Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
Posted: 16 Sep 2024, 11:31
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
A kingdom in trouble, magic, knights, political intrigues, and a likely hero, these are the ingredients for a good fantasy novel. Matthew Tysz's book We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies has all these ingredients and much more.
An exemplary novel holds the reader's interest right from the beginning. This book captivated me from the first chapter with its splendid storyline and refined characters.
The kingdom of Voulhire was founded by a great king, Saint Idus. Presently being ruled by its third dynasty, it is rich and self-sufficient with its own natural resources. Its cities are ruled by lords appointed by the king. The novel opens with one such lord being overthrown by the city's magistrate, Meldorath, who is also a powerful magician. His mastery over magic and his undisclosed intentions towards its future use intrigued me.
The kingdom is also plagued by an outlawed group of dancing men called Riva Rohavi, who remind King Wilhelm of their existence every now and then by plundering a town and killing its people. The king wants his knights to fight against them. However, the insolence of Midius Maido, who heads the Mianoran Council of Knights, to refuse the king's order confused me. I found it difficult to believe that the king has no authority over his knights.
Galen Bray, a young refugee from the turbulent Lands of the Princes, arrives in Voulhire only to find himself surrounded by these strange events. Meanwhile, a young woman is chased out of a parallel world called Caromentis to this physical world. Her arrival in the story, which is the first in the We are Voulhire series, is fascinating and made me wonder about her role in the subsequent novels.
The author has appropriately introduced all these characters, paving the way for their future role in the series. Though the story may become clearer as we read the next books in the series, I felt disappointed as this book cannot be read as a standalone novel, with some events left incomplete without explanation.
The novel is well-edited and is a must-read for those who love fantasy and magic. I recommend the book to adults since it contains profanity and sexual references. Since the author's writing style is vivid and descriptive, I could easily imagine the scenes and enjoy the story. Hence, I rate the novel 5 out of 5 stars.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A kingdom in trouble, magic, knights, political intrigues, and a likely hero, these are the ingredients for a good fantasy novel. Matthew Tysz's book We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies has all these ingredients and much more.
An exemplary novel holds the reader's interest right from the beginning. This book captivated me from the first chapter with its splendid storyline and refined characters.
The kingdom of Voulhire was founded by a great king, Saint Idus. Presently being ruled by its third dynasty, it is rich and self-sufficient with its own natural resources. Its cities are ruled by lords appointed by the king. The novel opens with one such lord being overthrown by the city's magistrate, Meldorath, who is also a powerful magician. His mastery over magic and his undisclosed intentions towards its future use intrigued me.
The kingdom is also plagued by an outlawed group of dancing men called Riva Rohavi, who remind King Wilhelm of their existence every now and then by plundering a town and killing its people. The king wants his knights to fight against them. However, the insolence of Midius Maido, who heads the Mianoran Council of Knights, to refuse the king's order confused me. I found it difficult to believe that the king has no authority over his knights.
Galen Bray, a young refugee from the turbulent Lands of the Princes, arrives in Voulhire only to find himself surrounded by these strange events. Meanwhile, a young woman is chased out of a parallel world called Caromentis to this physical world. Her arrival in the story, which is the first in the We are Voulhire series, is fascinating and made me wonder about her role in the subsequent novels.
The author has appropriately introduced all these characters, paving the way for their future role in the series. Though the story may become clearer as we read the next books in the series, I felt disappointed as this book cannot be read as a standalone novel, with some events left incomplete without explanation.
The novel is well-edited and is a must-read for those who love fantasy and magic. I recommend the book to adults since it contains profanity and sexual references. Since the author's writing style is vivid and descriptive, I could easily imagine the scenes and enjoy the story. Hence, I rate the novel 5 out of 5 stars.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon