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

[Sameera Krishna]

[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 book starts with a pretty interesting prologue where we are shown a glimpse of the power yielded by Lord Meldorath which sets the benchmark for all the adventures that the rest of the book has to offer. The author, Matthew Tysz has made use of different POVs in each chapter which I personally feel is a brilliant way to showcase all the individual stories taking place in chronological order with a few hints in the conversation here and there which help the readers to keep track of the timeline.

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies set in a historical setting, assumed to be the start of an industrial revolution but in a world where mages and magic are common knowledge against the backdrop of a monarchy. The narrative mainly follows the plans of three individuals: Galen, a refugee from a war-stricken land; King Wilhelm, ruler of Voulhire and Lord Eldus, Lord of Hillport other than the occasional peek into the minds of commonly perceived to be grey characters. The book starts off in a golden era where the prosperity of the Kingdom is at its peak, but as the plot unwinds it is clearly seen that there is more to the magical land than what it seems to be from afar. The Riva Rohavi, an organisation that pledges to destroy the nation and Lord Meldorath who has his own plans of unravelling the secrets of Caromentis, the magic world are biding their time until their plan to strike is set in motion while the Kingdom sits under the shade of overconfidence underestimating their prowess. Whether Galen is destined for far greater things than he thinks or just another guy caught in the crossfire, only time can tell.

Along with a gritty storyline, the author doesn't fail to incorporate an air of chirp and humour with characters like Rowan and Marshus whom we can't help but love. However much they feign indifference, they would never leave a person helpless in their times of trouble, and they are the ones who make us want to keep going and read on further.

The author beautifully portrays how all these separate characters going on about their respective lives converge in accordance with particular events(like the attack of Riva) that take place towards the end of the first book. The suspense behind Meldorath's intentions is further intensified as Beth enters the Cosmos from Caromentis and their conversation sparks interesting topics. Little details about Caromentis are revealed one by one, just enough to keep us hooked but still have the suspense and curiosity built up wanting to read the next books in the series.

The third-person narrative is convenient to explore the thoughts behind different individuals without revealing the plans they have for the future, and the style of writing and vocabulary used are not arduous enough to break the flow of the tale, neither so plain as to seem informal. It is on point and an easy yet interesting read that catches the eye.

I would definitely recommend this to someone who likes a young adult fantasy but is also looking for some fresh perspective away from the typical dystopian norm and hence, I'd rate it 4 out of 4 stars due to its interesting plot and meticulous character development along with the lack of negative aspects in the author's writing. Moreover, it is professionally edited besides a few inconspicuous errors which do not hinder the intended effect of reading the book in any way.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[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!

[Sameera Krishna]

Thank you for reading my review! I hope you found the time to give the book a read.