Review by Erandi Ekanayake -- We are Voulhire: A New Arr...

[Erandi Ekanayake]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies is a fictitious novel by Matthew Tysz. It is crafted around a mythical empire named Voulhire, where cosmos realm and human world blend together. This is the first book in the series of "We Are Voulhire" and this legendary prolongs in eight more volumes. Loyalty, treachery, commitment, friendship, courage, rebellion- with all these sentiments tinged with each other, this philosophical and engaging science fiction turned out to be the most interesting fantasy I have ever read so far.

The story initiates with the migration of Galen Bray, a young boy to Voulhire. Galen had been living amidst war and misery for years, therefore this opportunity unlocks a new chapter in his life. In Voulhire, he becomes the possessor of his long-lost uncle's wealth and the workshop. His uncle’s executor- Rowan becomes his best friend and once they accidentally find a material which they cannot identify exactly, but seemingly precious. Suspecting it belongs to the cosmos realm, they intend to get help from a specialized monk to investigate on it. Meanwhile, another storyline is unfolded around a city in Voulhire, named Hillport. Its previous lord, Dalehei Meldorath is a great mage came from cosmos realm. He had experimented with his magical powers using Hillport civilians. Therefore, restoring their safety, Voulhire's king- Wilhelm Arcolo appoints Eldus Alderman, a kind-hearted judge as Hillport’s new lord and evacuating the people’s fear, the news of Meldorath's death is announced. It is at the same time Riva Rohavi (a rebellious organization which aims only at the complete destruction of Voulhire), begins to re-organize under a great leader. As their first attack, they target the Hillport.

What could be that strange piece of material Galen and Rowan find? Since Meldorath is a powerful mage, and as his dead body had not been found, citizens doubt his death. So is there any chance for him to be still alive, waiting for the perfect moment to get the revenge from the king and all the Voulhirians? Will the new lord be able to protect the Hillport from the attack? Well, in order to get these questions addressed, you need to give this book a try by yourself.

In this particular novel, the author does a marvellous job in developing a unique kingdom, step by step. He has provided a drawn map of Voulhire and a reference guide to the unfamiliar words in the book, making the imaginative world he created, more realistic. Plus with Tysz's incredible ability in handling the language, which is clear to comprehend and full of spirit, fans of the genre easily get lost in the pages of the book. The descriptive writing style is highly capable of illustrating dramatic mind pictures. Humour is brought out on several events, making the reading more entertaining.

When considering the technique used in narrating the story, Tysz has utilized two perspectives. When it comes to Galen's experiences, the author uses the first-person standpoint, but the rest of the story is unfolded through the third person point of view. Tysz maybe has got a reasonable purpose for giving such a priority to Galen. But it is not his way to reveal the full account of the characters all at once, therefore the importance of Galen's character is not apparent yet. But as it is convincing to me, we would be able to meet him soon as one of the key figures in the near future of this series.

Moreover, the chapters are perfectly knitted with a good connection between each storyline. The story gradually reaches its peak and so the curiosity of the readers. It is not until the end that the cultivated curiosity is satisfied. But he effectively spares the formulated enthusiasm to be used in the continuation of his adventure in the second book- The Fires of Virko, as well.

Overall, there is no doubt that this book deserves the perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The only aspect I would like to see changed about the book is adding numbers to the pages, for it is a bit difficult to navigate the pages of the pdf without numbers. Other than that, It does not contain sexual descriptions at any rate and the profanity which is included on some occasions does not reach the explicit level, either. Further, I did not come across a single grammatical error. Perhaps I have just ignored them, without even noticing, as my mind was deeply glued to the impressive flow of the story. Anyway, I can guarantee that there are no noticeable errors, so I do not think saying the book is professionally edited would be a penalty.

When it comes with the recommendation, I highly propose this book to the fans of sci-fi and fantasy novels, at any age, and hope all the future readers would enjoy this book as much as I did. I'm eagerly awaiting to read the second book in the series, as well.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Rodel Barnachea]

I have already read and reviewed this book, so I am glad to know that you also liked it. Similar to you, I also gave this book a perfect rating.

[Saint Bruno]

I read this book too so I agree with your rating of it. I also enjoyed reading your well-written review. Good job!

[Sou Hi]

Thank you for your detailed and informative review. Tysz is very good at creating twists and leading the readers. I enjoyed this series very much.

By the way, are you reading the PDF file using Kindle? Normally, I use a PDF reader or drop the file directly into the browser (Google Chrome, for example), so I have no trouble navigating through even when the book's pages are not numbered.

[rahilshajahan]

Thank you for your detailed and informative review. Tysz is very good at creating twists and leading the readers. I enjoyed this series very much.

By the way, are you reading the PDF file using Kindle? Normally, I use a PDF reader or drop the file directly into the browser (Google Chrome, for example), so I have no trouble navigating through even when the book's pages are not numbered.

True. If you are using Kindle, then it numbers the pages for you most of the time. Anyways, good job on the review!

[Justine Ocsebio]

I have read and written a review for this book. I agree that the author did a marvelous job on world-building and highly descriptive writing. Great review!

[Kevivas03]

Wow we really are different as humans, it what makes us who we are. I had the total opposite perspective of the book.

[Eutoc]

You have a well detailed review right here. I also experienced the difficulty navigating through the pages of the book due to the lack of page numbers. Thanks for your review.

[Rashida10]

This book, as well as its series, has triggered a reasonable amount of appraisal. I'm looking forward to giving it a read soon. Thanks for sharing.

[Adanna Inya]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Matthew Tysz did great.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

I enjoyed reading your review. The features of this book is catchy like friendship, courageous, etc. Thanks.

[PriyankaBeeput]

Fantastic review, this book deserves a 4/4 and I agree with you about the well crafted world Tysz created