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

[Danay Guenther]

[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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Book one of the We Are Voulhire series was a fascinating read. I loved the world-building, magic system, and dialogue. It was both hopeful and chilling.

Delving into the terrifying bits first, as they were my favorite bits, we have the rebel group the Riva Rohavi, along with Meldorath and his associates. I was super impressed with the writing involving both of these groups. I do not believe I have ever read anything quite like the Riva Rohavi’s fighting style. The dancing mixed with brutal efficiency was incredibly unnerving. I can honestly say I have never felt less at ease reading battle scenes. It was a breath of scary fresh air. Moving to Meldorath and his group, the obvious parallels to Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile were very enjoyable. He is the enigma, the nightmare in the dark, the campfire ghost story, mystery and death. And he gathers other shadowy characters to him like moths to a flame. I’m certain his storyline will expand into something magnificent in future books in this series.

Loved loved loved the witty dialogue and writing style. Even amidst major events and huge problems, the dialogue between many characters had an irreverent cheekiness to it that brought me life. The writing was simultaneously light and heavy; the clever style worked so well and was easy to follow. There were bits about hope as well as old age being deserving of honor that were extraordinary.

One thing I wished to see more of were female viewpoints. For a world set up to be relatively inclusive, with several named powerful women involved, I anticipated getting more of their points of view. Hopefully, female viewpoints will have a larger place in future books in this series.

I also wished the pacing had been a bit quicker. The beginning and end really caught my attention, but it was a little slow in the middle. I know the focus was on building the framework of this universe; however, I still feel some particulars could have been skipped, or more drama added to keep me really hooked.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would certainly recommend it.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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