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

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 28 Feb 2021, 09:49

[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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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko is the second book in the We are Voulhire Series by Matthew Tysz.

At the beginning of the book, we learn that Lord Eldus had sent a proposal for the mayor of Magnum Caelum. Lord Eldus was planning to instruct Alcovia to send them iron to produce weapons and armor in exchange for food. However, soon after the proposition was delivered to the mayor, news of Lord Eldus and his family’s slaughter reached Magnum Caelum. Thus, to help Magnum Caelum get a chance to become an artisan town, Galen and his companions venture to Virko instead to obtain iron for the forge. Once in Virko, Demetrius gets an inkling that something evil is going on. Taking it upon himself to cleanse the evil he senses, Demetrius refuses to go back to Magnum Caelum, leaving Galen and Rowan no choice but to stay with him.

The story mainly focuses on the events that take place in Virko. Here, citizens do not care much for religion, magic, or science; the only thing that means anything to anyone in Virko is the industry. Among the many characters we are introduced to, Hans Hrelek and Kayden Morgan are the ones to take note of as they are some of the most important people in this book. In my opinion, a flaw of this series is that it tends to introduce many characters simultaneously, making it difficult for readers to keep up. Because of this, I had difficulties remembering those who did not show up frequently, which interrupted my reading experience.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. However, I can say that I enjoyed the first book more in comparison to this one. It is also a bit frustrating that the series’s plot is still unclear, considering that this is already the second book. Additionally, I think it would have been more enjoyable if we were given a clue about how Galen is connected to the other ongoing events since he is the protagonist.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy this book, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. What I like most is that Tysz makes his characters three-dimensional. My favorite part of the book is the scene where we see that Lord Meldorath is not as cold and unfeeling as he is made out to be, and we are given a glimpse of his thought process.

I did not stumble upon any errors, and it seems that the book was professionally edited. Thus, I gladly award this book 4 out of 4 stars. Compared to the first book, We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko stepped up the level of its intensity in terms of its descriptions. I want to put a trigger warning here for mentions of rape and graphic gore scenes. I do not recommend this book to readers who are uncomfortable with such imageries. However, I would invite people that are unbothered by the said imageries to give this book a read.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 04 Mar 2021, 09:23

I think that this book is the darkest in the series, but I loved Kayden's character very much

Thanks for your insightful review!

Saint Bruno · Post by **Saint Bruno** » 04 Mar 2021, 17:57

I am yet to read this one. But I found the first to be very intriguing. So thank you for the detailed review and recommendation.

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 05 Mar 2021, 07:51

Ellylion wrote: ↑04 Mar 2021, 09:23 I think that this book is the darkest in the series, but I loved Kayden's character very much Thanks for your insightful review!

I loved his character as well! I'm still very heartbroken with what life had in store for him. Thank you for dropping by!

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 05 Mar 2021, 07:52

Saint Bruno wrote: ↑04 Mar 2021, 17:57 I am yet to read this one. But I found the first to be very intriguing. So thank you for the detailed review and recommendation.

I'm giving you a little push to read this one, then!

Thank you for the comment.

Mariana Figueira · Post by **Mariana Figueira** » 05 Mar 2021, 18:15

I wholesomely agree with you, the first book of the series is definitely better. Thanks for the amazing review, really.

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 05 Mar 2021, 22:45

MarianaFigueira wrote: ↑05 Mar 2021, 18:15 I wholesomely agree with you, the first book of the series is definitely better. Thanks for the amazing review, really.

I'm glad to hear your thoughts! Thank you for dropping by.

Rayah Raouf · Post by **Rayah Raouf** » 06 Mar 2021, 04:08

I do have to agree with the first comment, this book seems to be the darkest of the series so far. I still very much enjoyed it though. Thank you for your review.

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 06 Mar 2021, 04:29

RayRuff wrote: ↑06 Mar 2021, 04:08 I do have to agree with the first comment, this book seems to be the darkest of the series so far. I still very much enjoyed it though. Thank you for your review.

Having read the contents, it doesn't surprise me that this book is the darkest in the series. I'm happy to see that you dropped by!

brenthore · Post by **brenthore** » 06 Mar 2021, 08:35

thank you for this amazing review! looking forward to read this book

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 06 Mar 2021, 08:52

brenthore wrote: ↑06 Mar 2021, 08:35 thank you for this amazing review! looking forward to read this book

Aww, thank you! I hope you read the series soon.

Josephe-Anne · Post by **Josephe-Anne** » 06 Mar 2021, 20:35

I also read this book, and I agree with your comments. There are many characters to keep track of and it sometimes gets a bit overwhelming. However, the plot was so interesting that I had to keep reading.

Thank you for an excellent and well-written review.

smolbird · Post by **smolbird** » 06 Mar 2021, 22:02

Josephe-Anne wrote: ↑06 Mar 2021, 20:35 I also read this book, and I agree with your comments. There are many characters to keep track of and it sometimes gets a bit overwhelming. However, the plot was so interesting that I had to keep reading.

Thank you for an excellent and well-written review.

I'm happy to see that we share the same opinions. Thank you for commenting!