Review by arshia_jagtap -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of...
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arshia_jagtap
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- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End by Matthew Tysz
Review by arshia_jagtap -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko" by Matthew Tysz.]
After the first book in the series, We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz was an absolutely brilliant book. I mentioned in my review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies (book #1) that it was the perfect foundation for the next books to follow, and the second one really took off running from that solid base.
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko sees the plot deepening as a majority of the focus is shifted to a flourishing town in Voulhire named Virko, and we are introduced to a lot of new characters, who, instead of taking away from the original ones, add to their depth as well-rounded people who we can relate to and gather affection for.
Without shifting back and forth between the past and the present, we get to learn a lot about the history of the town, and it never feels like an overload of information. The history is tastefully sprinkled between the story, making us even more invested in what the future holds.
I loved this book. It was amusing, gripping, shocking, magical, and, as I mentioned before, absolutely brilliant. I was hooked to the story and every change in perspective between the different characters seemed like a cliffhanger I couldn't wait to overcome. The pace was also much quicker than that of the first book and definitely added to how enjoyable a reading experience it was.
What I loved the most was the development of the characters. A story can be wonderful, but if the characters aren't strong enough to carry it forward, it can fall short. I felt this shortfall in the first book, but the second book completely redeemed that feeling of "lack" with the spectrum of (often, morally ambiguous) characters it introduced us to. All of them were so utterly human - all with their unique hopes, dreams, fears, and motivations - and each narrative made me feel like I had been placed in their skin.
There was nothing that I disliked, but one important thing I do have to mention is the need for a Trigger Warning at the very beginning of the book. We are met with a scene of sexual assault as soon as we turn to the first page, and for sensitive readers, it can be quite jarring. I understand that a Trigger Warning may take away from the reading experience for some, but I personally feel it is necessary.
Overall, I would like to give Matthew Tysz's We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko 3 out of 4 stars . I'm tempted to give the book 4 stars, but there were some grammatical errors I came across that stopped me from giving it the highest rating. But, grammatical errors aside, the story is phenomenal, and I wouldn't hesitate before recommending it to anyone who enjoys some great world-building and fantasy.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
After the first book in the series, We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz was an absolutely brilliant book. I mentioned in my review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies (book #1) that it was the perfect foundation for the next books to follow, and the second one really took off running from that solid base.
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko sees the plot deepening as a majority of the focus is shifted to a flourishing town in Voulhire named Virko, and we are introduced to a lot of new characters, who, instead of taking away from the original ones, add to their depth as well-rounded people who we can relate to and gather affection for.
Without shifting back and forth between the past and the present, we get to learn a lot about the history of the town, and it never feels like an overload of information. The history is tastefully sprinkled between the story, making us even more invested in what the future holds.
I loved this book. It was amusing, gripping, shocking, magical, and, as I mentioned before, absolutely brilliant. I was hooked to the story and every change in perspective between the different characters seemed like a cliffhanger I couldn't wait to overcome. The pace was also much quicker than that of the first book and definitely added to how enjoyable a reading experience it was.
What I loved the most was the development of the characters. A story can be wonderful, but if the characters aren't strong enough to carry it forward, it can fall short. I felt this shortfall in the first book, but the second book completely redeemed that feeling of "lack" with the spectrum of (often, morally ambiguous) characters it introduced us to. All of them were so utterly human - all with their unique hopes, dreams, fears, and motivations - and each narrative made me feel like I had been placed in their skin.
There was nothing that I disliked, but one important thing I do have to mention is the need for a Trigger Warning at the very beginning of the book. We are met with a scene of sexual assault as soon as we turn to the first page, and for sensitive readers, it can be quite jarring. I understand that a Trigger Warning may take away from the reading experience for some, but I personally feel it is necessary.
Overall, I would like to give Matthew Tysz's We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko 3 out of 4 stars . I'm tempted to give the book 4 stars, but there were some grammatical errors I came across that stopped me from giving it the highest rating. But, grammatical errors aside, the story is phenomenal, and I wouldn't hesitate before recommending it to anyone who enjoys some great world-building and fantasy.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End by Matthew Tysz
