Does Galen Deserve to Be the Main Character?

Use this forum to discuss the October 2020 Book of the month, "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.
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Nyasha Gogoma
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Re: Does Galen Deserve to Be the Main Character?

Post by Nyasha Gogoma »

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote: 01 Oct 2020, 00:28 Is Galen fit for the position of the main character? Does the author use him to explore Voulhire to its depth? Can you attribute his character traits to the overall rating of the story, or does he tamper with its flow? Could a change in his characterization have caused a switch of the author's tone?
I think Galen definitely deserves to be the protagonist. He is the only character I really connected with, and I always read his parts of the story with great interest. Down-to-earth, honest and hardworking, he is the only character I found genuine. Every other 'main' character was extremely annoying, to be perfectly honest. I was very impressed at how subtly the author built up his story: he is not imposing at all and just goes about his life. The reader cannot help but develop an instant liking to this apparent nobody, who later turns out to be a huge somebody.
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Post by sayoniwrites »

This book didn't establish Galen as the main character. His character was mostly driven by others. Maybe he will come on his own in the future books.
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Sarah J Callen
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Post by Sarah J Callen »

I struggled with Galen's character. Though I think he was positioned as the protagonist, I don't think the fact that he was new to this world was utilized as well as it could have to explore Voulhire. I wanted to see him more connected to the rest of the story as a whole. I am very curious how his character continues to grow throughout the other books and ultimately influences the plot of the series as a whole.
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Post by Agbata Precious 1 »

I think Galen has the perfect personalities to be the main character. It was even through him I knew other people back.
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Post by Gandhi_D 1st »

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote: 01 Oct 2020, 00:28 Is Galen fit for the position of the main character? Does the author use him to explore Voulhire to its depth? Can you attribute his character traits to the overall rating of the story, or does he tamper with its flow? Could a change in his characterization have caused a switch of the author's tone?
In my opinion, Galen fits to be the protagonist of the novel, starting from his inferior and vulnerable beginning, I have an indeed feeling he would also be the hero behind Meldorath's Fall in Voulhire. The author uses Galen to explore the destination of Voulhire from his journey from Magnum Caelum to Alcovia to Yamon Soul. The tale of Galen indeed gave the novel the very excitement it needed. It was the light of the novel.
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Post by IbrahimOtegbade »

Galen is still naive in the first book. His character is still being developed. In this first book, Galen does not seem to be the main character because there are many characters that are central to the development of the story. But his relationship with these characters will determine his role in the development of the subsequent books.
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Reema Aydieh
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Post by Reema Aydieh »

In the first chapters of the book, I thought that he doesn’t fit. But after reading more I started to realise why he is the main character. His character growth towards the end is promising and he will likely improve more later in the series. His story was interesting and only starting, felt like it had more to offer to the plot. I

I do believe that he was used to getting the reader to explore more of Voulhire. Making him a newcomer from a different land made exploring the world as intriguing to him as it is for the readers.
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Post by Maria Ferreira Silva »

In the first book, Galen doesn't get that hyped by the author but I think going through the series he starts to become more and more important.
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Post by Demilade_001 »

Galen fits as a main character because he's new to Voulhire and I feel he will play an important role in the next book
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Post by Mayang Bature »

I also feel the same way because I don't know why the author decided to make Galen the main character. Maybe the reason behind that would be explained in the subsequent volumes. But as of right now, Galen is just another boring guy.
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Post by Oluwakemi_ Awe »

I think Galen is fit to be the main character in this book. It might not seem so now because this book is just the first of the series. I have a feeling Galen will do great things in thta book. More so, he has a main character spirit that comes with curiosity and a sense of justice.
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Post by Jay David Randall »

Galen is fit to be the major character of the novel as he has a teachable spirit and a mysterious background. I like novels where the underdog becomes the head and I think a big future should be unfolded for Galen.
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Post by LS Daniyal »

Galen is the right character to be main. Because just like the readers, Galen is also seeing Voulhire for the first time. The other characters won’t be as excited to certain things and this will be reflected.
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Post by SoledadCanaria »

Dentarthurdent wrote: 03 Oct 2020, 07:38
Joseph_ngaruiya wrote: 01 Oct 2020, 00:28 Is Galen fit for the position of the main character? Does the author use him to explore Voulhire to its depth? Can you attribute his character traits to the overall rating of the story, or does he tamper with its flow? Could a change in his characterization have caused a switch of the author's tone?
I think Galen is the best character to see Voulhire through. His newness to the place is advantageous for us readers who are also new to this world, but with wonderful contrast because of his difficult background. Most readers view fantasy as an escape, but to Galen, the fantastical country of Voulhire was an actual escape from a much worse existence. He is naive, but still intelligent. He seems separate from Voulhire, or most places really. As an unadulterated character in a land full of temptation, vice and so much potential, he gets to discover who he really is outside of his previous kill-or-be-killed existence. As a result, he brings out both his own depth and that of Voulhire.

I think his personality affects the ratings positively, because he's a guy who's just so easy to root for, especially when put together with Rowan and Demetrius.

A change in his characterisation would definitely have caused a switch in the tone, because of all the characters, he is the only one who, like the reader, sees the awe and novelty of Voulhire. In the hands of any other character, Voulhire is just another place filled with all sorts of people (mostly bad ones too).
I agree with this statement that Galen is a strong and interesting character who brings a unique perspective to the world of Voulhire. His background and experiences make him a relatable character for readers who may be new to the world, and his naivety and intelligence add layers to his personality. Additionally, his unadulterated nature allows him to discover and explore his true self, bringing depth to both himself and the world around him. Overall, Galen's character adds depth and complexity to the story.
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Post by Mayang Bature »

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote: 01 Oct 2020, 00:28 Is Galen fit for the position of the main character? Does the author use him to explore Voulhire to its depth? Can you attribute his character traits to the overall rating of the story, or does he tamper with its flow? Could a change in his characterization have caused a switch of the author's tone?
I actually felt that Lord Eldus was more of a main character than Galen. Galen didn't really do much in this book but the author probably has big plans for him.
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