Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
Posted: 03 Feb 2023, 15:33
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
Galen is a refugee from the Land of the Princes, the chain of islands where war never ends ever since the King of Lullabies sent his sons there to guard the empire against the enemies and they turned against each other. With that war, and with only one heir remaining in his sight, the king made sure that his kingdom would have peace. But there are subtle undercurrents in politics and magic that Galen doesn’t understand, and his uncle’s executor is obliged to help him blend in and possibly help him with the inherited smithing job. The king, lord Eldus, Midius Maido, and lord Meldorath are other characters that we follow throughout the book. The king wants nothing but to read books and enjoy some peace. Midius Maido is his opposition in so many serious and hilarious ways. Lord Eldus wants to bring economic advantage to Hillport while doing his best not to pay attention to an armada guarding an island nearby. In the meantime, the people of Riva Rohavi are dancing their way to Hillport to burn it to the ground.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Mattew Tysz is a perfect start to an epic fantasy series that, according to the author, should have nine books. The world-building is amazingly constructed, from the three realms (Alithea the spirit universe, Cosmos the physical universe, and Caromentis the magic universe), to every city, palace, and custom. There is magic and philosophy around it, but there are also child psychologists, red spectacles, and rules of the economy. Galen is the only one telling his story while others have the voice of the author, which makes it more interesting. The best part I like is how the characters are conversing, thus reflecting their relationships. It’s painfully realistic, vivid, and, even though they are not avoiding any subject, within the boundaries of politeness. All characters are strong, holding their parts of the story equally interesting.
I could never imagine this book to have any faults, but as I progressed with reading and was nearing the end, the author kept introducing new characters. While this is completely justified for the series, it’s not so desirable if the book is to be read as a standalone. There are too many characters to follow already, and adding new ones that have so few pages can be a daunting task.
I give We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies 5 out of 5 stars. This novel deserves all the stars it can get because of its mesmerizing style, witting conversations, and mastering all plots, subplots, and characters into one great puzzle which is Voulhire.
Recommending this book is easy. I believe every avid lover of epic fantasy and magic realism is going to enjoy it. Also, if you loved intrigues from the world of GOT, you are going to like this book too.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Galen is a refugee from the Land of the Princes, the chain of islands where war never ends ever since the King of Lullabies sent his sons there to guard the empire against the enemies and they turned against each other. With that war, and with only one heir remaining in his sight, the king made sure that his kingdom would have peace. But there are subtle undercurrents in politics and magic that Galen doesn’t understand, and his uncle’s executor is obliged to help him blend in and possibly help him with the inherited smithing job. The king, lord Eldus, Midius Maido, and lord Meldorath are other characters that we follow throughout the book. The king wants nothing but to read books and enjoy some peace. Midius Maido is his opposition in so many serious and hilarious ways. Lord Eldus wants to bring economic advantage to Hillport while doing his best not to pay attention to an armada guarding an island nearby. In the meantime, the people of Riva Rohavi are dancing their way to Hillport to burn it to the ground.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Mattew Tysz is a perfect start to an epic fantasy series that, according to the author, should have nine books. The world-building is amazingly constructed, from the three realms (Alithea the spirit universe, Cosmos the physical universe, and Caromentis the magic universe), to every city, palace, and custom. There is magic and philosophy around it, but there are also child psychologists, red spectacles, and rules of the economy. Galen is the only one telling his story while others have the voice of the author, which makes it more interesting. The best part I like is how the characters are conversing, thus reflecting their relationships. It’s painfully realistic, vivid, and, even though they are not avoiding any subject, within the boundaries of politeness. All characters are strong, holding their parts of the story equally interesting.
I could never imagine this book to have any faults, but as I progressed with reading and was nearing the end, the author kept introducing new characters. While this is completely justified for the series, it’s not so desirable if the book is to be read as a standalone. There are too many characters to follow already, and adding new ones that have so few pages can be a daunting task.
I give We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies 5 out of 5 stars. This novel deserves all the stars it can get because of its mesmerizing style, witting conversations, and mastering all plots, subplots, and characters into one great puzzle which is Voulhire.
Recommending this book is easy. I believe every avid lover of epic fantasy and magic realism is going to enjoy it. Also, if you loved intrigues from the world of GOT, you are going to like this book too.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon