previous book, it is still easy to understand the storyline. As it is a fantasy novel, magic plays an important role, but there are also powerful themes like friendship and spirituality. I felt that this made the book that much more thought-provoking and insightful.

Any lover of sci-fi fantasy can appreciate this read for the intriguing story that it is. I would not recommend it for young readers, as it contains profanity. The book contained no explicit mature content. I found the editing to be professionally done, as I noted no spelling or grammatical errors. My only critique is that I would love to come across more strong female characters, as so far those have been few and far between. This would add a refreshing layer to the story, however as I have only read two of a 9-part series, I am hopeful that I will enjoy more female presence as the story progresses.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars . I found nothing to dislike. The story is dark in all the right parts, funny when it should be, and gripping to the extent that I finished it in one sitting. I do not see my interest in this series waning any time soon, in fact, I am truly looking forward to my next rendezvous with the captivating kingdom of Voulhire and all its interesting inhabitants.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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