Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
Posted: 15 Jul 2024, 10:49
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is an astonishing novel crafted with passion and ingenuity. This book, which is the first installment in a nine-part adventure series, gives an in-depth introduction to the lives of characters and a tour around most towns and cities in Voulhire.
The plot centers around the kingdom of Voulhire and its subjects, who are on the verge of taking Voulhire to its greatest prosperity yet, a success from their industrial towns. The major divisions of administration in Voulhire are the Crown, the Mianoran Council, which ensures the integrity of state policies, and the Church of Destinism. They all possess a powerful army of their own, complete with expert mages skilled in magic and countermagic and warriors with cosmite powers, who also constitute a minor portion of Voulhire’s population. There is Riva Rohavi, a resistance entity that holds a millennium-old hatred towards Voulhire and has recently put a suspicious halt to their barbarity. And there is Meldorath, a former friend-turned-foe to the king, the most powerful wizard, and Riva Rohavi’s dread, who is declared dead. To take over Hillport, a coastal town in southern Voulhire where Meldorath ruled as its lord, Eldus arrives with his family and devises plans to flourish its trade.
In Magnum Caelum around Hillport, hopeful Galen Bray, a survivor from a war-ravaged island, arrives at his great uncle’s steel factory. Despite being selfless and naive to Voulhire’s knowledge and customs, and with the help of Rowan, his uncle’s venturesome executor, Galen hopes to learn to forge and make a new home for himself.
I loved everything about Voulhire as a kingdom. Its magnificent history, multifaceted culture, and the contribution of its ambitious citizens. In addition to the book, the author guides us through a separate extended reading, which helped add more feel to Voulhire. The magic realism loaded into the story is effective and convincing. The concept of Caromentis, a limitless universe of magical sources, was a joy to explore. I was particularly in awe reading through the chapter where a character materializes from Caromentis into the physical world, Cosmos, gaining a human body opposite to the incorporeal reality of Caromentis. It surprised me by giving an interesting perspective on the simple things around us.
The plot’s intriguing web of politics shined. It essentially carries the story forward. There is a crowd of antagonists here, with or without magic, who are emerging with varied motives. The pace of the story was moderate until the twist came to my throat. It was devastating. In a country this vast and flourishing, keeping people’s morale high in the face of adversity becomes challenging. And King Wilhelm, though selfless, struggles hard. The ominous ending incites excitement for the next part of the book, and I am riveted to know in what way Galen gets involved in this mayhem.
This splendidly worded novel is exceptionally well edited. The only change I would suggest is in the chapter introducing Riva Rohavi’s head. To have been revolting against the nation for this long, their reasoning lacked severity. Instead, their background felt cramped with little urgency. It could have been gone through in more depth. Other than that, I see nothing about this book that needs any change. I would recommend it to teens and adults, for it contains profanity and discussion of pedophilia.
We are Voulhire is a wonder, and I wholeheartedly give it a 5 out of 5. Captivating storylines, impressive world-building, and cryptic characters will ensure a fantastic ride for all fantasy-adventure lovers.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is an astonishing novel crafted with passion and ingenuity. This book, which is the first installment in a nine-part adventure series, gives an in-depth introduction to the lives of characters and a tour around most towns and cities in Voulhire.
The plot centers around the kingdom of Voulhire and its subjects, who are on the verge of taking Voulhire to its greatest prosperity yet, a success from their industrial towns. The major divisions of administration in Voulhire are the Crown, the Mianoran Council, which ensures the integrity of state policies, and the Church of Destinism. They all possess a powerful army of their own, complete with expert mages skilled in magic and countermagic and warriors with cosmite powers, who also constitute a minor portion of Voulhire’s population. There is Riva Rohavi, a resistance entity that holds a millennium-old hatred towards Voulhire and has recently put a suspicious halt to their barbarity. And there is Meldorath, a former friend-turned-foe to the king, the most powerful wizard, and Riva Rohavi’s dread, who is declared dead. To take over Hillport, a coastal town in southern Voulhire where Meldorath ruled as its lord, Eldus arrives with his family and devises plans to flourish its trade.
In Magnum Caelum around Hillport, hopeful Galen Bray, a survivor from a war-ravaged island, arrives at his great uncle’s steel factory. Despite being selfless and naive to Voulhire’s knowledge and customs, and with the help of Rowan, his uncle’s venturesome executor, Galen hopes to learn to forge and make a new home for himself.
I loved everything about Voulhire as a kingdom. Its magnificent history, multifaceted culture, and the contribution of its ambitious citizens. In addition to the book, the author guides us through a separate extended reading, which helped add more feel to Voulhire. The magic realism loaded into the story is effective and convincing. The concept of Caromentis, a limitless universe of magical sources, was a joy to explore. I was particularly in awe reading through the chapter where a character materializes from Caromentis into the physical world, Cosmos, gaining a human body opposite to the incorporeal reality of Caromentis. It surprised me by giving an interesting perspective on the simple things around us.
The plot’s intriguing web of politics shined. It essentially carries the story forward. There is a crowd of antagonists here, with or without magic, who are emerging with varied motives. The pace of the story was moderate until the twist came to my throat. It was devastating. In a country this vast and flourishing, keeping people’s morale high in the face of adversity becomes challenging. And King Wilhelm, though selfless, struggles hard. The ominous ending incites excitement for the next part of the book, and I am riveted to know in what way Galen gets involved in this mayhem.
This splendidly worded novel is exceptionally well edited. The only change I would suggest is in the chapter introducing Riva Rohavi’s head. To have been revolting against the nation for this long, their reasoning lacked severity. Instead, their background felt cramped with little urgency. It could have been gone through in more depth. Other than that, I see nothing about this book that needs any change. I would recommend it to teens and adults, for it contains profanity and discussion of pedophilia.
We are Voulhire is a wonder, and I wholeheartedly give it a 5 out of 5. Captivating storylines, impressive world-building, and cryptic characters will ensure a fantastic ride for all fantasy-adventure lovers.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon