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

[Janet Kimetto]

[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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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is the first book in the We are Voulhire series. Matthew Tysz depicts three corners of a world. First we meet the Emperor of Lullabies. "A wise and wicked ruler of a vast and powerful nation." He had four sons, all with legitimate claims to his throne, and with desires to lead. To be sure they wouldn't team up and overthrow him, the emperor gave each of them a small chain of islands off the mainland of his empire, small armies, and plenty of weapons. He counted on them warring, which happened. He was left alone.
The Lands of the Princes is the second corner of this world. The four princes have been at war for years. That's where Galen Bray, our protagonist, was born and raised. Galen only ever knew survival, because in the Lands of the Princes, tomorrow might never come. We follow Galen's escape into Voulhire, the third corner ruled by King Wilhelm. Galen is wide-eyed and innocent, and his learning journey is also ours.
There are numerous characters that I cannot begin to touch on. Lord Eldus will show you just how much positive changes one good leader could bring. Then there's Lord Meldorath. With his mage magic, and the allies he has at his side, it looks like no one will ever be able to stop him from getting what he wants. Lord Meldorath and the Riva Rohavi, a group not unlike any terrorist group, are the villains in this story.
I liked the balance the writer was able to put the story into. Despite the story being told from multiple points of view, I enjoyed all the individual stories equally. I did not get that urge readers sometimes get, to jump forward to my favourite character's story. I commend Matthew Tysz for that. I rate We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies four out of four stars. It couldn't be anything less.
The only thing I disliked was how limited the information we got about magic was. We meet several magic users throughout the book. I would have liked to know how they come to be. Are magic users born into this unique world as magic users, or do all the people have the potential to learn magic? Is it too much to hope that somehow Galen learns magic in the second book? That last part is wishful thinking, of course.
I recommend this book to people who are out to learn new words while enjoying an interesting story. Why not kill two birds with one stone, right? When I started reading it, what came into my mind was 'big words'. Do you happen to know what curmudgeonly means? The book was also well-edited. I encountered only one minor error while reading. I also recommend it to those who love fantasy stories. Matthew Tysz did a wonderful job building this world. I did not even need the map therein, but it was a genius addition on his part. I do not recommend this book for a younger audience though. There is so much death and violence woven into the story.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Asma Aisha Ansari]

This book is full of well-written characters and laudable world-building. It's written so well that even with so many characters in the story, I was able to easily follow the entire plot.
Thanks for writing this thorough review

[Janet Kimetto]

This book is full of well-written characters and laudable world-building. It's written so well that even with so many characters in the story, I was able to easily follow the entire plot.
Thanks for writing this thorough review

I totally agree. I enjoyed reading it so much. Thank you for stopping by!

[Mtibza eM]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[Mbrooks2518]

I really enjoyed this book when I read it too. Great review!

[Dzejn_Crvena]

I also have the same questions about the magical parts of the story.

When I mentioned about the biomages in my review, I was asked to provide what they do (and I'm like, "eh that's why I said I wanted to know more about them because I really don't know anything else ")

I love how you include intro of how the world of Voulhire came to be.
Thanks for your detailed review.

[Kennedy NC]

Sounds like a very intriguing plot. Great review.

[Josephe-Anne]

I read this book myself, and I also read many reviews of it. I must say that yours is one of the most enjoyable! I really like how you set the scene in your summary, and your descriptions of Galen and Lord Meldorath are spot on. I agree that Matthew Tysz built a fabulous fantasy realm.

Thank you for another great review!

[Janet Kimetto]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

I really enjoyed this book when I read it too. Great review!

It is a great book. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

I also have the same questions about the magical parts of the story.

When I mentioned about the biomages in my review, I was asked to provide what they do (and I'm like, "eh that's why I said I wanted to know more about them because I really don't know anything else ")

I love how you include intro of how the world of Voulhire came to be.
Thanks for your detailed review.

Haha, let's hope the other books tell us more. Thank you so much for stopping by, and for your kind words!

[Janet Kimetto]

Sounds like a very intriguing plot. Great review.

It sure is! Thank you so much for stopping by!

[Janet Kimetto]

I read this book myself, and I also read many reviews of it. I must say that yours is one of the most enjoyable! I really like how you set the scene in your summary, and your descriptions of Galen and Lord Meldorath are spot on. I agree that Matthew Tysz built a fabulous fantasy realm.

Thank you for another great review!

I loved writing this review, I'm so happy that you enjoyed reading it! Thank you so much for stopping by, and for your kind words!

[Raluca_Mihaila]

I am glad you enjoyed your first trip into the Voulhire universe!
Keep on reading and you will discover Tysz's unique magic rules. I found it quite interesting.
Nice review!

[Janet Kimetto]

I am glad you enjoyed your first trip into the Voulhire universe!
Keep on reading and you will discover Tysz's unique magic rules. I found it quite interesting.
Nice review!

I can't wait to read the rest of the books! Thank you so much for stopping by!