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

We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire by Matthew Tysz follows the third book's events. After Meldorath's assistance, Soulhire was able to recover from the devastation. But many things had changed since then. Following the death of King Wilhelm, Nartik was enthroned. Magnum Caelum had fallen, and the Mianoran Knights struggled to defend the country against Riva. The only hope for Voulhire now was the Knights of Chalethire.

Coincidentally, Chalethire was where our trio was staying after losing their home. Each of them managed to make a living, but Virko's issue still weighted them down. Trusting the prowess of Chalethire, Galen's group decided to ask for help. Luckily enough, Paladin Harper took them seriously, and she herself led a scouting squad there for investigation. However, was that really a fortune, or was it yet another scheme?

My most favorite aspect of this book is that we get to see the characters' inner emotions. For Demetrius, it's his greed, his hunger for many things. For Rowan, he craves love like a lonely child, finding satisfaction in being needed. For Meldorath, it's a spark of regret, as he mulled over the lack of communication between him and Wilhelm. For Maido, it's his fear of losing. The complexes lying deep inside their hearts are now gradually exposed. It's like a monster that they must learn to cope with.

I also like how the characters' relationship unfolds. Despite his hatred for Rowan, Demetrius is still the one who worries about him the most. To save Rowan, Demetrius even resorts to every method he can think of, while Galen is busy with his little crush. As for Meldorath, he destroys an entire city over the loss of his attendant. It proves that this mage is not as heartless as he may appear, though many lives have been lost due to that incident.

This is precisely why I dislike Harper. She is a strong, independent, and ambitious warrior, but she is also cunning and hypocritical. She criticizes the Mianoran deserters, but she herself flees upon seeing what Meldorath did to her knights. What's more, by sabotaging Siden's armor, she caused his failure and Meldorath's outburst. It's a dirty move coming from a righteous knight. This time, Meldorath is not totally wrong.

Kayden's ending is also a big shock. It changes abruptly from a match to an assault, with three people ganging up against him. It's so unfair that I have to feel sorry for him. What he did to Virko is not right, but he doesn't deserve that kind of treatment either. Also, Galen's presence is quite faint and unimpressive.

However, I will give the book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because it's still an intriguing story, and the negative aspects are not enough to deduct a star. Though, I do think that some of Meldorath's and Nartik's sections hardly contribute to the plot. If they can be cut down, the story will be more concise. I only found a few grammar errors, so the editing is fairly acceptable. I would recommend this to those who love adventure, magic, fantasy, and sci-fi. With the profane words and homosexual details, it may not be appropriate for young readers.

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We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire
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I very much enjoyed the first book in this series and it seems the rest do not disappoint! I am looking forward to meeting those new characters you mentioned and seeing Galen's adventure continue. Thank you for this insightful review!

NDeMeer wrote: ↑02 Sep 2020, 00:24 I very much enjoyed the first book in this series and it seems the rest do not disappoint! I am looking forward to meeting those new characters you mentioned and seeing Galen's adventure continue. Thank you for this insightful review!

Thanks for stopping by, NDeMeer. Hope you will like the other books of the series as well .

I also liked Meldorath's attitude in this series. Honestly, I approved of Harper's conduct because Siden had looked down upon her for being a woman.
Thank you for your well-written review.

Kanda_theGreat wrote: ↑02 Sep 2020, 07:35 I also liked Meldorath's attitude in this series. Honestly, I approved of Harper's conduct because Siden had looked down upon her for being a woman.
Thank you for your well-written review.

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Kanda . I think Siden is partly blamed, but well, Harper also called him an ogre and branded Beth his under-aged sex slave. The main issue is, she knew once Siden lost, one thousand knights and countless citizens of Chalethire would be crushed by Riva. Even after the victory at Virko, she went back alone, meaning she never intends to save her city. Killing so many innocent people, especially those who trust her, just because of a man, is it worth it? In a way, she is even worse than Meldorath, at least the ones who died under Meldorath's hands weren't betrayed.

Your review is superb. I've immensely enjoyed reading it!

Jeff Kanda wrote: ↑02 Sep 2020, 15:14 Your review is superb. I've immensely enjoyed reading it!

Thanks for your kind words .

I've just finished this particular installment, and I decided to check out your review. Nice work.

AnnOgochukwu wrote: ↑07 Oct 2020, 06:57 I've just finished this particular installment, and I decided to check out your review. Nice work.

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion about this volume . Thanks for stopping by.

I was a bit surprised with Harper's character, but I don't dislike her. I do wonder what she will bring in the upcoming books. Thank you for your review.