Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
Galen Bray has been given a gift that many yearn for: the opportunity to escape the dreadful and oppressive Lands of Princes and start a new life in the land of Voulhire. Voulhire has entered a golden age under the rule of King Wilhelm, and almost everyone living there takes pride in the place they call home. However, chaos is brewing beneath the surface: Lord Meldorath, a powerful mage and political player, is up to something; some believe the Riva Rohavi, a rebellious organization and old enemy of Voulhire, is preparing to strike again; politically, games are being played and moves are being made.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is a high fantasy story that is unique from others I have read. One of my favorite things about the book is how well Tysz developed Voulhire. He creates a rich world complete with historical, political, economic, and religious details and descriptions. Tysz did such a great job at describing Voulhire that, by just reading the story, I could probably draw a semi-accurate map of Voulhire (though he did include one in the book, so I would not need to). Not only is the world-building thorough, but it is also delivered thoughtfully and naturally throughout the story rather than being delivered as one big information dump. I enjoyed the layered storytelling. In one chapter, we read about an event from one character’s perspective; in the next chapter, we read about the same event but from a different perspective and with new insights.
Sometimes in stories with multiple points of view, I find some chapters harder to read than others because some chapters follow a character I dislike or whose storyline I am uninterested in. In this book, the characters were believable (even the not-so-likable ones) as were their motives. I was interested in all of their storylines, and I enjoyed reading each chapter. However, I wish that some of the characters had been more developed. For example, hearing more about Galen’s life while living in the Lands of the Princes would have been nice. I hope Tysz works on developing the characters a bit more in the next book. Other than this minor critique, there is nothing that I dislike about this book. There were a couple of minor grammatical issues, but nothing severe enough to hinder my reading experience.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Overall, the book is unique, engaging, and immersive. Tysz provides the right balance of world-building and storytelling. The concepts and ideas are interesting. The story is fast-paced, but not so fast-paced that the story is hard to follow. There were a couple of minor grammatical errors, but otherwise, the book seemed to be well-edited. I enjoyed becoming acquainted with the realm of Voulhire, and I look forward to reading more about it in the next book of the series.
This book is for young or older adults who enjoy a unique high fantasy story delivered from multiple viewpoints. If you like to read stories that paint a picture of a well-imagined world, then I would recommend this book! If you are looking for a high fantasy series that is unique, easy-to-read, and immersive, then you should give this one a try!
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Galen Bray has been given a gift that many yearn for: the opportunity to escape the dreadful and oppressive Lands of Princes and start a new life in the land of Voulhire. Voulhire has entered a golden age under the rule of King Wilhelm, and almost everyone living there takes pride in the place they call home. However, chaos is brewing beneath the surface: Lord Meldorath, a powerful mage and political player, is up to something; some believe the Riva Rohavi, a rebellious organization and old enemy of Voulhire, is preparing to strike again; politically, games are being played and moves are being made.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is a high fantasy story that is unique from others I have read. One of my favorite things about the book is how well Tysz developed Voulhire. He creates a rich world complete with historical, political, economic, and religious details and descriptions. Tysz did such a great job at describing Voulhire that, by just reading the story, I could probably draw a semi-accurate map of Voulhire (though he did include one in the book, so I would not need to). Not only is the world-building thorough, but it is also delivered thoughtfully and naturally throughout the story rather than being delivered as one big information dump. I enjoyed the layered storytelling. In one chapter, we read about an event from one character’s perspective; in the next chapter, we read about the same event but from a different perspective and with new insights.
Sometimes in stories with multiple points of view, I find some chapters harder to read than others because some chapters follow a character I dislike or whose storyline I am uninterested in. In this book, the characters were believable (even the not-so-likable ones) as were their motives. I was interested in all of their storylines, and I enjoyed reading each chapter. However, I wish that some of the characters had been more developed. For example, hearing more about Galen’s life while living in the Lands of the Princes would have been nice. I hope Tysz works on developing the characters a bit more in the next book. Other than this minor critique, there is nothing that I dislike about this book. There were a couple of minor grammatical issues, but nothing severe enough to hinder my reading experience.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Overall, the book is unique, engaging, and immersive. Tysz provides the right balance of world-building and storytelling. The concepts and ideas are interesting. The story is fast-paced, but not so fast-paced that the story is hard to follow. There were a couple of minor grammatical errors, but otherwise, the book seemed to be well-edited. I enjoyed becoming acquainted with the realm of Voulhire, and I look forward to reading more about it in the next book of the series.
This book is for young or older adults who enjoy a unique high fantasy story delivered from multiple viewpoints. If you like to read stories that paint a picture of a well-imagined world, then I would recommend this book! If you are looking for a high fantasy series that is unique, easy-to-read, and immersive, then you should give this one a try!
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
