Review by John Owen -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival un...

[John Owen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Dalehei Meldorath was a very powerful general and a friend to the king of Voulhire, King Wilhelm. However, it turns out that his abilities were far much greater than just commanding an army. He was a powerful mage (magician) who could do extraordinary things. These capabilities, including being able to keep off terrorists (called the Riva Rohavi) the whole time he was a general and a lord, causes King Wilhelm to panic and the king betrays his long-time friend. He banishes him to exile and tarnishes his name in Voulhire. However, Meldorath has a retaliation plan in place, as described in We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz.

The amount of work that has gone into the book is marvelous. The author, this being the first installment of the We are Voulhire series, develops Voulhire in an amazing way (the most amazing among the books of this genre that I've read). There is a map right before the first chapter describing the land of Voulhire, including where the cities, the harbors and the islands are situated. I was cross-checking the details with the map and to my awe, they were so precise.

In addition to that, the demography of all the places in Voulhire was well described and so detailed so that after finishing the book, you have a clear picture of how these places look like. For instance, Soulhire, the capital of Voulhire, would resemble a developed city like Washington, though with quite archaic technologies. The same is the case with Virko, with was described as the most developed in Voulhire. Yamon Soul would look more like a religious town like Mecca or the Buddhist establishments in Asia. Magnum Caelum on another hand (which is drawn as a beautiful city polished with cobblestones, and which Galen Bray is to start the forging business he was left with by his uncle) was more to me like Mauritius. I must admit that I envy the author's ability in describing places to the extent of drawing them in the reader's mind.

Another thing that deserves a shout-out was the action scenes. There were not many battles in the book but whenever they appeared, they were a thrill so difficult to recover from. What amazed me most was that most of the actions featured the use of magic. Employing magic in the fights exalted the excitement to a higher level, especially near the end when Meldorath's use of magic causes ships to fling out of the ocean.

However, I think that the author dedicated so much attention to developing the fictional world that he forgot about Prince Darius, King Wilhelm's son. He is only mentioned twice, at the beginning, where the only thing we know is that he is absent at a party, and in the end when he converses with a character called Midius Maido. In the first mention, we don't even know what his name is. In addition to that, we know nothing about Wilhelm's wife.

I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. The book was so entertaining to read and has amazing action scenes. I also love the author's detailed description of Voulhire. I find no reason to rate it lower.

The book is perfect for readers who love fantasy stories, especially those who love the idea of the existence of a parallel magical world and those who love good action that includes the use of magic.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[John Owen]

I am on the 3rd book in this series and I don't regret beginning reading this first book. Tysz's books are amazing.

[Hunter Tester]

Great review! I like the comparisons you made to certain cities. That helps me picture it better as well. I just got done reviewing this book too. I had a hard time understanding all of the characters at times. I also wondered why certain chapters were included. However, I figured they will be included later in the series.

[John Owen]

Great review! I like the comparisons you made to certain cities. That helps me picture it better as well. I just got done reviewing this book too. I had a hard time understanding all of the characters at times. I also wondered why certain chapters were included. However, I figured they will be included later in the series.

Yeah. It may be a bit difficult to understand at first and the author notified that the plot build-up would be slow, so I was prepared before I read the book. Thanks for stopping by

[John Ogada]

Seems a great fantasy book! I almost envision the cities as you describe them. Nice review!

[Bradley Shelvie]

This straight away goes to my shelves. I love it that you enjoyed the book, and great review.

[Victor Jerry I]

An interesting series , i reviewed this too. I was happy a map of Voulhire was included in the book.

[John Owen]

Seems a great fantasy book! I almost envision the cities as you describe them. Nice review!

I agree, and I am grateful for stopping by.

[John Owen]

This straight away goes to my shelves. I love it that you enjoyed the book, and great review.

Thank you

[John Owen]

An interesting series , i reviewed this too. I was happy a map of Voulhire was included in the book.

Should have been a great read, right? thank you for commenting.

[Osito]

Nice review, I love how you've explained the summary.

[Aztex Rex]

I think, this bring a series, the exclusion of some characters info is intentional, or meant to create tension, which is good for some readers, and bad for others.

[Ace John]

Glad you enjoyed the book! This book should be on my "to read" shelf, and I might select it next time. Nice review!

[Rupali Mishra]

I appreciate you writing such an informative and engrossing review!

[Onyeka Dibor]

As Galen tries to settle into his new life, the enigmatic events unfolding in Voulhire gradually draw him into a web of intrigue.