Review by Sakura5 -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko

Sakura5 · Post by **Sakura5** » 11 Dec 2020, 14:09

[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 of the “We are Voulhire” series by Matthew Tysz that follows the story of the modern, magic kingdom of Voulhire. I really enjoyed reading it, and I couldn’t wait to finish this volume to start the next one!

Tysz immediately introduces a new set of characters, among which there are Lord Hans (also known as Folcro) and Lord Kayden, who have a troubled past of friendship and love. But we still follow some of the old characters, like the protagonist Galen and his friends Rowan and Demetrius. Together, they set up for a series of adventures that will eventually take them to Virko, where the heart of the action is. In their attempt to find an iron supply for Galen’s blacksmith shop, they end up talking with Lord Venden, the old founder of Virko. The Lord is dying but he secures the iron supply for them, in exchange for a favor... Will our protagonist succeed in accomplishing this mission?

I commend the author for his writing ability: he manages to create suspense, and there is the right balance between descriptive text and dialogue. Also, the book is packed with nice quotes and philosophical concepts that push the reader to meditate on them. For example, one line that really caught my attention is the following: “Every moment is an experience and every experience a gift. All you have to do is recognize it, and every day will feel just like the celebration we're having right now.” I really like the author’s writing style and the text is enriched by sophisticated terms.

The story is gripping and challenging while the ending is absolutely surprising: Tysz was able to create something unique and unexpected, if not cruel at times. In this book, indeed, there is much more crude violence and vulgarity than in the first one, which could hurt some people’s sensitivity. I admit that on a couple of occasions I had to stop reading to process the shocking images that my mind was creating! Another thing that I find quite surprising is that once again Tysz does not engage in the development of any prominent female character: even if this time he introduces the theme of homosexuality, the narration is still led solely by male characters.

Nonetheless, I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I did not find any relevant grammatical mistake, the book seems very well-edited, and the story is nicely developed and full of dramatic turns of events. The reader is driven to empathize with the characters and their vicissitudes, and it is not possible to remain unscathed by the protagonists’ wittiness and depth. Even if the book contains more vulgarity and violence than the first one, I don’t feel like taking out a star just for this: many well-known fantasy series have become famous exactly because of their crudeness and profanity. Therefore, I would discourage very sensitive people to read this novel and I would say that it is not well suited for very young readers. However, it makes a perfect read for people who enjoy the sci-fi/fantasy genre and who are not bothered by the aforementioned delicate themes.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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Noelle770 · Post by **Noelle770** » 27 Dec 2020, 08:22

This series sounds quite well-written and interesting. The characters do sound quite compelling. Thanks for the informative review

Mtibza eM · Post by **Mtibza eM** » 27 Dec 2020, 11:13

Thank you for the beautiful review. I should definitely check out this book.

_martinnoahtan_ · Post by **_martinnoahtan_** » 02 Feb 2021, 11:12

I just read the first book of the series and enjoy the story very much. As a sensitive reader, your review gives me the opportunity to think twice picking up the second book.

Sakura5 · Post by **Sakura5** » 02 Mar 2021, 06:22

_martinnoahtan_ wrote: ↑02 Feb 2021, 11:12 I just read the first book of the series and enjoy the story very much. As a sensitive reader, your review gives me the opportunity to think twice picking up the second book.

I am glad my review could help you with this choice!

Sakura5 · Post by **Sakura5** » 02 Mar 2021, 06:23

Mtibza eM wrote: ↑27 Dec 2020, 11:13 Thank you for the beautiful review. I should definitely check out this book.

Thank you for reading it! Yes, I think the series is really worth a reading

Sakura5 · Post by **Sakura5** » 02 Mar 2021, 06:25

Noelle770 wrote: ↑27 Dec 2020, 08:22 This series sounds quite well-written and interesting. The characters do sound quite compelling. Thanks for the informative review

Thank you for reading the review! I find the books very interesting indeed, and the characters are quite complex too.