Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies

[Ayesha Ameera Memon]

[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 by Matthew Tysz is the first book in this series, which is based on the Kingdom of Voulhire. This novel explores themes such as migration, leadership, nepotism and secret conspiracies. This is shown through the eyes of Galen, the naïve protagonist of this novel who is asked to relocate to the Kingdom of Voulhire. Little does he know, this move will change everything.

One of my favorite things about this novel was how realistic and relatable it was. Despite being based in a sci-fi universe, the story of the people of this kingdom is very similar to our struggles today. There’s a general idea that migrating to a first-world or a more developed country will improve one’s circumstances. We see families giving up everything to chase after what is popularly known as the “American Dream.” This novel highlights the realities of having such a dream. It shows you that such a journey is not easy or without sacrifice. At the end, you may even end up somewhere you’re an outcast and life isn’t all that was promised. The Kingdom of Voulhire highlights pain, sacrifice, and how a desire for a better life can change everything, and not necessarily for the better.

Another way in which the circumstances depicted in this novel emulated those of recent times was politics. Through the character of Lord Meldorath, a corrupt and cruel leader was introduced. Through the Emperor’s sons, we saw how far family rivalries can go for the sake of selfish gain. The author explored a distinct fight between good versus evil in this novel, while leaving a gray area for the audience to interpret as they wish.

Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed were the illustrations. The novel was littered with maps and guides that help readers envision the layout of Voulhire. This helped me develop an intricate understanding of the world Tysz created. The author also ensured that complex terminology and events were explained in the reference section at the end of the book. I found this particularly helpful as a first-time reader of this series. After this wonderful read, I’m excited to check out the rest of this series!

For these reasons, I can’t rate this novel anything less than 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the introduction to this universe and found the little details quite endearing. Furthermore, the character development was beautiful. I was also amazed by the author’s ability to integrate subtle social commentary within the general plot of the novel. I found nothing I disliked about this novel. It was exceptionally well-edited and I found no errors of any sort.

I would recommend this novel to lovers of sci-fi. I would also recommend this novel to anyone interested in a commentary on the current political landscape guised within a fictional story. This novel contains no profanity. It is therefore, a suitable young adult novel for individuals 13 and over.

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

This book is amazing. I love the themes, it just made sense to me.
Great review.

[Mr Excellence]

From your review,i knew that the book is amazing. I love the themes, it just made sense to me.
Great review.

[Shillah Andeso]

Galen is an amazing character. The way in which Matthew explains the kingdom of Voulhire is a good aspect of this novel. Thanks for the great review.

[Margi zuu202]

Faith, science, and magic each in their own jelous way this book though

[Ovico]

The relates to our personal struggles. Great job