Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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Tsanda H Correa
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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.]
Plagued by war and hunger, the Lands of the Princes are contrasted by the seemingly rich and peaceful Land of Voulhire. We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz introduces different intertwining worlds of magic and the cosmos. The enthusiastic Galen Bray finds himself full of hope as he departs from the Lands of the Princes for his new home in Voulhire. With Rowan, his new quick-witted friend, he learns more about the customs and culture of this vast, prosperous land. However, motivated by betrayal and pride, there are those who plot against the kingdom. Secrets plague the land under the guise of protecting its citizens from the effects of the truth. Realizing things aren't as cut and dry as he has been told, the newly appointed Lord of Hillport, Eldus, attempts to uncover some of the horrible acts committed against those most vulnerable. Meldorath, said to be long gone, along with Lord Orlin, have left deep wounds in the kingdom that Lord Eldus must pry open.
The themes of gratitude and hope are frequent in the story and are best represented by Galen. We see his doe-eyed optimism as he gets the opportunity for a better life, but nothing is perfect, as we see in the gruesome battle in Hillport with the dancing Riva Rohavi. The story unfolds from the perspective of different characters as they are spread throughout the kingdom of Voulhire, each chapter changing to a different character. The narrative structure is more in line with that of a TV series ending on a cliffhanger as well.
The story was enticing with its plenitude of characters, which the author introduced organically to the story. Beth was by far the most interesting, as she allowed us to peek into Caromentis (the magic universe) and its otherworldly beings. I quite enjoyed the biomage as well as the incredibly disgusting use of his abilities. The battles were grotesque and merciless, packed with varied uses of magic and other abilities!
As there are many characters, not all are equally developed, though this did not impact the story much. Lord Eldus and his family were very present in the book, but I would've enjoyed seeing more of their bond as a family, as well as King Wilhelm and his son. At times the author used words that took me out of the fantasy medieval setting and made it feel more modern (for example: gym, hockey, and journalist).
From the very beginning, the story captured my imagination, putting me in a distinct set of worlds where different people and beings lived. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The characters and locations, although not all deeply developed, had personal motives and unique traits. However, this made it difficult for me to relate to them on a personal level and feel truly devastated when bad things happened.
It is very well edited, and I would recommend this book to mature audiences as it contains and references graphic and violent scenarios. Those who are attracted to different ideologies, battles, magic, and quests for adventures will best enjoy this book and its diverse set of characters and locations.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Plagued by war and hunger, the Lands of the Princes are contrasted by the seemingly rich and peaceful Land of Voulhire. We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz introduces different intertwining worlds of magic and the cosmos. The enthusiastic Galen Bray finds himself full of hope as he departs from the Lands of the Princes for his new home in Voulhire. With Rowan, his new quick-witted friend, he learns more about the customs and culture of this vast, prosperous land. However, motivated by betrayal and pride, there are those who plot against the kingdom. Secrets plague the land under the guise of protecting its citizens from the effects of the truth. Realizing things aren't as cut and dry as he has been told, the newly appointed Lord of Hillport, Eldus, attempts to uncover some of the horrible acts committed against those most vulnerable. Meldorath, said to be long gone, along with Lord Orlin, have left deep wounds in the kingdom that Lord Eldus must pry open.
The themes of gratitude and hope are frequent in the story and are best represented by Galen. We see his doe-eyed optimism as he gets the opportunity for a better life, but nothing is perfect, as we see in the gruesome battle in Hillport with the dancing Riva Rohavi. The story unfolds from the perspective of different characters as they are spread throughout the kingdom of Voulhire, each chapter changing to a different character. The narrative structure is more in line with that of a TV series ending on a cliffhanger as well.
The story was enticing with its plenitude of characters, which the author introduced organically to the story. Beth was by far the most interesting, as she allowed us to peek into Caromentis (the magic universe) and its otherworldly beings. I quite enjoyed the biomage as well as the incredibly disgusting use of his abilities. The battles were grotesque and merciless, packed with varied uses of magic and other abilities!
As there are many characters, not all are equally developed, though this did not impact the story much. Lord Eldus and his family were very present in the book, but I would've enjoyed seeing more of their bond as a family, as well as King Wilhelm and his son. At times the author used words that took me out of the fantasy medieval setting and made it feel more modern (for example: gym, hockey, and journalist).
From the very beginning, the story captured my imagination, putting me in a distinct set of worlds where different people and beings lived. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The characters and locations, although not all deeply developed, had personal motives and unique traits. However, this made it difficult for me to relate to them on a personal level and feel truly devastated when bad things happened.
It is very well edited, and I would recommend this book to mature audiences as it contains and references graphic and violent scenarios. Those who are attracted to different ideologies, battles, magic, and quests for adventures will best enjoy this book and its diverse set of characters and locations.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: House of Eire by June Gillam
