Review by Vanessa Leong -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of...
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Vanessa Leong
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Review by Vanessa Leong -- We are Voulhire: The Fires of...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko" by Matthew Tysz.]
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko is the second installment of the fantasy series by Matthew Tysz. This book follows the events of the first but with a primary focus on the prosperous city of Virko. As an industrial powerhouse, Virko is widely known as Voulhire’s most productive city. With the rapidly declining health of its esteemed founder, Lord Venden, Virko now faces drastic changes as Lord Venden pushes for the end of its noble sovereignty and the transfer of power to the merchants. His son, Hans Hrelek, seems to take little interest in his father’s plans as he delves into the darker secrets concealed within his family estate, Rendenhide. Concurrently, Galen Bray and his companions embark on their journey to Virko in search of iron reserves for his town of Magnum Caelum. Unknowingly, they get entangled in Virko’s internal affairs when they agree to help cleanse a ‘darkness’ in Rendenhide, upon request of Lord Venden. In a domino effect, they find themselves in a situation far more complex than they had anticipated. Dalehei Maldorath, the powerful yet dangerous mage, returns with a vengeful plot to expand his hold over Voulhire.
After the gripping start to the series, I unfortunately found this book to be an underwhelming sequel. While it is not a badly written book, I found several elements of its plot and characters to be lacking in depth as compared to the first one. The plot, in general, seems to be more of a filler for the main plot which I presume will be revealed in later books. For a substantial chunk of the story, the events that take place don’t seem to actually advance the main plot of the series. While they are not completely irrelevant, I found myself, on several occasions, wondering if it was necessary to explore certain subplots to such detail. The discovery of the virus (which was discussed in the first book) by the characters in Yamon Soul, was one such detail. As the nature of the virus had already been discussed in the first book, I was somewhat irritated that this detail was being explored again in this book, not in brief, but over several chapters.
The new characters introduced in this book also did not manage to retain my attention as well as those in the first. While they do indeed have interesting and mysterious backstories, these new characters seem to lack the outstanding personalities that were present in the first book. The author attempts to create suspense and tension between the new characters of Hans Hrelek and Kayden Morgan by slowly revealing their prior relationship and changing dynamics, but I personally felt that it wasn’t engaging enough for me to anticipate more. The recurring characters, with the exception of Demetrius, have limited character development throughout this book. While I appreciated the focus the author put on a side character, I felt like it was rather unbalanced with most of the other side characters lacking development.
Fortunately, the story picks up speed towards the last third of the book and achieves that page-turner effect that was so rewarding in the first book. The author manages to show the vulnerable side of the characters and the desperation of the intense situation which kept me on the edge of my seat.
Taking all the factors into account, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While the points that I have stated are predominantly negative, I would like to emphasize that this is not a bad book. As a sequel to a truly attention-grabbing read, I had expected more or at least a similar level of engagement as the first, which is why I am additionally critical of the aspects that are lacking. However, the overall plot was still coherent, and the characters were still intriguing and consistent. It is still, in my opinion, a worthwhile read. The book is professionally edited with a recognizable structure and no errors. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first book of the series and wants to further explore the world of Voulhire. Unfamiliar readers may find it slightly confusing as a standalone so I would advise all to start from the beginning of the series. Take note that this book contains themes of demons, references to sexual abuse, homosexuality, and mild profanity which may not be suitable for all audiences.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko is the second installment of the fantasy series by Matthew Tysz. This book follows the events of the first but with a primary focus on the prosperous city of Virko. As an industrial powerhouse, Virko is widely known as Voulhire’s most productive city. With the rapidly declining health of its esteemed founder, Lord Venden, Virko now faces drastic changes as Lord Venden pushes for the end of its noble sovereignty and the transfer of power to the merchants. His son, Hans Hrelek, seems to take little interest in his father’s plans as he delves into the darker secrets concealed within his family estate, Rendenhide. Concurrently, Galen Bray and his companions embark on their journey to Virko in search of iron reserves for his town of Magnum Caelum. Unknowingly, they get entangled in Virko’s internal affairs when they agree to help cleanse a ‘darkness’ in Rendenhide, upon request of Lord Venden. In a domino effect, they find themselves in a situation far more complex than they had anticipated. Dalehei Maldorath, the powerful yet dangerous mage, returns with a vengeful plot to expand his hold over Voulhire.
After the gripping start to the series, I unfortunately found this book to be an underwhelming sequel. While it is not a badly written book, I found several elements of its plot and characters to be lacking in depth as compared to the first one. The plot, in general, seems to be more of a filler for the main plot which I presume will be revealed in later books. For a substantial chunk of the story, the events that take place don’t seem to actually advance the main plot of the series. While they are not completely irrelevant, I found myself, on several occasions, wondering if it was necessary to explore certain subplots to such detail. The discovery of the virus (which was discussed in the first book) by the characters in Yamon Soul, was one such detail. As the nature of the virus had already been discussed in the first book, I was somewhat irritated that this detail was being explored again in this book, not in brief, but over several chapters.
The new characters introduced in this book also did not manage to retain my attention as well as those in the first. While they do indeed have interesting and mysterious backstories, these new characters seem to lack the outstanding personalities that were present in the first book. The author attempts to create suspense and tension between the new characters of Hans Hrelek and Kayden Morgan by slowly revealing their prior relationship and changing dynamics, but I personally felt that it wasn’t engaging enough for me to anticipate more. The recurring characters, with the exception of Demetrius, have limited character development throughout this book. While I appreciated the focus the author put on a side character, I felt like it was rather unbalanced with most of the other side characters lacking development.
Fortunately, the story picks up speed towards the last third of the book and achieves that page-turner effect that was so rewarding in the first book. The author manages to show the vulnerable side of the characters and the desperation of the intense situation which kept me on the edge of my seat.
Taking all the factors into account, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While the points that I have stated are predominantly negative, I would like to emphasize that this is not a bad book. As a sequel to a truly attention-grabbing read, I had expected more or at least a similar level of engagement as the first, which is why I am additionally critical of the aspects that are lacking. However, the overall plot was still coherent, and the characters were still intriguing and consistent. It is still, in my opinion, a worthwhile read. The book is professionally edited with a recognizable structure and no errors. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first book of the series and wants to further explore the world of Voulhire. Unfamiliar readers may find it slightly confusing as a standalone so I would advise all to start from the beginning of the series. Take note that this book contains themes of demons, references to sexual abuse, homosexuality, and mild profanity which may not be suitable for all audiences.
******
We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Puzzle of Fate by A. Reza Kamarei
