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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 the first book doesnt portray Galen as much of a main characters. I felt like he was just one among the important protagonists of the story. No, I cant actually portray his character traits to the overall rating of the story. I think the character traits of the people he comes in contact with in Voulhire plays that major role.

I think Galen is 'fit' for the position of the main character; he has an intriguing backstory, a naive but a teachable mind, a determination that keeps him and the readers pressing on (to find his purpose), and a likable personality.
And yes, the author uses him to explore Voulhire's depth and width; it is through Galen's awed eyes that readers get to see Voulhire. This refugee point of view is what makes Voulhire really charming and beautiful, even to the readers. I bet Rowan doesn't find Voulhire as amazing as Galen finds it.
Surely, his character that, like that of other main characters, influences the story as well as its rating. And, a change in his characterization would have caused a switch in the author's tone just as a change in the alternating points of view (a prevalent technique employed in this book) caused a change in the author's flow.

I believe that Galen is righteously the main character, because he's a newcomer to Voulhire, and so are we, the readers. We follow the main events through his eyes, and we see the kingdom for the first time from his perspective as well. In this case, his experience is quite priceless to get to know Voulhire better.

In this first book of the series he seems indeed the one picked for us to explore Voulhire. I haven't read the sequels yet, so I don't know if the author's choice changed, but at least for this introduction I think it works.

AnnOgochukwu wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 07:38 I think Galen is 'fit' for the position of the main character; he has an intriguing backstory, a naive but a teachable mind, a determination that keeps him and the readers pressing on (to find his purpose), and a likable personality.
And yes, the author uses him to explore Voulhire's depth and width; it is through Galen's awed eyes that readers get to see Voulhire. This refugee point of view is what makes Voulhire really charming and beautiful, even to the readers. I bet Rowan doesn't find Voulhire as amazing as Galen finds it.
Surely, his character that, like that of other main characters, influences the story as well as its rating. And, a change in his characterization would have caused a switch in the author's tone just as a change in the alternating points of view (a prevalent technique employed in this book) caused a change in the author's flow.

You are right, but think of the case if he never met Rowan and never got the chance to go to Alcovia or Soulhire. Think of his meetings with the people around him who made most of his decisions. I am a bit skewed to that side and would suggest that he was just one among the few protagonists of the book.

I felt that Galen is a character that is a bit bland for a protagonist. I like Rowan and even King Wilhem a bit more because I felt that Galen did not have a backbone. However, I think that throughout the rest of the series readers can see some character development.

Galen is just the perfect protagonist for the story. Although the author did not fully unveil his part in the overall plot in the first book, it becomes clearer why he did that in subsequent books.

I think Galen is the perfect fit for the main character. He gives the reader a break from the nobles and the lords. Through him, the author provides finer details on the plight of refugees and small business owners in Voulhire. I also find it interesting that Galen's story is narrated in first person.

Well, on my review, I mentioned that i didn't see Galen as a strong protagonist because he was like a baby, vulnerable and seems easy to control. That's how I saw him. But, perhaps, it is early to judge Galen's character. We might see his full potential on the succeeding books.

Since this is the first book in the series I think Galen fits as the main character. He is exploring this new land as are we so it is a time of getting to know and understand him better, as well as a time to discover the ebb and flow of this society. Hopefully he will expand as the story does in the next book!

rahilshajahan wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 11:46

AnnOgochukwu wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 07:38 I think Galen is 'fit' for the position of the main character; he has an intriguing backstory, a naive but a teachable mind, a determination that keeps him and the readers pressing on (to find his purpose), and a likable personality.
And yes, the author uses him to explore Voulhire's depth and width; it is through Galen's awed eyes that readers get to see Voulhire. This refugee point of view is what makes Voulhire really charming and beautiful, even to the readers. I bet Rowan doesn't find Voulhire as amazing as Galen finds it.
Surely, his character that, like that of other main characters, influences the story as well as its rating. And, a change in his characterization would have caused a switch in the author's tone just as a change in the alternating points of view (a prevalent technique employed in this book) caused a change in the author's flow.

You are right, but think of the case if he never met Rowan and never got the chance to go to Alcovia or Soulhire. Think of his meetings with the people around him who made most of his decisions. I am a bit skewed to that side and would suggest that he was just one among the few protagonists of the book.

Truly, Galen is one among the few protagonists in the story. He probably would have been a bland character without Rowan and Demi, or he might have landed himself in the company of bad guys like Maido or Meldorath (what do you think about this). Either way, the author has chosen the character of Galen as protagonist, and protagonist he shall remain.

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.

AnnOgochukwu wrote: ↑02 Oct 2020, 14:40

rahilshajahan wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 11:46

AnnOgochukwu wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 07:38 I think Galen is 'fit' for the position of the main character; he has an intriguing backstory, a naive but a teachable mind, a determination that keeps him and the readers pressing on (to find his purpose), and a likable personality.
And yes, the author uses him to explore Voulhire's depth and width; it is through Galen's awed eyes that readers get to see Voulhire. This refugee point of view is what makes Voulhire really charming and beautiful, even to the readers. I bet Rowan doesn't find Voulhire as amazing as Galen finds it.
Surely, his character that, like that of other main characters, influences the story as well as its rating. And, a change in his characterization would have caused a switch in the author's tone just as a change in the alternating points of view (a prevalent technique employed in this book) caused a change in the author's flow.

You are right, but think of the case if he never met Rowan and never got the chance to go to Alcovia or Soulhire. Think of his meetings with the people around him who made most of his decisions. I am a bit skewed to that side and would suggest that he was just one among the few protagonists of the book.

Truly, Galen is one among the few protagonists in the story. He probably would have been a bland character without Rowan and Demi, or he might have landed himself in the company of bad guys like Maido or Meldorath (what do you think about this). Either way, the author has chosen the character of Galen as protagonist, and protagonist he shall remain.

Oh boy! Thats actually a topic in itself. Had a naive Galen fallen into the hands of Meldorath, how would the story unfold? Unlike Beth, I don't think Galen would immediately become subserviant to Meldorath. Galen was starving for friends. I think his friendship with Meldorath will be shortlived.

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).