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

[Samuel Onowhakpor]

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The first installment in the We Are Voulhire series, We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies opens with the escape of Galen Bray, an orphan, from the war torn Islands Of Princes to Voulhire, a sprawling ancient civilization steeped in magic, religion, and power tussles; after an inheritance letter from his blacksmith great uncle who resides there reaches him. He arrives Voulhire with great expectations, so he teams up with his executor to search for precious ores that will kick-start his burgeoning blacksmithing career, but when they stumble upon a mysterious object, they wind up seeking answers about it.

At the capital of Voulhire, Soulhire, the king is under intense pressure: his son's eligibility to succeed the throne is being questioned; his former general have gone rogue; and the Riva Rohavi, a rebel group as old as Voulhire, seems to have resurged after news of their heightened activities have been making the rounds.

Not too far from the purported execution site of Meldorath, a former general and incredibly powerful mage, accused of performing sordid experiments on people and killing the former Lord of Hillport, lies Hillport, a town which has undergone turbulent changes in leadership thrice in the span of a few months; Eldus, the newly instated Lord, have been tasked with bringing succour to the town indigenes by the king, but he suspects the reason for his deployment goes beyond that. He works closely with his family to change the fortune of the ramshackle town, but he can't quite shake off the uneasiness he has over Meldorath, so he starts digging into him in hope that he will uncover the truth about this enigmatic character, who in his incumbency as general defanged the Riva Rohavi and garnered the respect of the whole kingdom. Perhaps by accident or design, but the Riva Rohavi, rallying under its new leadership, shifts focus to Hillport. A wave of change threatens to sweep over Voulhire. Will it rise above the treacherous waters? Or will it sink and be lost to the annals? Read this remarkable book by Michael Tysz to find out.

Although the novel is narrated from various characters' perspectives, Galen's part in it struck a chord with me. He embarks on a heartwarming journey as he tries to make the best out of his new lease of life. His uncompromising principles of loyalty and magnanimity despite his chaotic background is also noteworthy. Overall, I think the author did an incredible job of developing the characters; the features of each of his characters are unique and not haphazardly scattered across the book, in a manner which would have hampered the story progression. At first glance most of the characters seem to have disparate stories, but I am looking forward to how the author will interlink all of them in consequent installments of the We Are Voulhire series.

The author's application of his comprehension of amorphous time and space to depict the magical universe in this book is novel and quite creative. With an unorthodox writing style, the author cleverly juxtaposes the magical universe with the human imagination to convey the message: with the right mindset, nothing is impossible. I liked how the author symbolizes the escape of one of the characters, Beth, from the magical universe as the need to find purpose in the midst of chaos and to doggedly strive to realize it. The detailed map and the option for a more extensive study of the plot at the beginning of the book are thoughtful gestures by the author.

I found absolutely nothing that I disliked about this book. The coalescence of the world building elements in this book is astonishing, especially when taking into consideration how the various themes of the book are harmoniously blended. The book has a well-developed storyline; in addition to characters with well-defined roles. The change in point of view of the book narration from one character to the other is seamless and not confusing. The book is excellently edited and devoid of any grammatical and spelling errors. I would rate this book 5 out of 5 for the reasons aforementioned.

The vivid gory and violent scenes make this book more suitable for a mature audience. I would recommend this book and the entirety of its series to fans of the fantasy genre, as it will intrigue them with its brilliant plot and intricate world building. The abstract world that the author paints as the magical universe will also fascinate abstract thinkers. The fast-paced and action packed scenes are assured to excite fans of the action genre.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Don Muel]

Fantasy fiction! My favorite genre. I like how your review encompassed many aspects of the book. I will endeavor to read this book. Great review.

[Peacemann101]

This is a very detailed review. I wonder how the lead character will respond to these changes soon after leaving a chaotic scene.

[Chidera999]

Fantasy fiction are not my cup of tea, but I see great potential in this novel. I would recommend this book. Thanks for the detailed review.

[chidiberem]

My kind of novel. Thanks for the honest review. Well done!

[tundehead]

Galen's life is threatening to be overturned again after he had seen light at the end of the tunnel. The book will intrigue fantasy fans genre, just as I have been. Thanks for the review.

[kingsmantle]

I like how the review captures the various facets of this book. Sounds interesting, I will like to read it sometime soon.

[standaviea]

Blood and violence are not for me, but I love the other elements of the book. I foresee a great read. Good review

[fashideen]

A very interesting storyline that centres around Galen's rise to prominence in Voulhire. Good review.

[thomatic]

From the detail in the review, I can say that this will be a book that will tickle my fantasy. Hope to read it soon.

[patmanic]

This kind of novel is not my pace but others may find it interesting with the plot set down by the author. A good review overall.

[Shademinx]

A plot that slowly unfolds over a series is just the one I need to starve off boredom and keep me interested in it. Coupled with the fact that it is also an interesting one and this book becomes an addition to my library.

[owoplease1]

I love the cover photo of this book. One that has the undertone of the themes of this book. Chaos, etherealness yet in the midst of all these, there is beauty and structure. Good review.

[michaelade]

This is a book that clearly details its theme in an interesting and easy-to-understand manner. The review is judiciously written and brings out the subject matter in an uninhibitive manner. This book looks like one that I am adding to my bookshelf. Good work for both the author and reviewer.