Review by Jane Eyre -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko

[Jane Eyre]

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

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Lord Venden the founder of one of the greatest capitalist merchant cities of Virko in the kingdom of Voulhire is dying not just leaving behind a city on the verge of change where ambitions run high and loyalties run low but also a recluse of a son who seems more interested in shutting himself with books in his chambers than is in the changing political dynamics of the city governed by his father. But is that who he is or is he hiding something sinister behind that facade?

The book starts in a stale autumn afternoon between the oaks of the Virken Wood where a red-headed maiden is pleading with the knights who abducted her with the sole intention of subjecting her to their cruel demonic uncouth self and debasing her. Her cries it seemed fell on deaf ears until someone arrives welding magic and giving her hope. But should she really be hopeful?

What really is fascinating about this book is that it is the second book in the We are Voulhire series by Matthew Tysz but could be considered a stand alone. There are instances where one feels lost, but the author has done a tremendous job in making the reader familiar with every character's essence and since it is set in an entirely different city than the last one with a different set of magnificent characters, it works beautifully. This not to say that you won't be seeing some of your favorite characters from the previous book make an appearance and shake things up because they will. Also, it's truly amazing how the author captivates his audience with his unique writing style and his extremely vivid descriptions of the land that is easy to get lost into. But you shouldn't worry about that cause the book contains a map of the land for all of us who like to know the lay of land.

What bothered me the most about this book was its lack of strong female characters. It, in my opinion, could have benefited by such a character's presence, and it would have been fun to see where the story took her. Also, since the book is narrated in both the first and third person I was expecting a bit more clarity in terms of storyline where I felt a bit let down. The book has a tendency to offer too many perspectives which honestly is confusing.

We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko is the second book in the We are Voulhire series by Matthew Tysz. The series is based in a fantasy land that is Kingdom of Voulhire, where an old evil is beginning to rise in its head and where science tempts and faith heals, demons dance and mysteries entice and where things are about to go haywire.

As I only found some inconsequential typos which led me to think that the book was professionally edited. Also, This book contains profanities, instances with violence which are truly horrific in nature making it a really unsuitable read for sensitive people and young teens. The book also has a religious aspect to it, but I doubt that anyone can be bothered by its presence.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars as it really was a fantastic read. The description of the land and the characters is quite otherworldly and the mistakes are really not even worth mentioning.

******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[markodim721]

I think Tysz did a great job devising an entire civilization. Otherwise, the relations between the parties in the series remind me of European politics.