Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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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.]
It was most likely just another ordinary night at the Hillport castle when a commotion was heard outside. Swords were pulled, and the sound of men in battle ensued. Lord Orlin thought he was shielded within the fortress, but whoever the guards were battling was more powerful than them. Soon, the large wooden doors began to rattle. A force big enough to break that large door shattered it into pieces, and a mysterious figure stepped inside. He wore a large blue robe. It was Magistrate Meldorath. He pointed a finger at Lord Orlin, accusing him of obscenities. Lord Orlin was accused of paedophilia. He denied the accusation. But Meldorath apprehended him anyway. That night, Meldorath relinquished his magistrate title and became the new lord of Hillport. And just like that, one of the cities of Voulhire had gained a new lord. This is how We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz begins.
On the other hand, we are shown a young man named Galen Bray, who was running away from the Lands of the Princes. He was making his way to the Voulhire city of Magnum Caelum. These two events are told parallel to each other. They both hold some significance to the land of Voulhire. But Galen's arrival doesn't make any splashes. He seems like an insignificant new member of Magnum Caelum, but only time will tell. I loved that Galen's story felt like a beginning. We don't see much of him throughout the story, but since the book is partly titled by his arrival in Voulhire, there's this lingering sense that his story will be more significant in other books.
The story is told from a completely original setting, which was greatly inspired by medieval Europe. I love fantasy novels for originality, and even though this story isn't the most original thing I've ever read, it still felt fresh and new.
I also loved the characters. It's hard to create so many characters, but I think that it's even harder to create so many memorable characters. That was one of the author's greatest assets. He understands that to tell a strong story, you must have strong characters, and he delivered on that front.
I loved most aspects of the novel. I will say that I wished Galen's story would have been the centre of the narration. I wanted to see him more. This story seems to be built around his arrival in Voulhire, but his involvement played second to the drama that happened in Hillport and the drama that followed Wilhem, the king of Voulhire. Despite this, I feel it necessary to rate the novel 5 out of 5 stars. It's simply a strong novel, and I enjoyed it immensely. It was also edited perfectly, which helps.
I would recommend the novel to readers who enjoy medieval stories, and I would also recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy fiction. The novel caters to both types of readers fully.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
It was most likely just another ordinary night at the Hillport castle when a commotion was heard outside. Swords were pulled, and the sound of men in battle ensued. Lord Orlin thought he was shielded within the fortress, but whoever the guards were battling was more powerful than them. Soon, the large wooden doors began to rattle. A force big enough to break that large door shattered it into pieces, and a mysterious figure stepped inside. He wore a large blue robe. It was Magistrate Meldorath. He pointed a finger at Lord Orlin, accusing him of obscenities. Lord Orlin was accused of paedophilia. He denied the accusation. But Meldorath apprehended him anyway. That night, Meldorath relinquished his magistrate title and became the new lord of Hillport. And just like that, one of the cities of Voulhire had gained a new lord. This is how We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz begins.
On the other hand, we are shown a young man named Galen Bray, who was running away from the Lands of the Princes. He was making his way to the Voulhire city of Magnum Caelum. These two events are told parallel to each other. They both hold some significance to the land of Voulhire. But Galen's arrival doesn't make any splashes. He seems like an insignificant new member of Magnum Caelum, but only time will tell. I loved that Galen's story felt like a beginning. We don't see much of him throughout the story, but since the book is partly titled by his arrival in Voulhire, there's this lingering sense that his story will be more significant in other books.
The story is told from a completely original setting, which was greatly inspired by medieval Europe. I love fantasy novels for originality, and even though this story isn't the most original thing I've ever read, it still felt fresh and new.
I also loved the characters. It's hard to create so many characters, but I think that it's even harder to create so many memorable characters. That was one of the author's greatest assets. He understands that to tell a strong story, you must have strong characters, and he delivered on that front.
I loved most aspects of the novel. I will say that I wished Galen's story would have been the centre of the narration. I wanted to see him more. This story seems to be built around his arrival in Voulhire, but his involvement played second to the drama that happened in Hillport and the drama that followed Wilhem, the king of Voulhire. Despite this, I feel it necessary to rate the novel 5 out of 5 stars. It's simply a strong novel, and I enjoyed it immensely. It was also edited perfectly, which helps.
I would recommend the novel to readers who enjoy medieval stories, and I would also recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy fiction. The novel caters to both types of readers fully.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Khanjar by Bob O'Brien
