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

[Marie Chalupová]

[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 a captivating start to the fantasy series. It offers both a rich world-building and a variety of compelling characters.

We follow the occurrences happening in the kingdom of Voulhire through the eyes of different characters. Our main character Galen managed to immigrate to Voulhire from the war-torn Lands of the Princes. We follow him as he is exploring the new kingdom and trying to find his place, accompanied by his self-appointed guide, Rowan. Voulhire is supposedly entering the golden age, but we follow the POVs of the king and his friend, ex-judge Eldus, and see that all is not as peaceful as it might seem. A sense of threat hangs in the air. The mage who is rumored to have the powers of a demigod is up to something. At the same time, a rebel group known as the Riva Rohavi seems to be awakening from years of inactivity under a new leader.

The story is quite complex and takes place in different locations, but since it follows one timeline, it isn’t so hard to follow. I enjoy having multiple POVs, so for me, that was a big plus.

My favorite POVs were that of Lord Eldus and his family. He is sent to a town that has previously suffered under the rule of two abusive lords. We follow him in his efforts to raise the town from its despondent state while trying to deal mentally with the kingdom’s dark secrets. I liked his kindness and sense of responsibility for the task he was given. He feels for his people and wants to do his best for their sake. The whole family seems to be very aware of how lucky they are to be in their position of power and money, and it made them very likable.

As for our main character Galen, I felt his storyline was a bit outside of all that was happening around him. I enjoyed his personality. He seems to be lacking some common sense because of the war zone conditions he grew up in. This naivety is juxtaposed with his guide, who is the type of guy that knows how the world works. This makes for some funny moments. For example, when Galen is very free with giving away his money, when bribing a guy, and Rowan is just throwing these anguished looks at him. What I found interesting is that Galen’s POV is the only one written in the first person while others are written in the third. Some occasions show there is more depth to his character that is yet to be revealed.

I also enjoyed the rich world-building. Especially through Galen, we learn a lot about the kingdom and its cities, which are all quite distinctive. The world of magic also seems to be quite complex and contains more secrets to uncover.

I personally didn’t find anything negative about this book. Some people might find it a bit slow. There is also harsh profanity tied to certain characters and mentions of pedophilia. I didn’t encounter any errors.

Given that the book seems to have been professionally edited and I couldn’t find anything that would bring the score down, I am giving this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was a perfect introduction to the series that made me excited to read the rest of it.

I recommend this book to people who don’t mind a slower setup that might only pay out in the following installments. It is for readers who want to get fully immersed in the world and enjoy learning all about it. If you also enjoy watching the story unfold from multiple POVs and getting different commentary on the situation, this might be the book for you.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Gerry Steen]

This review of a fantasy novel is thorough and well-written. It introduces the reader to the well-developed characters Galen, Rowan, Eldus. The inclusion of a variety of points of views make this story rich and captivating. The rating of 4 out of 4 shows the reader that they will not regret reading this book.

[Amy Luman]

I also enjoy stories that have lots of description. I also think that I would like to read more about Galen and after reading this, I think that I would identify strongly with Rowan. Thanks!