Review by Maddie Atkinson -- We are Voulhire: A New Arri...

[Maddie Atkinson]

[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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Galen Bray sets out from the Land of the Princes to find a new life in the prosperous land of Voulhire. With its science and magic he is pulled into adventure by his new friend Rowan, his naivety of the big wide world clear, leaving him blind to the dangers that are brewing in his new home. Meanwhile Lord Eldus is trying to further the success of the fishing town of Hillport and quell the fear that the evil Lord Meldorath is still alive. With the threat of the organisation Riva Rohavi also closing in, the story unravels as the secrets of Voulhire and its mysteries begin to be revealed.

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies follows several different narratives from different characters’ perspectives. This is one of my favourite things about this novel. Matthew Tysz does an incredible job of using both the first and the third person to allow the reader to see the general outside world of Voulhire (by use of the third person), and also see the world from Galen’s own perspective (by use of the first person). This means that as a reader you get to see how he interacts with new surroundings and how he makes sense of the world. With the rest of the characters’ narratives, you also see the problems that are beginning to reveal themselves and show the Voulhire is not quite as perfect as it seems. As these narratives begin to cross paths, the book starts to come together in an interesting clash of events. I also liked that this book is clearly set in another dimension, in a time period long ago, and yet is advanced in science enough to be able to use steam, but not enough that they still travel by horse and use swords as weapons. Mixing modern and ancient technology makes it a very interesting concept and world to read. The way in which Tysz writes settings is beautiful and almost makes you feel like you are in the book and seeing these wonderful sights as you read it, which incidentally is another thing I loved about this book. There is a dictionary at the end explaining different terms and pronunciations used in the book that are unusual to our own language, which I thought was a nice little touch!

I can honestly say that I can find no faults with this book or anything that I dislike and therefore I rate it 4 out of 4 stars, I nearly forgot to make notes because I was so invested in it. My only complaint is that it ended so frustratingly, but being part of a series, I guess that makes sense! The book is very well edited and wonderfully put together. I can’t sing its praises any higher!

I would recommend We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies to anyone who enjoys fantasy and magic, from young adults, to old. It may be slightly out of the age range of children due to mentions of sex and profane language, but otherwise I would say that it is suitable for anyone looking for a good read to get invested in, no matter what genre you like!

I absolutely cannot wait to be able to read the rest of this series and delve deeper into the land of Voulhire. I commend Matthew Tysz on his skill at writing a novel this mysterious and his way with words that drags you in and gets you lost in a world of magic and deceit. I really have no more words that truly capture the nature of this book!

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

You sound really pleased with this book, I get that feeling. We Are Voulhire is an amazing series, and it deserves as much as accolades as you have showered it with.
Nice review, Maddie.

[Maddie Atkinson]

You sound really pleased with this book, I get that feeling. We Are Voulhire is an amazing series, and it deserves as much as accolades as you have showered it with.
Nice review, Maddie.

Thank you so much my dude!!! I am very pleased with this book, I have read another series a bit like it by Jennifer Anne Davis, called The True Reign series, which is why I think I liked this book so much. I am currently reading the next in the series and I am loving it so far!

[LeighBee]

I like how you phrased it, "a world of magic and deceit." That is very accurate! His writing style is unique. I didn't love the first book as much, but I did enjoy it enough to keep reading. It was good enough to get me hooked on the series, and I'm so glad I kept reading. So many of the details and creative energy he puts into this book benefit the entire series. Thank you for your great review!

[Maddie Atkinson]

I like how you phrased it, "a world of magic and deceit." That is very accurate! His writing style is unique. I didn't love the first book as much, but I did enjoy it enough to keep reading. It was good enough to get me hooked on the series, and I'm so glad I kept reading. So many of the details and creative energy he puts into this book benefit the entire series. Thank you for your great review!

It hooked me too! My favourite book by far has to be the third one though, it was so eventful!

[The Holy Grail]

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

[Oreoluwa281]

I have read this book and can't agree with you more. This is such an entertaining and delightful read with amazing characters and plots, I'm sure I would be reading the rest of this series.