Review by Leyla Ann -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival un...

[Leyla Ann]

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is a peculiar combination of science fiction and fantasy about a young lad named Galen Bray. It’s also the first book of the We Are Voulhir series.

After chaos took hold of the Lands of the Princes due to civil war, it was only normal for Galen to wish for a way out. Unexpectedly, Galen’s wish was answered through Rowan, his great uncle’s executor, who prepared the documents necessary for Galen’s immigration to Voulhir at his great uncle’s behest. One would think of Voulhir as a safe haven considering not only its reputation, but also its king’s reputation; Alas, all that glitters is not gold, and this kingdom too has its own share of problems, or more accurately, its own share of villains: Dalehei Meldorath, the genius mage, Riva Rohavi, the violent insurgents and Midius Maido, the sadistic, mischievous head of the Mianoran council.

There is a constant switch between different characters story wise, which serves to give the reader a better perspective on each character’s personality and their point of view concerning past and present occurrences. We get to see through this switch how Galen endeavours to fulfil his great uncle’s wish to follow his footsteps as a blacksmith, how Rowan helps him, how king Wilhelm and Eldus Alderman, current lord of the quiet southern town of Hillport and a former judge, try to clean the mess the previous lords have made, Meldorath included. We also get to take a peek at the latter, Midius Maido and Riva's side of the story.

Amidst all of these events, there is a notable dose of unexpectedness seasoned by sarcasm, which makes this story anything but dull. At first, I did find the frequent change of stories to be a little bit confusing, but as I dove into the book, such a change became similar to an enjoyable short break from each story. I also liked how the author described places, clothes, etc., vividly as it was easy to imagine everything even for someone like me who finds it hard to do so based on written descriptions.

In light of the above and considering how I barely stumbled upon one or two typos/errors, which leads me to believe that this book was professionally edited, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I wish I could give it more stars because it’s definitely worth it. I would like to point out though that this book contains non-borderline profanity, sexual insinuations and the subject of pedophilia in a generalised way, so I deem it to be only appropriate for an adult audience.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Smile-Austin]

Nice preview, insightful and informative, pointing out the fact it's an adult baseline content is a light shining guidance. Excellent.

[adhambakry]

Thanks for the review! I've read the book and I'm in love with the writer's vivid description and use of imagery.

[jokinyo]

I am loving every bit of this book. Thanks for recommendation. Nice review.

[The Holy Grail]

This is a wonderful review! I like how you explain your reading experience. I loved the book, too.

[Oreoluwa281]

I think I'm an addict to this series, your review Still captives my interest. Thank you for this review.

[Ace John]

Sounds like an amazing book from your review. I might consider it for my next read. I also like Sci-fi, so this should be a great one.