Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
Posted: 23 Feb 2023, 04:44
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
The story follows the life of a young Galen Bray, who arrives in Voulhire, from the war-torn Land of the Princes. Galen inherits his uncle's forge. Shortly after his arrival, he meets Rowan—his uncle's executor, who is also an infamous rake. Rowan takes the initiative to assist Galen get assimilated into the new world. Whether he has an ulterior motive remains to be seen. Together, the two youngsters set out. Unbeknownst to them, a whole world of adventure awaits them. Voulhire, though enjoying peace at the moment of Galen's arrival, is complex—perhaps even more complex than the Land of the Princes from whence he came.
Elsewhere, in a small town in Voulhire, trouble is brewing. King Wilhelm sends one of the city judges and friend to Hillport. Lord Eldus, ever the loyal servant, obeys the king's command, and together with his family, he sets out for Hillport. Among his goals is to bolster the economic capability of Hillport, help assuage the people of their suffering and also heal the town. The town is psychologically afflicted by the atrocities committed against them by the two former lords. Among the two lords is a powerful mage, Meldorath, who does not take his replacement lightly. Meldorath sets into motion his plan of a revolt, aided by the Riva Rohavi—a group that has been fomenting a revolt in Voulhire since time immemorial. Does Meldrath succeed? What role does Galen play in all these? Dig into We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz to find out.
The story, which is part of what is to be an entertaining series, begins with a slow start. Matthew is slowly laying the groundwork for the series—and slowly the excitement builds up. The characters are innumerable, but Matthew introduces them with ease. One can not help but revel in his mastery of narration. As one continues to read the book, the story is slowly pieced together. Character after character, foe after foe, ally after ally—they all begin to make sense. Before you know it, you're deeply engrossed in the novel and the plot becomes more and more apparent. Despite the complexity of the plot, Matthew leaves no one behind.
Matthew is more of a painter than he is a writer. I say this because of the vivid descriptions employed throughout the novel. So vivid are his descriptions that I could not help but feel like I was a part of the story. An observer, lurking in the shadows. Like his book, his imagination is simply not of this world. The book was a rollercoaster ride, replete with magic and wisdom. Reading the book I felt like I got a piece of everything; from philosophy to psychology, antiquity to modernity, magic to pragmatism. To say I immensely enjoyed the book is a gross understatement. Unlike Matthew, I lack the words to fully express what a masterpiece his work was. It was simply magical—both literally and figuratively!
The only off-putting thing about the book was a few spacing and hyphenating errors. Their mildish nature may reflect a sloppiness in the editing. That being said, they are quite few and not bothersome. Otherwise, Matthew's narration and mastery of language fully absolves the book. I completely yield to the temptation of rating the book five out of five stars.
I would recommend the book to all fiction lovers. The lovers of history, philosophy, and psychology are also included.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The story follows the life of a young Galen Bray, who arrives in Voulhire, from the war-torn Land of the Princes. Galen inherits his uncle's forge. Shortly after his arrival, he meets Rowan—his uncle's executor, who is also an infamous rake. Rowan takes the initiative to assist Galen get assimilated into the new world. Whether he has an ulterior motive remains to be seen. Together, the two youngsters set out. Unbeknownst to them, a whole world of adventure awaits them. Voulhire, though enjoying peace at the moment of Galen's arrival, is complex—perhaps even more complex than the Land of the Princes from whence he came.
Elsewhere, in a small town in Voulhire, trouble is brewing. King Wilhelm sends one of the city judges and friend to Hillport. Lord Eldus, ever the loyal servant, obeys the king's command, and together with his family, he sets out for Hillport. Among his goals is to bolster the economic capability of Hillport, help assuage the people of their suffering and also heal the town. The town is psychologically afflicted by the atrocities committed against them by the two former lords. Among the two lords is a powerful mage, Meldorath, who does not take his replacement lightly. Meldorath sets into motion his plan of a revolt, aided by the Riva Rohavi—a group that has been fomenting a revolt in Voulhire since time immemorial. Does Meldrath succeed? What role does Galen play in all these? Dig into We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz to find out.
The story, which is part of what is to be an entertaining series, begins with a slow start. Matthew is slowly laying the groundwork for the series—and slowly the excitement builds up. The characters are innumerable, but Matthew introduces them with ease. One can not help but revel in his mastery of narration. As one continues to read the book, the story is slowly pieced together. Character after character, foe after foe, ally after ally—they all begin to make sense. Before you know it, you're deeply engrossed in the novel and the plot becomes more and more apparent. Despite the complexity of the plot, Matthew leaves no one behind.
Matthew is more of a painter than he is a writer. I say this because of the vivid descriptions employed throughout the novel. So vivid are his descriptions that I could not help but feel like I was a part of the story. An observer, lurking in the shadows. Like his book, his imagination is simply not of this world. The book was a rollercoaster ride, replete with magic and wisdom. Reading the book I felt like I got a piece of everything; from philosophy to psychology, antiquity to modernity, magic to pragmatism. To say I immensely enjoyed the book is a gross understatement. Unlike Matthew, I lack the words to fully express what a masterpiece his work was. It was simply magical—both literally and figuratively!
The only off-putting thing about the book was a few spacing and hyphenating errors. Their mildish nature may reflect a sloppiness in the editing. That being said, they are quite few and not bothersome. Otherwise, Matthew's narration and mastery of language fully absolves the book. I completely yield to the temptation of rating the book five out of five stars.
I would recommend the book to all fiction lovers. The lovers of history, philosophy, and psychology are also included.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon