Review by cjl1995 -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival unde...

[cjl1995]

[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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Voulhire is a land in its golden age: prosperous and rich, not just in gold but in magic, knowledge, and life. In We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies, the first book in the We Are Voulhire series, Matthew Tysk spins into creation the realm of Voulhire, building a comprehensive world and characters in your mind and heart.

With each chapter in the point of view of a different character, we meet Galen Bray, Lord Eldus and his family, King Wilhelm, and several others. Through their eyes, we learn about Voulhire. Galen Bray is a young man who moves to Voulhire from a war-torn country to take over his uncle’s blacksmithing business. Eldus is the newly made lord of a town called Hillport, sent to bring the wealth of the other regions to the small town and the southern coast. Wilhelm is the current king of Voulhire, and although it has been deemed the golden age, he has many troubles on his mind. Through these characters, we learn of several enemies that previously plagued the kingdom: Meldorath, a powerful mage, and Riva Rohavi, a terrorist group. Will these foes remain in the past? Or will trouble shatter the prosperous age?

I highly enjoyed reading the first novel of the We Are Voulhire series. Tysk does an excellent job of not only building a detailed universe but creating an array of unique characters. What I appreciated most about this book was, despite the number of characters, each of their distinct personalities shines through. For example, you can see that Galen is eager to learn, grateful, and slightly naïve, while you learn that Lord Eldus is caring, generous, and intelligent. Even characters with small parts seem to have their own qualities. Because each chapter is from the perspective of a different person, similar to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, you connect to more than one character. As a result, you get to go on multiple adventures in one book.

I can honestly say there is not anything I disliked about the book. The amount of detail about Voulhire can be overwhelming, but there is a convenient glossary in the back of the book to explain terms. There is also a website with a more in-depth history of Voulhire. For this reason, I rate this book with 4 out of 4 stars. I found only one error and can confidently say it was professionally edited.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy adventure novels that feature magic, heroes, and an enemy you cannot see because they are hidden in shadows. I would not recommend this book for children due to the use of non-borderline profanity and light sexual content. We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies is a great read and leaves the reader enthralled and wanting to read the next book in the series.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[PeterRabitt20]

This book seems to have lots of fans. I like the different viewpoints in each chapter. Thanks for your detailed review.