Review by LaylaDaniyal -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of ...
-
LS Daniyal
- Posts: 270
- Joined: 03 Oct 2020, 04:04
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 36
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ls-daniyal.html
- Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
Review by LaylaDaniyal -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of ...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko" by Matthew Tysz.]
“That was the unsung genius of Lord Venden Hrelek; not the founding of businesses and the drawing of wealth— any idiot could do that— but the preservation and evolution of a culture.”
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz is the second installment of an ongoing 9-part series under the fantasy genre. While this could be read as a standalone, it would be better to read the book prior as it gives a more comprehensive introduction.
This time, Galen had to travel to Virko, the industrial town of Voulhire, to acquire iron for his new hometown of Magnum Caelum. Meanwhile, the city is transitioning from feudalism to capitalism: a change not welcomed by all, and we'll see how far people are willing to go to stay at the top of the food chain. Galen's stay in Virko opens his eyes to the darkness he's never seen before. An unfortunate irony for one who's been living in a war-torn country for the last 20 years. In book 2, new characters emerge, some with patriotic ambitions and others with dark desires.
The author's ability to make readers feel for the characters in a suspense-filled book is impressive. Some of the characters were morally grey, so I was left undecided about them. The suspense was not only in the plot but also in the characterization. There was however, a lack of tangible female characters. The dialogue was my favorite part of the novel. It was keeping with the characters' personalities. For example, Demetris speaks to Galen in a gentle tone but speaks to Ramon in a sarcastic tone. The dialogue moved the story and revealed a lot about the characters and their opinion of other characters. The author still uses the first-person point of view for the ever-observant Galen in parallel with the third-person point of view for other characters.
In my opinion, the beginning was a little unremarkable and ambiguous, but moving on, the story thickens and gets fast-paced. This novel has more dark themes than the first book. It featured vivid accounts of brutality, including mutilation, torture, and gruesome deaths. There were scenes with topics some readers might find disturbing, such as rape, the use of dark magic, demons, cursing, sexual references, and obscene jokes. The end seemed unfinished, and I had the "oh, it ended" moment again. It was one of the things I didn't like about the book. I felt like the author wrote it in such a way that I'd have to read the next book for closure instead of wanting to read it. There were very few grammatical errors, but they didn't distract me from the story, so I suppose it was professionally edited.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Not 2 because of the author's use of words, the setting was impeccable, and the dialogue enhanced the characters' personalities. Not 4 because the storyline followed the same trend as the first book, plus I was uncomfortable with a few scenes, but that's just a personal preference.
I do not recommend this book for children and people who are uncomfortable with aforementioned disturbing topics. But if you're an adult who likes fantasy, adventure, mystery, political drama, action, and dark themes, then give this book a try.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“That was the unsung genius of Lord Venden Hrelek; not the founding of businesses and the drawing of wealth— any idiot could do that— but the preservation and evolution of a culture.”
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz is the second installment of an ongoing 9-part series under the fantasy genre. While this could be read as a standalone, it would be better to read the book prior as it gives a more comprehensive introduction.
This time, Galen had to travel to Virko, the industrial town of Voulhire, to acquire iron for his new hometown of Magnum Caelum. Meanwhile, the city is transitioning from feudalism to capitalism: a change not welcomed by all, and we'll see how far people are willing to go to stay at the top of the food chain. Galen's stay in Virko opens his eyes to the darkness he's never seen before. An unfortunate irony for one who's been living in a war-torn country for the last 20 years. In book 2, new characters emerge, some with patriotic ambitions and others with dark desires.
The author's ability to make readers feel for the characters in a suspense-filled book is impressive. Some of the characters were morally grey, so I was left undecided about them. The suspense was not only in the plot but also in the characterization. There was however, a lack of tangible female characters. The dialogue was my favorite part of the novel. It was keeping with the characters' personalities. For example, Demetris speaks to Galen in a gentle tone but speaks to Ramon in a sarcastic tone. The dialogue moved the story and revealed a lot about the characters and their opinion of other characters. The author still uses the first-person point of view for the ever-observant Galen in parallel with the third-person point of view for other characters.
In my opinion, the beginning was a little unremarkable and ambiguous, but moving on, the story thickens and gets fast-paced. This novel has more dark themes than the first book. It featured vivid accounts of brutality, including mutilation, torture, and gruesome deaths. There were scenes with topics some readers might find disturbing, such as rape, the use of dark magic, demons, cursing, sexual references, and obscene jokes. The end seemed unfinished, and I had the "oh, it ended" moment again. It was one of the things I didn't like about the book. I felt like the author wrote it in such a way that I'd have to read the next book for closure instead of wanting to read it. There were very few grammatical errors, but they didn't distract me from the story, so I suppose it was professionally edited.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Not 2 because of the author's use of words, the setting was impeccable, and the dialogue enhanced the characters' personalities. Not 4 because the storyline followed the same trend as the first book, plus I was uncomfortable with a few scenes, but that's just a personal preference.
I do not recommend this book for children and people who are uncomfortable with aforementioned disturbing topics. But if you're an adult who likes fantasy, adventure, mystery, political drama, action, and dark themes, then give this book a try.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Today's me is better than yesterday's me.
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
