Review by revathy sw -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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revathy sw
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Review by revathy sw -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko" by Matthew Tysz.]
Danger, deception, innocence, violence, hope, faith, and much more are intricately interwoven in Matthew Tysz’s second installment in his We are Voulhire series— We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko.
Where the first novel in the series was set in the town of Hillport, this novel, as the title suggests, is set in the most industrious and illustrious town in the kingdom of Voulhire— Virko. We are reunited with beloved and hated characters from the first book apart from being introduced to new characters, who bring along with them their shadowy motivations and ambitions. We once again join our beloved protagonist, Galen and his friend, the brash Rowan; they are now accompanied in their adventures by the monk Demetrius. Once again, Voulhire reveals itself to be a place that, despite its prosperity, is constantly under threat from the greed, ambitions, and corruption of its inhabitants.
For me, what makes this book truly shine is its characters. Tysz seems to have perfected the art of characterization. In this book, we find a commendably smooth transition from We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies. There is consistency throughout whether it be in the case of characterization or the important themes. Even some of the flaws and imperfections that I found in the first book are detectable in this one. That’s not to say that the story has become predictable or boring. On the contrary, it has only become more exciting and promising. Among the characters, I found Galen the most enjoyable to read about. This is a character that holds much promise. His lines are the most poetic and are a true pleasure to read. He is one of the most likable, endearing heroes I've ever come across. He contributed a great deal to the overall appeal of this series. I constantly found myself looking forward to his point of view. The innocence, straightforwardness, and honesty of his thoughts were also a relief from the pervasive darkness of the rest of the novel. On the opposite end of the spectrum, many of Tysz’s characters are also cunning with as yet indecipherable designs, and hearing their thoughts was fascinating. Folcro and Meldorath remain just mysterious enough. We are rarely made privy to their motives or thoughts. There are also many appreciable instances of dark humor and witty banter. Another component that Tysz manages remarkably well is that, even though this book, in comparison to the first, is more focused on religion, it never felt like he was being preachy or patronizing.
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko also deals with several issues both at a personal level and at a more social level, like the fallout from broken friendships, the stigma against homosexuality, the power of the media to make or break a person’s reputation, corruption, doubts that afflict our faith, and the dangers of greed and ambition.
The complaints I have about this book almost perfectly mirror that of its predecessor, that is to say, its language, which I still find anachronistic and its portrayal of women, which is still rife with sexism. As to the former complaint, it can be said that the language is one of the best, and the most confusing, aspects of this book. We are gifted with some really thought-provoking and deeply insightful sentences by the author, but on the other hand, we hear an ancient supernatural, hellish (literally) entity using words like 'fugazi,' 'jocks,' and 'freshmen.' However, as to the latter, I admired that the author does not hold back in portraying concerning issues that plague society, like homophobia and sexism. Again, as with the first book, I never felt as though these problematic views were in any way endorsed by Tysz, so I admired the openness and objectivity with which he portrayed how many in Voulhire casually persist in holding such views.
I did detect some errors, but, as they were few and far between, I did not have a problem with them. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars for its beautiful, exhilarating, and promising story as well as for its adorable, exciting, and mysterious characters.
The novel has plenty of moments of shocking violence, including rape and murder. There is a scene towards the end which I found very hard to stomach due to the brutality of the violence committed. Given this, along with the many instances of swearing, I would recommend this complex and brilliant novel and series to readers above the age of eighteen.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Danger, deception, innocence, violence, hope, faith, and much more are intricately interwoven in Matthew Tysz’s second installment in his We are Voulhire series— We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko.
Where the first novel in the series was set in the town of Hillport, this novel, as the title suggests, is set in the most industrious and illustrious town in the kingdom of Voulhire— Virko. We are reunited with beloved and hated characters from the first book apart from being introduced to new characters, who bring along with them their shadowy motivations and ambitions. We once again join our beloved protagonist, Galen and his friend, the brash Rowan; they are now accompanied in their adventures by the monk Demetrius. Once again, Voulhire reveals itself to be a place that, despite its prosperity, is constantly under threat from the greed, ambitions, and corruption of its inhabitants.
For me, what makes this book truly shine is its characters. Tysz seems to have perfected the art of characterization. In this book, we find a commendably smooth transition from We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies. There is consistency throughout whether it be in the case of characterization or the important themes. Even some of the flaws and imperfections that I found in the first book are detectable in this one. That’s not to say that the story has become predictable or boring. On the contrary, it has only become more exciting and promising. Among the characters, I found Galen the most enjoyable to read about. This is a character that holds much promise. His lines are the most poetic and are a true pleasure to read. He is one of the most likable, endearing heroes I've ever come across. He contributed a great deal to the overall appeal of this series. I constantly found myself looking forward to his point of view. The innocence, straightforwardness, and honesty of his thoughts were also a relief from the pervasive darkness of the rest of the novel. On the opposite end of the spectrum, many of Tysz’s characters are also cunning with as yet indecipherable designs, and hearing their thoughts was fascinating. Folcro and Meldorath remain just mysterious enough. We are rarely made privy to their motives or thoughts. There are also many appreciable instances of dark humor and witty banter. Another component that Tysz manages remarkably well is that, even though this book, in comparison to the first, is more focused on religion, it never felt like he was being preachy or patronizing.
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko also deals with several issues both at a personal level and at a more social level, like the fallout from broken friendships, the stigma against homosexuality, the power of the media to make or break a person’s reputation, corruption, doubts that afflict our faith, and the dangers of greed and ambition.
The complaints I have about this book almost perfectly mirror that of its predecessor, that is to say, its language, which I still find anachronistic and its portrayal of women, which is still rife with sexism. As to the former complaint, it can be said that the language is one of the best, and the most confusing, aspects of this book. We are gifted with some really thought-provoking and deeply insightful sentences by the author, but on the other hand, we hear an ancient supernatural, hellish (literally) entity using words like 'fugazi,' 'jocks,' and 'freshmen.' However, as to the latter, I admired that the author does not hold back in portraying concerning issues that plague society, like homophobia and sexism. Again, as with the first book, I never felt as though these problematic views were in any way endorsed by Tysz, so I admired the openness and objectivity with which he portrayed how many in Voulhire casually persist in holding such views.
I did detect some errors, but, as they were few and far between, I did not have a problem with them. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars for its beautiful, exhilarating, and promising story as well as for its adorable, exciting, and mysterious characters.
The novel has plenty of moments of shocking violence, including rape and murder. There is a scene towards the end which I found very hard to stomach due to the brutality of the violence committed. Given this, along with the many instances of swearing, I would recommend this complex and brilliant novel and series to readers above the age of eighteen.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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