Review by Rhainu -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under...
-
Rhainu
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 17 Mar 2019, 19:41
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 4
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rhainu.html
- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz
Review by Rhainu -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is a fantasy novel written by Matthew Tysz. The story takes place in the Kingdom of Voulhire, a prosperous kingdom in the Cosmos, otherwise known as the physical universe. In the Cosmos, mages take magic from Caromentis, the universe of magic, to manipulate the world around them. We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies explores its world through a variety of its inhabitants, but it mostly revolves around three key characters; Eldus Alderman, King Wilhelm, and Galen Bray.
After realizing the economic potential of the seaside city of Hillport, the ruler of Voulhire, King Wilhelm, appoints trusted judge Eldus Alderman as its new Lord. But the city is still reeling from its previous two lords, the perverse Lord Orlin, and the feared mage Lord Meldorath. The government claims Meldorath to have been executed, but he may not be as dead as the world believes, or as much Eldus or King Wilhelm wishes him to be. To add on top of this, there are whispers from the rebel group Riva Rohavi threatening to bring an end to Voulhire’s so-called Golden Age.
Meanwhile, in the city of Magnum Caelum, Galen Bray is a recent immigrant to Voulhire from the ever-warring Land of Princes. He has heard stories of the great Voulhire and is determined to become a blacksmith worthy of the shop he recently inherited. As Galen explores and comes to terms with his new home, he realizes that the glimmer of Voulhire may be hiding a darker reality.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies was an exceptionally well-edited and well-written book and I found no grammatical errors while reading. The world-building in this story is fantastic. The universe the story takes place in is incredibly fleshed out, and Voulhire was written with enough history and culture behind it to make it feel like a real country. The magic system present in the novel is unique as well. Although I’ve probably read stories before where magic came from a neighboring magical universe, none of them ever had as much depth and attention to detail as this book did.
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this novel. The one thing I might be able to gripe about was that this novel serves as more of an introduction to a series than its own stand-alone story. We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies does a great job in introducing us to its universe and characters, but there isn’t much of a plot. The ball really only gets rolling towards the end of the book, and the real plotlines seem to be saved for later installments.
I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy the fantasy genre and appreciate fleshed out political and historical lore in a fictional universe. As someone who is growing out of YA novels and branching more into adult fictional literature, I think this book would also make a good stepping stone for mature teens who would like to try reading a novel more geared for adults.
For exceptional world-building, and the clear passion Matthew Tysz put into the universe he created, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I fell in love with the world of Voulhire, and I will definitely be reading the next installment in the series.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is a fantasy novel written by Matthew Tysz. The story takes place in the Kingdom of Voulhire, a prosperous kingdom in the Cosmos, otherwise known as the physical universe. In the Cosmos, mages take magic from Caromentis, the universe of magic, to manipulate the world around them. We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies explores its world through a variety of its inhabitants, but it mostly revolves around three key characters; Eldus Alderman, King Wilhelm, and Galen Bray.
After realizing the economic potential of the seaside city of Hillport, the ruler of Voulhire, King Wilhelm, appoints trusted judge Eldus Alderman as its new Lord. But the city is still reeling from its previous two lords, the perverse Lord Orlin, and the feared mage Lord Meldorath. The government claims Meldorath to have been executed, but he may not be as dead as the world believes, or as much Eldus or King Wilhelm wishes him to be. To add on top of this, there are whispers from the rebel group Riva Rohavi threatening to bring an end to Voulhire’s so-called Golden Age.
Meanwhile, in the city of Magnum Caelum, Galen Bray is a recent immigrant to Voulhire from the ever-warring Land of Princes. He has heard stories of the great Voulhire and is determined to become a blacksmith worthy of the shop he recently inherited. As Galen explores and comes to terms with his new home, he realizes that the glimmer of Voulhire may be hiding a darker reality.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies was an exceptionally well-edited and well-written book and I found no grammatical errors while reading. The world-building in this story is fantastic. The universe the story takes place in is incredibly fleshed out, and Voulhire was written with enough history and culture behind it to make it feel like a real country. The magic system present in the novel is unique as well. Although I’ve probably read stories before where magic came from a neighboring magical universe, none of them ever had as much depth and attention to detail as this book did.
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this novel. The one thing I might be able to gripe about was that this novel serves as more of an introduction to a series than its own stand-alone story. We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies does a great job in introducing us to its universe and characters, but there isn’t much of a plot. The ball really only gets rolling towards the end of the book, and the real plotlines seem to be saved for later installments.
I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy the fantasy genre and appreciate fleshed out political and historical lore in a fictional universe. As someone who is growing out of YA novels and branching more into adult fictional literature, I think this book would also make a good stepping stone for mature teens who would like to try reading a novel more geared for adults.
For exceptional world-building, and the clear passion Matthew Tysz put into the universe he created, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I fell in love with the world of Voulhire, and I will definitely be reading the next installment in the series.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
