OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]

Having grown up in the war-torn Lands of the Princes, Galen is accustomed to strife disproportionate to its rewards and an existence where lifelong toil amounts to nothing. He is suddenly delivered from this hopeless drudgery when he inherits a smithy from a mysterious great-uncle in the comparatively heavenly kingdom of Voulhire. In this strange, new land he meets the sly Rowan, with whom he embarks on an innocent mission to procure white iron, but the simple undertaking evolves into an adventure.

The beautiful thing about We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is that as Galen and Rowan travel, it is not forgotten for a second that their journey is simply a path forged in a world where bigger drama, forces and schemes are afoot. There is a dark mage, Meldorath, planning an elaborate escape, not to mention the unlucky neighbouring town of Hillport that is battered by tragedy after tragedy. These happenings are only witnessed peripherally by the protagonists during their journey. There is also the Riva Rohavi rebel force that's clandestinely working to bring down the Voulhire empire.

The tale of these two capable young men is but a slice of the cake that is Voulhire, encompassing its history, geography, leadership, as well as the key players of the time. There is a well-defined, logical world outside the story being narrated. This was hands down my favourite aspect of the book, and my main reason for giving a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

The holistic nature of the characters is mainly why I felt a rating above three stars was deserved. I loved that Rowan, Galen, Lord Eldus, King Wilhelm, as well as all the other participants didn't seem to embody a single trait or idea, but instead were complex and unpredictable. Additionally, there is a map of Voulhire included, and this helps the reader visualise the journey undertaken by the protagonists with ease. Another reason for the high rating would be the meticulous editing of the book, which has very few errors. I basically have no complaints about the work.

This is the perfect introductory book for a series set in a fictional world, where one is familiarised with the layout, history and other key elements. Matthew Tysz has written a wonderful fantasy/adventure read that I'd recommend to all fans of the genre above the age of sixteen. The age limit would be due to the presence of profanity, as well as mature concepts like paedophilia and a mention of human experiments. From this you can tell that this is a bit of a dark book, and if you don't mind that in your fictional adventures, then you'll enjoy it even more.

Fans of fast-paced or more drama-driven works may not enjoy We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies, seeing as its climax occurs at the very end. It leaves the reader with many questions and a desire to know the characters and their motives better. The reader will be positively itching to get their hands on the sequel, and this I know because it's what I'm doing right now.

******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

You're right, as a premise to the series this book is very intriguing Thanks for a great review!

I have just finished reading and reviewing this book myself as well and I'm happy to say I loved it every bit as much as you did! I gotta admit I totally forgot about the map while reading, haha! But yes, the characters are very well worked out and the world building is fantastic. Thanks for this wonderful review!

This is a wonderful book. I’ve reviewed 3 books from this series and all three are great. Brilliant review!

Ellylion wrote: ↑21 Aug 2020, 06:01 You're right, as a premise to the series this book is very intriguing Thanks for a great review!

I'm glad you agree! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment, it means a lot to me.

NDeMeer wrote: ↑21 Aug 2020, 07:27 I have just finished reading and reviewing this book myself as well and I'm happy to say I loved it every bit as much as you did! I gotta admit I totally forgot about the map while reading, haha! But yes, the characters are very well worked out and the world building is fantastic. Thanks for this wonderful review!

I agree, the book was quite meticulously plotted and executed. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. Thanks so much for commenting!

Honest-reviewer wrote: ↑22 Aug 2020, 11:01 This is a wonderful book. I’ve reviewed 3 books from this series and all three are great. Brilliant review!

Thanks so much for your kind words. As for the series, I'm currently two books in and hooked! Many thanks for stopping by!!

I've just read this book myself and I have to say that you were spot-on with how the action occurred at the very end of the book. Looking forward to reading the next in the series as well. Thanks for the great review!

This goes to show that Matthew Tysz is a master story teller. Lots of positive reviews for the books in this series. Good job and thanks for your recommendation.

I wholly agree with you that Matthew Tysz wrote a "perfect introductory book" for the We are Voulhire series. Even if the author said that the book will be slow, I actually liked the book's pacing. It didn't feel too slow, and the language used is simple.

I haven't read any book in this series yet, but sounds like they are really interesting. I enjoyed your review very much and hope to read this soon. Thanks for your great review!

I feel like I'll have to read all the books in this series,great review.

xsquare wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 01:27 I've just read this book myself and I have to say that you were spot-on with how the action occurred at the very end of the book. Looking forward to reading the next in the series as well. Thanks for the great review!

I'm glad we both enjoyed the book! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Vic Chimezie wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 01:32 This goes to show that Matthew Tysz is a master story teller. Lots of positive reviews for the books in this series. Good job and thanks for your recommendation.

I agree, there is something about Tysz that makes him inimitable in world building and character development. Thanks for stopping by, and I do hope you enjoy the book when you read it.

aaurba wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 06:17 I wholly agree with you that Matthew Tysz wrote a "perfect introductory book" for the We are Voulhire series. Even if the author said that the book will be slow, I actually liked the book's pacing. It didn't feel too slow, and the language used is simple.

I'm glad you also enjoyed the book.
Thanks so much for your time!