Review by LaylaDaniyal -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival...
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LS Daniyal
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Review by LaylaDaniyal -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
“In this special kingdom, where all the tools are provided to build a perfect world, you will stand as a firsthand witness to what people do when they have no excuse to fail. This, my children, is the magnificent and terrifying kingdom of Voulhire!"
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is the first installment of a 9-part series under the fantasy genre. The story follows the lives of different categories of people living in a fictional country called Voulhire. The main character Galen escaped from his war-ravaged home to a peaceful city. Once living in abject poverty, he now has to navigate through his new life of wealth thanks to the inheritance left by his uncle. Meanwhile, as Galen learns about his new life, a political storm is brewing. There are doubts about the capability of the next heir, a revolution is threatening the peace of the country, but worst of all is the rumor that a dark and powerful mage who was confirmed to be dead might still be alive.
Initially, I was confused by the author’s use of first person and third person point of view, but it developed the story rather than hindered it. The dialogues between the characters were believable and on par with their personalities. For example, Galen was naive but willing to learn while Ramon though a good friend and diligent worker had questionable character. These were reflected in their dialogues. The plot was convincing as incidents took place logically, it felt like it had actually happened. Human nature shone through some of the characters, their fear, love, kindness, wickedness, arrogance and motives were highlighted. For some, not so much but this is a fantasy novel anyway. The author did a good job with the setting. The book was filled with vivid descriptions bringing the setting to life. The author was original and he made his style of writing work for him. Meldorath reminded me of Voldemort, but he was Meldorath and not Voldemort the second.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was exceptionally well edited and I applaud the passion the author put into the making of this book. That is what I liked most about it. It is a work of passion, it contains a map which was very helpful and a glossary for the words native to Voulhire . These and more made it above a two star book. What I disliked most and hence couldn't give it four stars was that while I am aware that it is the first book in a 9-part series, I just couldn't get over the fact that it felt like a giant introduction. Plus my reaction at the end was, “oh, it ended.”
I do not recommend this book for children or anyone uncomfortable with graphic descriptions of violence, swearing and obscene jokes as this book contains them. However, if you are an adult who likes action, suspense, fantasy and a lot of plot, then give this book a try.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“In this special kingdom, where all the tools are provided to build a perfect world, you will stand as a firsthand witness to what people do when they have no excuse to fail. This, my children, is the magnificent and terrifying kingdom of Voulhire!"
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is the first installment of a 9-part series under the fantasy genre. The story follows the lives of different categories of people living in a fictional country called Voulhire. The main character Galen escaped from his war-ravaged home to a peaceful city. Once living in abject poverty, he now has to navigate through his new life of wealth thanks to the inheritance left by his uncle. Meanwhile, as Galen learns about his new life, a political storm is brewing. There are doubts about the capability of the next heir, a revolution is threatening the peace of the country, but worst of all is the rumor that a dark and powerful mage who was confirmed to be dead might still be alive.
Initially, I was confused by the author’s use of first person and third person point of view, but it developed the story rather than hindered it. The dialogues between the characters were believable and on par with their personalities. For example, Galen was naive but willing to learn while Ramon though a good friend and diligent worker had questionable character. These were reflected in their dialogues. The plot was convincing as incidents took place logically, it felt like it had actually happened. Human nature shone through some of the characters, their fear, love, kindness, wickedness, arrogance and motives were highlighted. For some, not so much but this is a fantasy novel anyway. The author did a good job with the setting. The book was filled with vivid descriptions bringing the setting to life. The author was original and he made his style of writing work for him. Meldorath reminded me of Voldemort, but he was Meldorath and not Voldemort the second.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was exceptionally well edited and I applaud the passion the author put into the making of this book. That is what I liked most about it. It is a work of passion, it contains a map which was very helpful and a glossary for the words native to Voulhire . These and more made it above a two star book. What I disliked most and hence couldn't give it four stars was that while I am aware that it is the first book in a 9-part series, I just couldn't get over the fact that it felt like a giant introduction. Plus my reaction at the end was, “oh, it ended.”
I do not recommend this book for children or anyone uncomfortable with graphic descriptions of violence, swearing and obscene jokes as this book contains them. However, if you are an adult who likes action, suspense, fantasy and a lot of plot, then give this book a try.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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