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

[JulianProw]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko is the second instalment in the dark medieval fantasy series written by Matthew Tysz. The story follows the city of Virko, a recently established but booming city in the Kingdom of Voulhire. The current Lord and founder of Virko, Venden Hrelek has fallen ill and is on his deathbed. In his final years, he has proposed to strip the city of its sovereign rule, placing control of the city in the hands of a small council of noblemen. This is not to everyone’s pleasing and Hans Hrelek (Folcro), his son and heir to Virko, has other plans.

Virko is industrial, its people are hardworking and loyal. People across all of Voulhire are envious of Virko’s progress. However, where there is light, there is also dark. Virko’s positive exterior hides some dark secrets. Our hero, Galen Bray, a noble and kind blacksmith, is on the search for iron with his close companions, Rowan and Demetrius. Keen for adventure, they visit the dying Lord Venden who asks for their help in return. Once the trio find out about Folcro’s plans for the city, they attempt to stop him, but at a cost. Can they put an end to Folcro’s plans?

In a classic story of good versus evil, we are introduced to the power of magic and the influence it can have over people. In this Kingdom, religion and magic can clash but they can also work together. I often find that books that involve magic can be cheesy at times but it is neither overused nor underused, making for an enjoyable and engrossing read.

Tysz has created some very strong and lovable characters, as well as some you can despise. This effective and intelligent writing makes for a good read. Tysz’s writing paints a solid picture of Voulhire, its cities and inhabitants. The descriptive writing is beautiful and is what I enjoyed most about this book. While the characters themselves were strong, unfortunately I was occasionally left bored with their dialogue. For people who enjoy dark medieval fantasy, this book is definitely for you. It is not a long read and you will easily find yourself lost in the magical world of Voulhire.

The language used sometimes does not fit in with the rest of the book. There are references to discovering the atom and playing golf, that I think, at times, distract the reader from the fantasy world of Voulhire. There are a small handful of mistakes and typos, but nothing that affects the story. The somewhat confusing jumping back and forth between characters and story lines makes the book sometimes difficult to follow. I do, however, look forward to reading the other books in this series. Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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