Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies

[Rachel Monica]

[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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The once prosperous Lands of Princes has now been ruined by the Emperor's sons battling for the throne, leaving the people and the land beyond repair and devoid of hope. Galen Bray, an innocent lad from this very land, is summoned by his uncle to Voulhire to take up his business there. In almost every way, Voulhire is completely contradictory to Galen's home. Ruled by the well-liked King Wilhelm, Voulhire is more established, approaching its golden age, though it has its fair share of politics and drama. Not to mention Riva Rohavi, the kingdom's sworn adversary whose entire existence is dedicated to destroying Voulhire. Midius Maido, the High Chancellor, more concerned with power and fame, does not get along with the rules that govern the king and his kingdom. Furthermore, he despises the king's "pet judge", who has been appointed as the new lord of Hillport, a quaint town on the Voulhirian coast. Judge Eldus Alderman, now the newly-appointed lord of Hillport at the king's request, is a compassionate and just man who is eager to reform the town and be a better lord than his predecessors. Eldus desires to liberate his people from the horrors that plagued them because of Lord Orlin's tyrannical rule which has continued to linger in people's thoughts even after he died. His successor, Lord Meldorath, was not just a general in the king’s army who was later appointed as the lord of Hillport but was also a practicing mage involving himself with the magical world of Caromentis. Will people be able to get over his influence now that he is dead? Or is he? Join in this journey to see Voulhire and its diverse inhabitants struggle to stay afloat as plans rebound, resulting in unexpected consequences. With so much at stake, will Riva's goal of witnessing Voulhire fall apart become a reality?

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is an excellent historical fiction read that explores the theme of world-building and has parallels to real-world politics and administration. Starting with a map at the beginning of the book followed by a description of Voulhire's rich culture and history, it captured my interest and made me understand this new world better. The author provided minute details to the landscape of Voulhire such as terrain, weather, and smell associated with a specific location, creating a realistic effect. The story was told in both first and third-person points of view with clarity, making the reading experience even more enjoyable. Galen is the protagonist, and the story is told from his perspective, but each viewpoint was equally compelling. I was eager to read more about Galen, King Wilhelm, Eldus, and Riva Rohavi, who were all key characters, but I also enjoyed the minor ones. The way the author projected Meldorath made him more mysterious which provoked my curiosity and left me unsure of his intentions.

What confused me was the order of events concerning time. There was no specific timeline associated with the overall storyline. There was no way of knowing how many days had passed since an event or how long a specific event had lasted. Also, most dialogues were written in old-fashioned English, but at times Eldus's son referred to him as "Dad", and terminologies like "cognitive dissociation" were used that were not appropriate for that period. I felt a bit uncomfortable with the mass killings that took place, especially the manner in which they were carried out. However, in historical fiction, it is a likely event that cannot be avoided. Also, I didn't like the fact that there were no female main characters in the entire plot except maybe for Beth.

I would gladly and without hesitation give this volume a 4 out of 4 stars rating. I really liked how multiple separate narratives came together to form the main plot while maintaining individual storylines. In addition, bringing in the concept of two distinct realms, ‘cosmos’ and ‘caromentis’, and eventually combining them was not only wonderful but also unexpected. Although there were many characters involved, the plot was not confusing because each character was distinct and had depth, as well as a backstory. The cliffhanger, while unpredictable, ended on a thrilling note, and had me looking forward to a sequel.

I definitely recommend this to all who enjoy reading historical fiction combined with high fantasy and science. As there are instances of violence, mental abuse, sexual humor, profanity, and mentions of pedophiles, this is not intended for children and preteens. But I must admit that Matthew Tysz has done a splendid job of taking the readers on a gripping journey in such a short book. I hope you enjoy Voulhire and the characters as much as I did. Happy reading!

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[The Holy Grail]

Im glad you enjoyed the book. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Nice review!

[Oreoluwa281]

I agree with your analysis.i enjoyed reading your detailed and engaging review. Good job