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

[monicamu]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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

This book opens with a startling and gory scene involving the two friends Cornelius and Folcro. It’s clear from this that these two are up to no good, but we only find out what this might be much later.

We come across Galen again, and pick up where book one ended with Galen, Rowan, and Demetrius. This time they are heading towards Virko in search of iron for Galen to work at the forge he recently inherited from his uncle.

Virko stands at the forefront of change. Venden, Lord of Virko, petitions King Wilhelm to change the system of government of Virko to merchant rule, meaning a swing from feudalism to capitalism. This is not simply about a change of government, as power is being transferred from the nobles to merchants and their appointees, placing Virko on the brink of social and political upheaval. Will this be a peaceful transition?

As the story progresses, one wonders what is meant by the fires of Virko. Is this simply a reference to the industrial smokestacks, or to something deeper and possibly more sinister?

Cornelius and Folcro have been dabbling in things beyond their control – what are The Findings that Cornelius tells his friend to hide?

We’ve already learned a little of the two universes of Cosmos(physical) and Caromentis(magical). Now there’s a reference to the event horizon at the vortex between the two. Hans, otherwise known as Folcro, can’t resist exploring this further, with unexpected consequences.

The mage Meldorath has escaped from his island prison, but it seems nobody is aware of this. The relevance of this to the story remains a mystery right to the end.

There were many things I liked about this book: the vastly different groups of characters ranging from the fresh innocence of Galen through to Folcro's dark dabbling with demons, the exploration of the different forms of power – commercial, physical, and religious, and finally, the interesting use of words. For example, I had never come across the word 'fugazi' before, nor had I come across the use of the word ‘incursion’ where it was a requested act rather than an unwanted and violent one. I thought this was an error at first. Another example is the use of the word ‘choir’ as a collective noun for screams, correspondences, as well as for candles. I have never come across this usage, nor could I find any references to it.

What I liked least were the occasional scenes of cruelty to animals and mistreatment of the weak. I did not understand the purpose of the disturbing scene of potential rape and wounded horses. There is also a very gory scene from around p20 onwards where demons run amok through the town.
While I abhor violence, it is this ability to describe a scene so vividly that I admire about this author, as it places one right at the scene.

There is a scene around page 16 where Kayden and Peter are talking that felt a bit awkward. At first, I thought this may have been an error in that their words are repeated almost exactly, but it seems it was deliberate.

The ending felt like something of an anti-climax, although I suspect it is a good way to transition to the next book in the series.

Otherwise, there was nothing I didn’t like. This is turning out to be a very well-developed series and I look forward to the next book.

I would like to point out that, for maximum enjoyment, it would benefit the reader to begin with book one in the series, as this gives a very good overview of Voulhire and the main characters.

There are oblique references to homosexuality but no explicit sex scenes.

There is some profanity throughout, but it remains in character.

There is quite a bit on religion, although this is more about the structure of the church of Destinism than the religion itself. This is in any event a work of fiction, so it should not be offensive to anyone.

Some may find the scenes of violence disturbing as they’re so vividly described.

I noticed a few errors in the pdf version I reviewed. Many of these may simply be a matter of style so I have chosen to note them as uncounted errors. For instance, I would write …I’m sure he would have hid… as…I’m sure he would have hidden…. None of the errors I did count interfered with the flow of my reading.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to readers who enjoy the fantasy genre. I am pleased to award four out of four stars.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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[Noelle770]

This seems like an interesting book with good characters

[kdstrack]

What an intriguing continuation of this story from the first volume! I loved all the different aspects you touched on in your review. Your comments about the characters, the political changes, the religion, and the descriptions draw the reader into this story. Thanks for the thorough review. I hope to enjoy this series as much as you are!