Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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Jasmine Mowery
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- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz
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’ is a fascinating contribution to epic fantasy. While it certainly has some rough edges, the world-building is generally well thought out and reflects an imaginative author. The editing is very thorough, allowing the writing style of the author to shine without the distractions of countless typos. In terms of NSFW content, the book is very tame. The occasional crass joke and somewhat bloody battle is as far as it goes, while at the same time, we can see the darker aspects of the world. It’s refreshing to read a fantasy novel that can reference things like rape, pedophilia, or torture are realities without having gratuitous, graphic scenes to prove the point.
As the first installment of a larger series, this book leaves the reader with many unanswered questions. This is a good thing, in a way, as it makes you desire to read the next volume. At times, though, it feels like the reader isn’t given enough exposition to fully appreciate certain settings or characters. I don’t doubt that many things will be fleshed out in the future, considering how carefully the author has thought out this world, but it would be nice if the story had more hints of fuller explanations to come. For example, Galen (one of the main characters), is given practically no backstory beyond being a refugee from a war-torn land, and that war-torn land is practically never mentioned except in reference to him coming from there. However, this is a pretty short first entry to the series, so given the small page count, the amount of world-building established is pretty amazing. There’s even a map, which is a big bonus.
Another concern is a few minor instances of things that seem out of place in this fantasy world, like hockey or short sword sheaths made of rubber. There’s a mention of a character having “buzzed” hair, which is perplexing in a world where electric clippers surely don’t exist. They feel a little distracting, and it keeps the reader from being fully immersed in the world. Some of the names of people and places are pretty uninspired, like the city in the alcove called “Alcovia”, but the descriptions of the towns and cities are very detailed and immersive. The magic system is definitely soft, which is not a problem. It makes magic use mysterious. The reader just doesn’t know what magic is really capable of doing, so it’s difficult to gauge the power levels of the characters.
The characters of this book are where it seems to shine most. Not all the characters are unique or dynamic, but characters like Lord Eldus and his son are very likable. King Wilhelm feels very realistic and sympathetic, even given the few brief scenes he appears in. The dancing army of the Riva Rohavi is a very entertaining enemy. Hopefully, there will be more about them in entries to follow. The world has great potential to be expanded upon, from the forging of magical metals to the monks in the holy city. It’s a series worth keeping an eye on, and with the short length, it requires little investment of time with a big payoff. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy, particularly of authors like Raymond E. Feist, this book is a great pick. I'd give it 4 out of 5.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
‘We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies’ is a fascinating contribution to epic fantasy. While it certainly has some rough edges, the world-building is generally well thought out and reflects an imaginative author. The editing is very thorough, allowing the writing style of the author to shine without the distractions of countless typos. In terms of NSFW content, the book is very tame. The occasional crass joke and somewhat bloody battle is as far as it goes, while at the same time, we can see the darker aspects of the world. It’s refreshing to read a fantasy novel that can reference things like rape, pedophilia, or torture are realities without having gratuitous, graphic scenes to prove the point.
As the first installment of a larger series, this book leaves the reader with many unanswered questions. This is a good thing, in a way, as it makes you desire to read the next volume. At times, though, it feels like the reader isn’t given enough exposition to fully appreciate certain settings or characters. I don’t doubt that many things will be fleshed out in the future, considering how carefully the author has thought out this world, but it would be nice if the story had more hints of fuller explanations to come. For example, Galen (one of the main characters), is given practically no backstory beyond being a refugee from a war-torn land, and that war-torn land is practically never mentioned except in reference to him coming from there. However, this is a pretty short first entry to the series, so given the small page count, the amount of world-building established is pretty amazing. There’s even a map, which is a big bonus.
Another concern is a few minor instances of things that seem out of place in this fantasy world, like hockey or short sword sheaths made of rubber. There’s a mention of a character having “buzzed” hair, which is perplexing in a world where electric clippers surely don’t exist. They feel a little distracting, and it keeps the reader from being fully immersed in the world. Some of the names of people and places are pretty uninspired, like the city in the alcove called “Alcovia”, but the descriptions of the towns and cities are very detailed and immersive. The magic system is definitely soft, which is not a problem. It makes magic use mysterious. The reader just doesn’t know what magic is really capable of doing, so it’s difficult to gauge the power levels of the characters.
The characters of this book are where it seems to shine most. Not all the characters are unique or dynamic, but characters like Lord Eldus and his son are very likable. King Wilhelm feels very realistic and sympathetic, even given the few brief scenes he appears in. The dancing army of the Riva Rohavi is a very entertaining enemy. Hopefully, there will be more about them in entries to follow. The world has great potential to be expanded upon, from the forging of magical metals to the monks in the holy city. It’s a series worth keeping an eye on, and with the short length, it requires little investment of time with a big payoff. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy, particularly of authors like Raymond E. Feist, this book is a great pick. I'd give it 4 out of 5.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
