OnlineBookClub.org
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
We are Voulhire; Someone's Else's End is the third installation of We Are Voulhire by Matthew Tsyz. A fantasy fiction novel, it revolves around Voulhire, Galen, and his friends. Voulhire has a new king and a new enemy. The new Eiodi might be Voulhire's only chance of survival. When the Emperor of Lullabies visits Meldorath's dreams, he wakes up startled and shaken. He realizes that he needs to accelerate his plans, and decides to travel to Soulhire. Demetrius unsuccessfully tries to get the new Eiodi's audience, after escaping from the demons in Virko. So, Galen tries hard to think of ways to help his friend Demetrius and the citizens of Virko. He convinces Demetrius and Rowan to go to Soulhire, the majestic capital of Voulhire, to seek help from the King. Galen is excited to go to Soulhire, but Rowan doesn't seem too happy to visit his hometown.
King Wilhelm is faced with a case popularly known as 'Shore against Soulhire.' Ms. Shore wants the king to allow refugees from the Land of the Princes, but Soulhire's lawyers are afraid of the potential consequences of bringing them to Voulhire. Wilhelm decides to listen to both sides of the case, before making a decision. His advisor Lucius Nartik knows the King too well to know the decision he will make. He decides to take matters into his own hands and seeks an alliance with Voulhire's worst adversary.
I like how Tsyz provides us with more information about Demetrius, Galen, and Rowan. Through each of their points of view, we get to see Rowan's difficult relationship with his family, Demetrius's real beliefs about his faith, and Galen's ability to fight. Galen as always is always trying to save his friends, and this time Demetrius foolishly imitates his friend by fighting Meldorath. We're also introduced to Lucius Nartik, the ambitious soldier who quickly rose through the ranks to become the King's special advisor. The story is action-packed from the beginning to the end. Although I had mentally prepared myself for anything to happen, Tsyz managed to surprise me with a unique plot twist.
However, there were a few editorial errors such as missing words in sentences. I also noticed a few racist descriptions. The Mianora wore "angelic white robes," while the Riva Rohavi's faces were painted "black." One of them is described as a "tall, black scarecrow," and "a black shadow." Others are "black figures with feathered masks." The Emperor's guard, the nightynight, is a "tall, dark being," with a face "like a smooth ball of black clouds." The Emperor's soldiers are "soldiers whose skin were also black, black like the nightynight." And the black rhino is "a disgusting animal." I found it offensive that Voulhire's enemies' skin tones are described as black/dark, especially in times when people of color are fighting systemic racism. The book also lacked strong female characters. Only two women were featured, Galen's guardian and Rowan's mother, who only appeared once and whose presence lasted in one or two pages.
I also didn't understand Meldorath's character. For someone who had practiced magic on children, killed Lord Orlin, and destroyed Hillport without blinking an eye, I was surprised to see that he doesn't have the "inclination to stuff out potential." I don't understand whether he's still the villain from the first two books or if the author decided to change the character. With all these noted, I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to fans of fantasy and science fiction. The book contains a lot of swear words, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like to read books with obscenities.
******
We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
