Review by monicamu -- We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End

[monicamu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End" by Matthew Tysz.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Someone Else’s End is the third book in the series We are Voulhire by Matthew Tysz.

The author wastes no time setting the tone for this book as the title creates an air of mystery right from the start. Who is this “Someone Else” and what is their “End”?

Once those questions are planted in the reader’s mind, the book opens with a focus on Meldorath, the new Eiodi, who last appeared at the end of the previous book in the series.

It’s three weeks since Meldorath battled and defeated the previous Eiodi and took the position for himself. He is visited in a dream by the Emperor of Lullabies and becomes determined to find a way to pass from the Cosmos to Caromentis. He believes that King Wilhelm has what he needs to achieve this, so he plans to go to the palace and get to the archives.

As with the first two books in the series, the focus of the story changes from one character to another and we see events unfolding from these different and sometimes conflicting perspectives. This adds depth to the story.

Geographically, this story takes place mainly in the capital city Soulhire.
Galen, at his forge with Rowan, decides he wants to visit Soulhire even though Demetrius is against the idea.

The three friends set off for Soulhire. On the way, they come across a group of Riva Rohavi. It’s clear that the Riva Rohavi are up to something, but what and why?

The central part of the story is where King Wilhelm is presiding over the court case where a young student, Sophie Shore, is advocating for refugee status for people from Galen’s home, the Lands of Princes. She points out that they are only refugees because of what the Emperor of Lullabies has done to their country. A lawyer arguing against her says if they (Voulhire) take in the refugees they risk a backlash from the Emperor that they are not equipped to defend against.

The court case is disrupted when an assassin arrives and attacks the king.
This is just a foretaste of what is to come as further disruptions follow swiftly.

Soulhire has the same social ills that many of us are familiar with: a homeless shelter, an orphanage, street people, and beggars. Why do we see all this in what appears to be a prosperous city and why is Nartik recruiting candidates from these places for the Voulhirian army?

Away from Soulhire the Mianoran Knights, while out on patrol, come across the Riva Rohavi, a violently subversive group. The Riva Rohavi have made appearances before, but they feature more notably in this book.

There is no shortage of action in this story with assassination attempts, palace intrigue, power struggles, philosophy, social commentary, politics, conspiracy, betrayal, magic attacks, demons, and more.

What I liked most is the way that both the characters and our understanding of Voulhire itself continue to develop, with new characters and sub-plots being introduced from time to time, often towards the end of one book so that the scene is set for the next book. We gain new insights in each book in the series as the three friends travel to the various cities in Voulhire. I strongly advise that the books in this series be read in sequence, as they are far less powerful, and may even be confusing, when read standalone.

I think the detail of the world-building is extraordinary, as it includes not only the geography and some descriptions of the architecture but also religion, politics, social commentary (for example the attitude to beggars on the streets of Soulhire), and much more.

What I liked least were the occasional vulgarities that I feel were unnecessary and offensive. E.g. Alabaster speaking to Meldorath says “hey! At least you're not acting like a dried up pussy anymore."

I am thoroughly enjoying this series and have no hesitation in recommending it to adult readers, especially lovers of Science Fiction/Fantasy. The pdf copy that I reviewed was relatively error-free. I noticed only a few typos and occasional punctuation errors. None of these detracted from my reading enjoyment although I have to deduct one star for this, meaning that I award this book three out of four stars.

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We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End
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[markodim721]

I like the fact that the author created an entire fictional culture, in which he placed the plot of his book series. Thanks for the good review.