Review by monicamu -- We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the ...

[monicamu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the Mind" by Matthew Tysz.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: Flesh of the Mind by Matthew Tysz

This book opens with a mystery: a new character, a new location, and a new threat. The mystery doesn’t end there, as there are strange events all through the story.

Once again, we see the superb world-building skills of the author.
Every city in Voulhire is under occupation or siege by the King of Lullabies.

New characters and those from earlier books in the series are introduced throughout this story, leaving one to wonder why.

Even more mystery is introduced in the form of the NOISE that has everyone so frightened. What could it be?

As we found earlier in this series, the story is not just escapism - the reader is confronted with some thorny issues which require careful thought.

As usual, the author finds a way to introduce some philosophy. This time, Beth observes during a discussion of Caromentis, "Many lives begin and end in worlds they never fully understand.”

In this book, you will find mystery, philosophy, heroism, power struggles, suspense and then release of tension.

The author makes great use of the juxtaposition of the mysterious (worlds within worlds) with the mundane (an offer of tea).

There is a reference to sex in the form of a threesome but no explicit descriptions.

What I enjoyed most were the strong female characters like Harper Lady Velys (Angela) and Rhea, who are introduced in this book and who we’ve not seen in most of the series until now. There are also some wry comments on men, which made me smile. One example is “Must a woman be blamed when a man disappoints?”. Another is “gesticulating like hearty preteen boys do, a habit most men get over at around eighty-five or so”.

What I enjoyed least was the excessive use of profanity. I’ve seen this throughout the series, and I can’t see that it adds much to the characters or the plot. I think the series would benefit from having the profanity toned down a bit.
Lastly, I was disappointed to find a large number of errors, mainly in the form of incorrect word usage, such as ‘council’ where ‘counsel is meant. Still, it was easy to infer the meaning and did not interfere with my enjoyment. I must, however, deduct a star for that, awarding three out of four stars.

I recommend this to adult lovers of fantasy/SciFi, but the sexual references make it unsuitable for younger readers. Readers will benefit greatly from reading the entire series to follow the story and character development better.

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We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the Mind
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[markodim721]

I think it's great that the author designed the whole civilization, but the excessive use of profanity is something without which the book would be better.

[MsH2k]

This is the first review I've read of this installment. It's good to know the mystery, philosophy, heroism, power struggles, and suspense live on in this series. Thank you for your take!