Review by Swanbird -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...
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Swanbird
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Review by Swanbird -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...
[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 a story about the wonderful and marvelous land of Voulhire. This is a kingdom whose people have mastered the art of merriment and enjoyment as much as they have mastered the art of using both magic and the sword in battle. This land is divided into different cities, ruled by different leaders that go by different titles such as by Lord, Mayor, Count, etc. Despite having their own armies and military outfit, they all unite under one king to make the beautiful kingdom of Voulhire that we know today. It is in the city of Magnum Caelum that Galen Bray arrives by ship one starry night to claim the forge and fortune that his late uncle Galen Onita left him. As someone who has not forged a single blade in his life, he must learn how to be the best blacksmith that he can. This desire leads him to pursue the promise of lactis steel in the mining town of Alcovia. Instead of getting the supply that he seeks, he stumbles upon something else, something magical, something whose nature he cannot comprehend. Unknown to him, this discovery leads sets his fate in stone for he must play a role that is much bigger than being an ordinary blacksmith in a small town. This discovery ties his fate with that of Voulhire.
I found out that true to Matthew Tysz’s words, this novel, which is the first in the series titled We Are Voulhire, is nothing but an introduction to the world of Voulhire and the evil that lurks in its dark places and enclosures. That is why I was not surprised when I did not see as much action or conflict as I had hoped to see in the novel. This book is much like a foundation upon which subsequent novels in the series will be built. That is why the author spent his time slowly and carefully developing the characters which I believe I will see more of as the series progresses.
Despite the somewhat dull nature of the novel, I enjoyed reading the book in the different styles that the author employed. I found that I liked the fact that each chapter focuses entirely on a different character. Also, each chapter is named after the character on whom it is focused. Other things that I enjoyed in the book is the smooth reading that is void of errors of any kind. Also, the story is interesting to the extent that I hope that it is turned into a movie one day. Lord knows that that is one movie that I will like to watch.
The only observation that isn’t so positive that was made by me as far as this book is concerned is the lack of a major female character. Although a few female characters were mentioned here and there in the book, but none of them made such an impact in the plot of the novel that is worthy of mention or even remembrance. This gave me a feeling that as it is the case in our own world, Voulhire is also just a men’s world where only men made and shaped history and the future as the Voulhirians know it. But I will not allow myself to judge this world so harshly as the journey into Voulhire just started. I am hopeful that the future (or the sequels in this case) will see women play notable roles in the novel.
On a scale of 4 with 1 being terrible and 4 being excellent, I’ll rate this novel 4 out of 4. The rationale behind this decision is the professional editing (I did not see any error), and how captivating both the plot and the author’s writing style are. I think that this book is perfect for lovers of science fiction, fantasy, and magic-filled novels. But I must let you know that this book is fraught with profanities and unless you are sensitive or against the usage of such words, then grab a copy of this book and take the journey, like I have, into the wonderful kingdom of Voulhire.
******
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 a story about the wonderful and marvelous land of Voulhire. This is a kingdom whose people have mastered the art of merriment and enjoyment as much as they have mastered the art of using both magic and the sword in battle. This land is divided into different cities, ruled by different leaders that go by different titles such as by Lord, Mayor, Count, etc. Despite having their own armies and military outfit, they all unite under one king to make the beautiful kingdom of Voulhire that we know today. It is in the city of Magnum Caelum that Galen Bray arrives by ship one starry night to claim the forge and fortune that his late uncle Galen Onita left him. As someone who has not forged a single blade in his life, he must learn how to be the best blacksmith that he can. This desire leads him to pursue the promise of lactis steel in the mining town of Alcovia. Instead of getting the supply that he seeks, he stumbles upon something else, something magical, something whose nature he cannot comprehend. Unknown to him, this discovery leads sets his fate in stone for he must play a role that is much bigger than being an ordinary blacksmith in a small town. This discovery ties his fate with that of Voulhire.
I found out that true to Matthew Tysz’s words, this novel, which is the first in the series titled We Are Voulhire, is nothing but an introduction to the world of Voulhire and the evil that lurks in its dark places and enclosures. That is why I was not surprised when I did not see as much action or conflict as I had hoped to see in the novel. This book is much like a foundation upon which subsequent novels in the series will be built. That is why the author spent his time slowly and carefully developing the characters which I believe I will see more of as the series progresses.
Despite the somewhat dull nature of the novel, I enjoyed reading the book in the different styles that the author employed. I found that I liked the fact that each chapter focuses entirely on a different character. Also, each chapter is named after the character on whom it is focused. Other things that I enjoyed in the book is the smooth reading that is void of errors of any kind. Also, the story is interesting to the extent that I hope that it is turned into a movie one day. Lord knows that that is one movie that I will like to watch.
The only observation that isn’t so positive that was made by me as far as this book is concerned is the lack of a major female character. Although a few female characters were mentioned here and there in the book, but none of them made such an impact in the plot of the novel that is worthy of mention or even remembrance. This gave me a feeling that as it is the case in our own world, Voulhire is also just a men’s world where only men made and shaped history and the future as the Voulhirians know it. But I will not allow myself to judge this world so harshly as the journey into Voulhire just started. I am hopeful that the future (or the sequels in this case) will see women play notable roles in the novel.
On a scale of 4 with 1 being terrible and 4 being excellent, I’ll rate this novel 4 out of 4. The rationale behind this decision is the professional editing (I did not see any error), and how captivating both the plot and the author’s writing style are. I think that this book is perfect for lovers of science fiction, fantasy, and magic-filled novels. But I must let you know that this book is fraught with profanities and unless you are sensitive or against the usage of such words, then grab a copy of this book and take the journey, like I have, into the wonderful kingdom of Voulhire.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Cynthia and Dan by Dorothy May Mercer
