Review of We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko

Tshepsyt · Post by **Tshepsyt** » 05 May 2023, 09:31

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

3 out of 5 stars

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko by Matthew Tysz is a great sequel to the previous instalment. Immediately we are introduced to a litany of new characters as well as a few of the old ones. The world does not seem to have changed a lot post the events of the previous installation, but we are now open to a whole new view of Voulhire as we are transported to its greatest economic hub, Virko, and we delve into the politics and struggles that shape it. Our protagonist’s eyes are focused on Virko while the antagonist’s seem to be in a different direction. Many cards are in play culminating in a grand finale that is both breathtaking and expected.

We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko takes us to a different setting, I like that as it expands Voulhire. The wonderful world-building combined with interesting politics and magic, that has not been fully explained, results in a captivation of the mind that urges one to want to know more. The characters feel like individuals unto themselves and the respites of comedy thrown around in the book were a welcome sight. More questions are raised in this installation than answered and are posed in such a way that I am intrigued; I want to slowly deduce the answers from the context and connections I make than have them given to me. The introduction of a new antagonist, albeit not as dangerous a threat as the previous one, helps centre the book and keep it contained, while the appearance of older characters helps tire it to the larger plot of the series.

The negatives about the book would be that the pace this time was increased a lot from the last installation. It would take at least a chapter to get from one town to another but here it happens in the span of a few paragraphs. This also results in the further cheapening of emotional scenes, I did not get enough time to soak in the gravity of what the characters were feeling or even the consequences of a major event. Most of the characters, even though they read like individuals, feel like plot devices, it seems like they are only there to advance the plot instead of us getting a glimpse into their lives. It also seems like our main characters do not have anything to lose and that results in me not caring about what happens to them, given that many of the characters introduced at the beginning of the book either end up dead or some version of “gone” by the end.

Despite the negatives holding a significant weight that I cannot ignore, I rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. On top of all the listed, I also found myself more confused and annoyed than I would have liked and that is the greatest reason why I did not give it more than 3 stars. Regardless, the book was well edited, given that the errors I found were not so many that they removed me from the story.

I recommend that anyone who loves fantasy, epics, and a wonky balance between good and evil give this series a look. The plot is still not very convoluted, thus I would not recommend it to anyone looking to piece together such a plot. As a second installation, it serves as a great piece to set the mood moving forward as now the balance between good and evil, power scales, worldview of the inhabitants, and politics are firmly set at the back of our minds.

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We are Voulhire: The Fires of Virko
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Navera A · Post by **Navera A** » 25 Jun 2023, 08:35

Writing a good sequel can be difficult indeed, but I'm glad you found more reasons to enjoy the book than to dislike it. I've heard so much about this series, I'll definitely have to check it out myself! Thanks for the great review.

Bettny Andrade · Post by **Bettny Andrade** » 25 Jun 2023, 12:04

Oh! What you describe worries me, for me the plots are very important. I read the first book and I expected it to be an introduction to the real central theme but from the way you explain it seems that it is not.

Either way I look forward to reading this next book. Thanks for your review.

Tshepsyt · Post by **Tshepsyt** » 27 Jun 2023, 14:28

Navera A wrote: ↑25 Jun 2023, 08:35 Writing a good sequel can be difficult indeed, but I'm glad you found more reasons to enjoy the book than to dislike it. I've heard so much about this series, I'll definitely have to check it out myself! Thanks for the great review.

Thanks for the reply, yeah, I'm also glad I ended up liking it. I'll hopefully like the third one, most reviews I've read have pegged it as good.

Tshepsyt · Post by **Tshepsyt** » 27 Jun 2023, 14:29

Bettny Andrade wrote: ↑25 Jun 2023, 12:04 Oh! What you describe worries me, for me the plots are very important. I read the first book and I expected it to be an introduction to the real central theme but from the way you explain it seems that it is not.

Either way I look forward to reading this next book. Thanks for your review.

Thanks for the reply. It isn't really that bad, either. It's just that the plot isn't as thick and nuanced as I'd expected or hoped for in a fantasy book, but that's also okay, I still enjoy it for what it is.