Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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Aneeka Shamnaz
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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.]
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is the first book of the We are Voulhire series, a science fiction novel that involves knights and magic and talks about the weight of hopes and the lines of evil and good being blurry in situations.
Galen Bray sets off from the Lands of the Princes, where death by war or starvation haunts the protagonist until he receives his late uncle’s forge, to Voulhire, a country where peace was the norm and having supernatural abilities was the same as breathing. Galen assumes this new task and journey as his recompense for all the struggles he went through in the war, only to be faced with more pain and betrayal. He believes his new friends, Rowan, his uncle's executor, and a monk, Demetrius, only to face more difficult challenges than he has ever faced before.
Will Galen succumb to evil’s plans? Will he be able to break free from his guilt and dark past? What is the real deal about Voulhire and the king? Will Galen’s expectations be met or will he lose hope and end up like his uncle?
The Cosmos, the physical world, and Caromentis, the world of magic, from where mages draw their powers, along with all the cities that each serve a purpose, are beautifully detailed in the book. The unexpected plot twists and turns and all the mysteries the author left for the next books in the series to reveal make the read worthwhile. The relatively short book (150 pages) has many very well-developed characters, and the atmosphere is set very vividly. The author’s writing style is very different from usual, and he alternated between third-person narrative for other characters and the first-person narrative for Galen very effortlessly. The flow of the story was so good that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen, so it kept me on the edge the whole time. The conclusion that makes you want to read the next book was a brilliant tactic by Matthew Tysz, and I am looking forward to the next installment.
I liked the flow of the book and how all the characters remained mysterious till the end. The fact that each character got a part of the narration was a very innovative idea. What I liked the most was how the author set the atmosphere and brought up all the information about the new place gradually, leaving a lot of room for imagination. The short yet intriguing story that I couldn’t stop reading speaks for itself, hence I believe it deserves high praise.
There was nothing much I disliked about the book, except maybe the transitions from the 1st to 3rd narratives were a bit confusing, along with all the description about the worlds. But it barely interfered with my excitement about reading the book.
The book was professionally edited with barely any minor errors. The delivery of the story was exceptionally good, and it was worth the read. I give We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I believe this rating is justified, with the whole story and the deliverance making the reader intrigued about what was to come.
I wouldn't suggest the book to a sensitive or younger audience because it has some mild profanity throughout the unsettling and violet parts, as well as sex slang. People who aren't interested in fantasy and magic wouldn't enjoy this because it has those components. Because of the surprising dark twists and turns that occur as the story develops, I recommend this book to those who enjoy dark fantasy, mystery, and adventure books.
******
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 book of the We are Voulhire series, a science fiction novel that involves knights and magic and talks about the weight of hopes and the lines of evil and good being blurry in situations.
Galen Bray sets off from the Lands of the Princes, where death by war or starvation haunts the protagonist until he receives his late uncle’s forge, to Voulhire, a country where peace was the norm and having supernatural abilities was the same as breathing. Galen assumes this new task and journey as his recompense for all the struggles he went through in the war, only to be faced with more pain and betrayal. He believes his new friends, Rowan, his uncle's executor, and a monk, Demetrius, only to face more difficult challenges than he has ever faced before.
Will Galen succumb to evil’s plans? Will he be able to break free from his guilt and dark past? What is the real deal about Voulhire and the king? Will Galen’s expectations be met or will he lose hope and end up like his uncle?
The Cosmos, the physical world, and Caromentis, the world of magic, from where mages draw their powers, along with all the cities that each serve a purpose, are beautifully detailed in the book. The unexpected plot twists and turns and all the mysteries the author left for the next books in the series to reveal make the read worthwhile. The relatively short book (150 pages) has many very well-developed characters, and the atmosphere is set very vividly. The author’s writing style is very different from usual, and he alternated between third-person narrative for other characters and the first-person narrative for Galen very effortlessly. The flow of the story was so good that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen, so it kept me on the edge the whole time. The conclusion that makes you want to read the next book was a brilliant tactic by Matthew Tysz, and I am looking forward to the next installment.
I liked the flow of the book and how all the characters remained mysterious till the end. The fact that each character got a part of the narration was a very innovative idea. What I liked the most was how the author set the atmosphere and brought up all the information about the new place gradually, leaving a lot of room for imagination. The short yet intriguing story that I couldn’t stop reading speaks for itself, hence I believe it deserves high praise.
There was nothing much I disliked about the book, except maybe the transitions from the 1st to 3rd narratives were a bit confusing, along with all the description about the worlds. But it barely interfered with my excitement about reading the book.
The book was professionally edited with barely any minor errors. The delivery of the story was exceptionally good, and it was worth the read. I give We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I believe this rating is justified, with the whole story and the deliverance making the reader intrigued about what was to come.
I wouldn't suggest the book to a sensitive or younger audience because it has some mild profanity throughout the unsettling and violet parts, as well as sex slang. People who aren't interested in fantasy and magic wouldn't enjoy this because it has those components. Because of the surprising dark twists and turns that occur as the story develops, I recommend this book to those who enjoy dark fantasy, mystery, and adventure books.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise by John K Danenbarger
