Review by Wareesha Asif -- We are Voulhire: A New Arriva...

This forum is for volunteer reviews by members of our review team. These reviews are done voluntarily by the reviewers and are published in this forum, separate from the official professional reviews. These reviews are kept separate primarily because the same book may be reviewed by many different reviewers.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
Wareesha Asif
Posts: 3
Joined: 31 Mar 2021, 02:21
Favorite Book: We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 3
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-wareesha-asif.html
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
2024 Reading Goal: 50
2024 Goal Completion: 0%

Review by Wareesha Asif -- We are Voulhire: A New Arriva...

Post by Wareesha Asif »

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Galen, a young refugee from a war-ravaged land, arrives in the magnificent kingdom of Voulhire in the hope of starting a new, peaceful life and managing the forge he inherited from his uncle. All Galen had ever learned was survival, so naturally, it takes a while for him to adapt to this new land. As he starts getting familiar with Voulhire’s way of life, he, along with his friend, Rowan, sets out to explore the empire, both completely unaware of the disastrous events occurring in the rest of the kingdom.

Eldus Alderman, a former judge, is sent by King Wilhelm to the humble yet under-developed town of Hillport as its new lord. Hillport, while serene out front, has suffered great tragedy at the hands of its two former lords: Orlin and Meldorath. Although both of them committed condemnable sins, Meldorath’s name is more feared throughout the kingdom, so as Eldus tries to transform Hillport into the outshining coastal hub he envisioned, he realizes that carrying on the legacy of a mage as powerful and dreaded as Meldorath is no easy task.

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies revolves mainly around these two characters, but occasionally, we get glimpses into the minds of other characters as well. Mathew Tysz did an excellent job with this book, creating and nurturing it in a way that left no plot holes. It is a brilliant piece of work set in a beautiful universe and timeline, one that I would love to live in. The characters, while often clichéd, are all well-developed and quite relatable such that when you read, it feels as if every character has its own story waiting to unfold.

The way Tysz composes his story is remarkable. The skill with which he describes different scenes and places is extraordinary. Since this is just the first of nine books, I would love to see how all these characters develop further into the story. The thing I loved most was Tysz’s ability to intertwine all these characters’ perspectives in such a manner that they all get involved in the same event at the end.

The part that I did not like was that after all the time spent learning and loving a character, Tysz snatches him away. Of course, I don’t mean to give away any spoilers, but being a voracious reader, it does hurt when a character you grew particularly fond of dies in the end. Another thing was the violence orchestrated in the book. There were some particular scenes when the fighting got quite gruesome: men were described to have their heads split in half or their bodies pierced by spears.

But regardless of these, the book deserves to be rated 4 out of 4 stars. It was well-edited and written beautifully. Death and violence are a part of humanity, and this story portrays all of humanity and its flaws perfectly. It shows that whatever universe we’re living in, we’ll always be flawed, and we’ll always tip the scales towards war at some point in history. We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies represents great messages and morals if one looks close enough to find them.

This book, packed with action, humour and magic around every corner, is the perfect read for any of you who liked the Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson series. I strongly recommend fantasy lovers to read this, and I assure you, the magnificently terrifying world of Voulhire will keep you turning pages all night.

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

Return to “Volunteer Reviews”