Review by ShikshaP -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...
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ShikshaP
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Review by ShikshaP -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival und...
[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 by Matthew Tysz is the first of the six books in the We are Voulhire series. It is centered on a 28-year-old immigrant named Galen Bray and his arrival into a world totally new to him, both in terms of wealth and culture. But while this new world seems perfect to Galen, it battles corruption and the threat of an impending war. It is also plagued by the influence of and fears created by an evil mage, Lord Meldorath, who is presumed to be dead. But, is he really dead?
Galen Bray migrated from a poor, war-torn land where the wish to rule and overpower each other led four brothers to wage a war on the Land of Princes for over twenty years. He has migrated to Voulhire which is far superior to his birthplace in terms of knowledge, technology, and wealth. With the help of the people he meets in Voulhire, he learns not only about himself but also about this bustling nation which is full of love and laughter and the threats that surround it.
I don’t normally read fantasy, but the introduction of this novel intrigued me enough to pick it up. The story started with an evil mage rendering his own brand of justice on a perverse lord and his later death. It was exciting and gripping. The story was very imaginative and built a picture in my mind of whatever was happening on the pages of the book. It felt like I was watching a fantasy series on television, which I believe was the author’s intention.
Even though it is Galen’s journey, there are a few other characters that are pivotal to the story such as King Wilhelm and Lord Eldus. The character development was nice. Although there were times when I felt Galen’s thoughts and his description of things was very childlike when he was an adult. King Wilhelm was a fair and kind ruler who truly considered the citizens of Voulhire to be his responsibility and feared for their safety when the enemy came into play. Lord Eldus was caring and genuinely concerned about the citizens of Hillport, the land where he was appointed to be the lord. His path towards learning the mystery surrounding Lord Meldorath kept me interested in his story. Although the story is set in a different world, the book is written in a way that is easy to understand. However, too many storylines in the beginning sometimes made it hard to relate one storyline to another.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I did not give it a perfect rating because I felt the first half of the book was dragging a bit and was slightly slow-paced. Also, I would have liked to see more of King Wilhelm, considering how important his character was. However, there were a lot of positive things as well in the story. The element of magic was nicely inculcated in the story and was beautifully described. I liked how the author provided the readers with a glossary of the terms used in the book along with a map and additional reading to keep the readers feel like a part of Voulhire. It is a great way to start the series and the continuing mystery has me excited to read the next book. The book does not have any errors. I recommend it to young-adults who are interested in reading fantasy stories. But, it may not be appropriate for young children because of a few sensitive scenes surrounding children and because of a limited amount of profanity.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is the first of the six books in the We are Voulhire series. It is centered on a 28-year-old immigrant named Galen Bray and his arrival into a world totally new to him, both in terms of wealth and culture. But while this new world seems perfect to Galen, it battles corruption and the threat of an impending war. It is also plagued by the influence of and fears created by an evil mage, Lord Meldorath, who is presumed to be dead. But, is he really dead?
Galen Bray migrated from a poor, war-torn land where the wish to rule and overpower each other led four brothers to wage a war on the Land of Princes for over twenty years. He has migrated to Voulhire which is far superior to his birthplace in terms of knowledge, technology, and wealth. With the help of the people he meets in Voulhire, he learns not only about himself but also about this bustling nation which is full of love and laughter and the threats that surround it.
I don’t normally read fantasy, but the introduction of this novel intrigued me enough to pick it up. The story started with an evil mage rendering his own brand of justice on a perverse lord and his later death. It was exciting and gripping. The story was very imaginative and built a picture in my mind of whatever was happening on the pages of the book. It felt like I was watching a fantasy series on television, which I believe was the author’s intention.
Even though it is Galen’s journey, there are a few other characters that are pivotal to the story such as King Wilhelm and Lord Eldus. The character development was nice. Although there were times when I felt Galen’s thoughts and his description of things was very childlike when he was an adult. King Wilhelm was a fair and kind ruler who truly considered the citizens of Voulhire to be his responsibility and feared for their safety when the enemy came into play. Lord Eldus was caring and genuinely concerned about the citizens of Hillport, the land where he was appointed to be the lord. His path towards learning the mystery surrounding Lord Meldorath kept me interested in his story. Although the story is set in a different world, the book is written in a way that is easy to understand. However, too many storylines in the beginning sometimes made it hard to relate one storyline to another.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I did not give it a perfect rating because I felt the first half of the book was dragging a bit and was slightly slow-paced. Also, I would have liked to see more of King Wilhelm, considering how important his character was. However, there were a lot of positive things as well in the story. The element of magic was nicely inculcated in the story and was beautifully described. I liked how the author provided the readers with a glossary of the terms used in the book along with a map and additional reading to keep the readers feel like a part of Voulhire. It is a great way to start the series and the continuing mystery has me excited to read the next book. The book does not have any errors. I recommend it to young-adults who are interested in reading fantasy stories. But, it may not be appropriate for young children because of a few sensitive scenes surrounding children and because of a limited amount of profanity.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare
