Review by carlib -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under...
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carlib
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- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End by Matthew Tysz
Review by carlib -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
We are Voulhire: A new arrival under great skies by Matthew Tysz is the first installment in the We are Voulhire series, it follows the lives of a few people who are instrumental in the plot. It starts with Galen Bray as he starts his journey escaping a war-torn land and finds himself in Voulhire, here the wide-eyed boy as well as the audience learns more about this world as he finds where he belongs in this new land. A powerful mage who I won’t expand on in fear of giving away too much, is an important character and drives much of the story alongside Galen’s ark. Another important set of characters is a family recently stationed in a small town in hopes of helping it thrive despite its recent horrors from the last two lords who had occupied the castle. The story finds its conclusion as the mystery everyone had tried to hide makes a punching appearance.
The first thing I want to mention is the worldbuilding, it’s vibrant and one can see the obvious care that went into constructing this world. There’s a map at the start of the story which you can use to see the layout and where the characters find themselves in each chapter. Another thing I absolutely loved was the explanations of magic and how it worked in tandem with the physical world. The characters are all authentic and believable with conflicts not only with the plot as a whole but also on a smaller scale as personalities clashed. The story never quite reveals all its cards as it progresses, leaving you wanting more at the end of each chapter. Galen is new to this world just as we, the audience, which gives a golden opportunity to learn with him, still, it never felt like I was being schooled but instead the explanations came as I needed them.
There’s not a lot of complaints I have regarding the story as a whole. Some characters like Midius Maido I did not like as much but that is just personal preference and in context it is obvious, he is someone I shouldn’t like or trust. As I’ve mentioned before, this is the first installment of the series which leaves the ending feeling very open-ended and unresolved, it feels like you’re standing at the start of a great adventure as you finish the story. If you’re someone who likes conclusions, this isn’t something you’d enjoy. Furthermore, if you’re someone who likes a very structured plot, this book would be frustrating to get through, not knowing where you’re headed. Regarding the fight scenes, sometimes it felt like I got a little lost in what was happening and had to reread to find myself within the scenes because there was so much going on.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4. I give this rating on the basis that it’s exceptionally well edited, I didn’t find any grammar mistakes. The characters are authentic, each with their own motives and conflicts. I felt drawn to every character despite their actions. The story moves naturally and gradually to its conclusion, and I felt quite surprised when the story did come to a close. The novel is an easy and delightful read, especially for someone who’s fascinated by medieval fantasy.
I would recommend this story to anyone who loves medieval adventure steeped in lore and magic. I would discourage, however, if you are someone who likes a clear structure plot and a conclusion without reading the whole series. The main goal of the story does seem to be setting up the second book, but that fact doesn’t take away that this is a good read.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A new arrival under great skies by Matthew Tysz is the first installment in the We are Voulhire series, it follows the lives of a few people who are instrumental in the plot. It starts with Galen Bray as he starts his journey escaping a war-torn land and finds himself in Voulhire, here the wide-eyed boy as well as the audience learns more about this world as he finds where he belongs in this new land. A powerful mage who I won’t expand on in fear of giving away too much, is an important character and drives much of the story alongside Galen’s ark. Another important set of characters is a family recently stationed in a small town in hopes of helping it thrive despite its recent horrors from the last two lords who had occupied the castle. The story finds its conclusion as the mystery everyone had tried to hide makes a punching appearance.
The first thing I want to mention is the worldbuilding, it’s vibrant and one can see the obvious care that went into constructing this world. There’s a map at the start of the story which you can use to see the layout and where the characters find themselves in each chapter. Another thing I absolutely loved was the explanations of magic and how it worked in tandem with the physical world. The characters are all authentic and believable with conflicts not only with the plot as a whole but also on a smaller scale as personalities clashed. The story never quite reveals all its cards as it progresses, leaving you wanting more at the end of each chapter. Galen is new to this world just as we, the audience, which gives a golden opportunity to learn with him, still, it never felt like I was being schooled but instead the explanations came as I needed them.
There’s not a lot of complaints I have regarding the story as a whole. Some characters like Midius Maido I did not like as much but that is just personal preference and in context it is obvious, he is someone I shouldn’t like or trust. As I’ve mentioned before, this is the first installment of the series which leaves the ending feeling very open-ended and unresolved, it feels like you’re standing at the start of a great adventure as you finish the story. If you’re someone who likes conclusions, this isn’t something you’d enjoy. Furthermore, if you’re someone who likes a very structured plot, this book would be frustrating to get through, not knowing where you’re headed. Regarding the fight scenes, sometimes it felt like I got a little lost in what was happening and had to reread to find myself within the scenes because there was so much going on.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4. I give this rating on the basis that it’s exceptionally well edited, I didn’t find any grammar mistakes. The characters are authentic, each with their own motives and conflicts. I felt drawn to every character despite their actions. The story moves naturally and gradually to its conclusion, and I felt quite surprised when the story did come to a close. The novel is an easy and delightful read, especially for someone who’s fascinated by medieval fantasy.
I would recommend this story to anyone who loves medieval adventure steeped in lore and magic. I would discourage, however, if you are someone who likes a clear structure plot and a conclusion without reading the whole series. The main goal of the story does seem to be setting up the second book, but that fact doesn’t take away that this is a good read.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End by Matthew Tysz
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CozyBookCorner
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- Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
Thank you for the detailed review. I feel like Midius Maido is a character that does a great job at being unlikable, although I'm interested to see what his goals really are!
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
