Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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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.]
5 out of 5 stars.
Matthew Tysz’s novel We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is a book about a boy named Galen who is displaced by war. He ends up in the serene nation-state of Voulhire, hoping to start over as the proprietor of his late uncle’s forge. While getting used to things there, he makes a friend named Rowan, and they begin exploring the kingdom together, unaware of what sinister activities are happening elsewhere.
Simultaneously, Hillport — a city whose former lords include Orlin and feared sorcerer Meldorath — sees ex-judge Eldus Alderman take office as its new head administrator. Eldus encounters difficulties connected with their dark histories as he tries bringing life back into it. These two threads eventually tie together, setting the stage for this adventurous epic filled with puzzles and imminent hazards lurking beneath the kingdom's surface.
I gave We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies five stars because of its fantastic world-building, interesting characters, and gripping plot. In this book, Matthew Tysz does an excellent job of creating the vibrant and magical Kingdom of Voulhire; it is easy to lose oneself in the beauty of its landscapes and appreciate the complexity of social relationships within. We see Galen change from being just a person displaced by war into someone who finds their unique place in the world. This transformation is depicted with great skill on the author’s part. It provides emotional depth and relatability by showing how individuals may grow, even if they have experienced many hardships. Another thing that kept me engaged throughout was having two different stories told at once – one being about Eldus Alderman trying his hardest to revive Hillport; these added extra layers onto everything else happening around them, which made this such an enjoyable read from the beginning right until the end where everything wrapped up nicely. It was this mix of personal development and friendship building while also leaving breadcrumbs for us readers to solve numerous mysteries along the way, which makes me feel like giving the highest possible rating for any book ever written.
Some areas could have been improved. One of these is in its world-building aspect. However impressive the depth and detail present within Voulhire may be, readers might feel bombarded by what seems like an excessive quantity of facts concerning the history, politics, and magic systems used throughout this kingdom at various times in history or throughout different regions. Another area that falls slightly short relates to certain characters who serve secondary roles; they should have had their backstories fleshed out further to invest more emotional weight into their actions during pivotal moments of the plotline. Nevertheless, these shortcomings are minor and hardly diminish one’s overall satisfaction with reading this book.
The book’s editing is wonderfully done, and it is not hard because there are no mistakes or typos to correct.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies sets a reasonable basis for future books in the series, and I recommend it to any fan of this genre.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
5 out of 5 stars.
Matthew Tysz’s novel We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is a book about a boy named Galen who is displaced by war. He ends up in the serene nation-state of Voulhire, hoping to start over as the proprietor of his late uncle’s forge. While getting used to things there, he makes a friend named Rowan, and they begin exploring the kingdom together, unaware of what sinister activities are happening elsewhere.
Simultaneously, Hillport — a city whose former lords include Orlin and feared sorcerer Meldorath — sees ex-judge Eldus Alderman take office as its new head administrator. Eldus encounters difficulties connected with their dark histories as he tries bringing life back into it. These two threads eventually tie together, setting the stage for this adventurous epic filled with puzzles and imminent hazards lurking beneath the kingdom's surface.
I gave We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies five stars because of its fantastic world-building, interesting characters, and gripping plot. In this book, Matthew Tysz does an excellent job of creating the vibrant and magical Kingdom of Voulhire; it is easy to lose oneself in the beauty of its landscapes and appreciate the complexity of social relationships within. We see Galen change from being just a person displaced by war into someone who finds their unique place in the world. This transformation is depicted with great skill on the author’s part. It provides emotional depth and relatability by showing how individuals may grow, even if they have experienced many hardships. Another thing that kept me engaged throughout was having two different stories told at once – one being about Eldus Alderman trying his hardest to revive Hillport; these added extra layers onto everything else happening around them, which made this such an enjoyable read from the beginning right until the end where everything wrapped up nicely. It was this mix of personal development and friendship building while also leaving breadcrumbs for us readers to solve numerous mysteries along the way, which makes me feel like giving the highest possible rating for any book ever written.
Some areas could have been improved. One of these is in its world-building aspect. However impressive the depth and detail present within Voulhire may be, readers might feel bombarded by what seems like an excessive quantity of facts concerning the history, politics, and magic systems used throughout this kingdom at various times in history or throughout different regions. Another area that falls slightly short relates to certain characters who serve secondary roles; they should have had their backstories fleshed out further to invest more emotional weight into their actions during pivotal moments of the plotline. Nevertheless, these shortcomings are minor and hardly diminish one’s overall satisfaction with reading this book.
The book’s editing is wonderfully done, and it is not hard because there are no mistakes or typos to correct.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies sets a reasonable basis for future books in the series, and I recommend it to any fan of this genre.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
