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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Iva Stoyanova
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Re: Does Galen Deserve to Be the Main Character?

Post by Iva Stoyanova »

tafta wrote: 04 Dec 2020, 21:07
Sou Hi wrote: 02 Oct 2020, 22:30 Hm, since we are introduced to Voulhire through Galen's eyes, it's his journey that we are following. Rowan and Demetrius also appear because of their relationships with him. So, I can say he is indeed the main character among a few more main characters. He is like the protagonist, while the others are deuteragonists.
I agree with your view. The title in itself points to a new arrival and no-one else apart from Galen has been introduced to Voulhire.
Yes, exactly! We are experiencing Voulhire thanks to Galen, his thoughts, and experiences. So, he's definitely deserving the protagonist role. Especially with the title suggesting a new arrival, we can only confirm his importance in the book.
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Post by athurst123 »

I do believe Galen is "fit" to be the main character. The start of the first book is about him finding his uncle and exploring the new land. As the book goes on, I do believe his ability to be the main character fades.
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Post by Chipochashe »

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 he deserves to be the main character. As a new person in Voulhire, the author lets the reader explore through his experiences. His character had a lot to do with my rating. He was childlike and I hoped that he won't be roughly transported to the reality of his new life. I think if he had a different character, the tone of the author would be completely different.
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Post by Maddie Atkinson »

I think that because it's in a first person perspective, it allows you to see more of the world as you're seeing it through Galen's eyes. He definitely feels like the main character because of this perspective, but I think there are equally enough other narratives to make him one narrative among many. But that aside, I think he deserves to be the main character. He is so sweet and caring, and wide eyed, which makes him so likeable!!!
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Post by Jaidyn Taylor »

I don’t think Galena story interferes with the flow, but I do think it feels a little out of place, if only because he basically doesn’t interact with the other story. The new City Lord feels more like a main character because the story centered more on him. If Galen is meant to be the main character, then maybe his story will connect more in the remaining books. The first one almost feels more like a set up for all the others. Just one big setting scene.
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Post by EReid »

I think Galen seemed very mellow for the main character. He didn't have much of a goal so it was more difficult for the reader to root for him. He was the most relatable character though. Because of his newness to Voulhire, he could ask questions and introduce himself as well as the reader to Voulhire.
He doesn't tamper with the story's flow. In fact, I think he added a good point of view of awe of Voulhire. Everyone else was used to Voulhire and not as apt to sing its praises.
A change in his characterization would have caused a switch of the author's tone. Galen is very grateful and without that, the tone of the book would have focused a lot less on gratefulness.
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Post by Ndiviwe »

I think Galen is fit to be the main character because of his back-round and upbringing. His story of a young boy maturing and entering manhood is intriguing and I think the author is using his naive character to explore Voulhire's success and short-comings from a fresh perspective. I don't think we can attribute his character traits to the overall rating of the story. However, I think his character maybe altered as he continues to explore Voulhire and its history.
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Post by Deval Sodha »

In my opinion Galen is rightly said to be the main character of the book.
Author portrayed the indepth picture of Voulhire through Galen's perspective as he is new over there.
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Post by viczboy16 »

I believe Galen is the best fit for the main character. He is introduced at the very first chapter of the book in the land of the princes, then he boards a boat to Magnum Caeli in Voulhire. He travels to the industrial hub in search of metal. Through Galen, we explore the nooks and crannies of the voulhire.
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Post by Goral »

Yes, I feel that Galen does deserve to be the main character. Since he is new to Voulhire he comes to know about it bit by bit, just like we as a reader would come to know an unfamiliar world. Galen's perspective is a very good way to understand the world of Voulhire and I think that's the best thing about the book.
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Post by Gift Olubankole »

I think Galen is fit for the position of the main character. His fresh eyes bring a whole new description to Voulhire. The freshness of Galen helps we readers as we are also new to Voulhire. And yes, I believe a change in his characterisation would have caused a switch in the author's tone. Galen also contributes a good amount to the rating of the story. He does not tamper with the flow—good question by the way.
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Post by Sue_neth_ak »

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 had unconsciously considered Galen as the main character and I guess he has a lot of potential. Especially with his dark past getting revealed eventually and his poor temper management, he does have some main character qualities. But indeed it's whom he comes in contact with throughout the story, that adds depth to the series and defines Voulhire overall. Then again, I like Galen and many whom he meets, so I guess I'm more than fine with him being the main character.
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Post by Damian Keyes »

Galen is most definitely needed because he is young and we will see his progression throughout the series. He's taking the first step in becoming a blacksmith and has even acquired about learning magic. The author did not play him up as much because his character maybe wouldn't have last through this first book. Plus, he's the only character, other than Lord Eldus, who do not seem shady or have evil intentions behind what they are showcasing in the book.
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Post by Rayah Raouf »

I think Galen is the perfect candidate to be the main character. He is new to the world. But as soon as he enters the world he's thrown into an adventure. He makes friends and goes on many journeys. I think seeing the world through Galen's eyes is perfect. Not only do we learn about Voulhire, but we learn so much about Galen too. He seems to be more than what the first book lets on.
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Post by caina3 »

Galen is my favorite character and was the main reason I kept wanting to keep reading the book. I think Galen's character has great potential and can handle being the main protagonist. My hope is that book one was laying the groundwork for this character, and the reader will see the struggles he may encounter throughout the series. Who knows, perhaps he will be the key to saving Voulhire at one point. I think the traveling that Galen does is entertaining; I enjoy going on those adventures and seeing what he experiences through innocent eyes. Galen's character traits definitely influenced the rating I gave because he was the character I was most interested in following. If the author made him more worldly, I would have been less invested in the character because what he saw wouldn't be new and add that discovery element. The author's tone would have to change if Galen was written with a different personality. If Galen were a harsh, angry, and manipulative character, traits that could have easily been his growing up in a country ravaged by war, the tone would need to be changed.
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