Review by MichClem -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...

[MichClem]

[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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The name of the book is We Are Voulhire – A New Arrival Under The Great Skies. This story is a periodic fantasy revealing the world around Voulhire. The main character and narrator is Galen. The prologue begins with an intriguing standoff at the Castle Hillport between the great and powerful mage called Meldorath who is the king's head servant and her detachment of mages and servants. We know that these fascinating events will have a key role to play in the adventure to come. As the story evolves, we are introduced to Galen the narrator and protagonist. Galen’s story begins when he is made heir to his uncle Galen Onita’s forgery and wealth. He travels to his new home of Voulhire-a prosperous and peaceful nation which benefits from a healthy economy and good governance. His fortunes are looking up but I suspect that if this condition were to remain we would not have an exciting story to follow.

While our protagonist settles in we are provided with insight into events unfolding in other territories which will seriously surround and eventually affect Voulhire. Undoubtedly there are mages and magical folk with abilities powerful enough to upset the status quo, peace and prosperity of Voulhire. Galen and Rowan his guide become friend take us through his story. Galen references the larger events of governance, war and magic that will draw him inevitably into center stage and carry us on an exciting journey.

The author Matthew Tysz has ably introduced us to the worlds surrounding Voulhire. He is clearly interested in world building as he has provided a backdrop for Voulhire and the various kingdoms that surround it. Tysz has provided a website with curious information on the world he intends to build. We are told that one year is equal to 384 days, that no family may rule Voulhire for more than 3 generations and that just as we have eras such as AC and BC, his fictional kingdom has its own way of measuring eras. This additional information only adds to my curiosity as to how this seemingly trivial information will affect unfolding events. The author successfully grounds the story in intrigue and wonder as he weaves incredible events and characters throughout his story. The story also takes unexpected turns which was quite refreshing. It is obvious that Tysz is preparing to create bigger and better sequels for this story. This will be very good reading in my opinion.

While the author successfully navigates the reader through very unusual and exciting aspects of the story such as governance and familial disputes, for a moment I was a little disappointed that he did not remain faithful to an unexpected twist with a key character in the story. Tysz returns the character to a predictable role in his fantasy and I felt that had he continued with his initial direction with this character, it would have nailed the creative element of a very exciting and ambitious story.

The book is still a very exciting read and I will heartily recommend it to persons wishing to engage in an exciting and fantastical journey. The book has been professionally edited. There is profanity and while there is no explicit sexual content there have been instances of suggestive sexual content. For this reason, I will recommend this as reading suitable to persons 18 years and older. I give the book four out of four stars for its creativity and world building.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your informative review. This series is quite interesting with lots of twists and turns. Tyzs is a creative author with a nice writing style.

[Mariana Figueira]

I also enjoyed this book, and I agree that Mathew Tysz did a great job of creating a whole new world. Thank you for your review