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

[Full Time]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is the first book in this series. It introduces us to Voulhire, a place where all the action begins.

Voulhire is a land blessed with food and a strong army. The people live in peace under the leadership of King Wilhelm. Things take a sudden turn when the long forgotten actions of General Meldorath and Lord Orlin are revised, and are seen to be a threat. This part of the story joins us to the main protagonist Galen, who is on a journey. He comes from a warzone and a hungry province. With only papers in his possession, he doesn't know the task awaiting him.

At the beginning of the book is a map that shows the places mentioned by the author in this book, and also as mentioned in the titles of his other books in this series. I found this brilliant because it makes it easy to understand the author's fictitious world, and it provides clarity. I also loved the naming of the places. Voulhire has a capital known as Soulhire. The surrounding islands also have interesting names, and each island has its own unique features, and a prince heading it.

This novel begins with action right from the prologue, and the action is equally spread throughout. There are strong alliances and hurtful betrayals. We also get to understand the story from the different points of view of the characters, thus understanding where they come from. The characters have different attributes, some greedy while others are wise, some selfish while others work for the greater good.

There are vivid descriptions of events, both good and bad. Celebrations are done with a lot of merry; and the battle of swords feels so real that it makes you shrink in fear. Courtroom dramas are also realistic and entertaining. In short, the author serves the portions in their extremes.

My negatives for this book are the many characters, and how unlikable they were. Galen was the only character that I felt developed. Sensitive topics are also handled. There is hunger and starvation, and the people really suffer. The same people are also faced with regular wars, and they've learnt to live through, waiting for a chance to get away. Some manage to get away, while others die. Death seemed so close. There are relationships, some healthy, while others are toxic.

Having encountered zero errors in editing, I would give this book a perfect four stars, but the slow pacing of the book won't let me. The story picks up slowly, and I almost gave up in the first chapters. It becomes interesting though later on, and the author succeeds in building tension and raising curiosity. Therefore, I settle at 3 out of 4 stars. It engaged me after I reached halfway, and the story development was amazing. I recommend it to adult readers of war novels involving swords. Adults of eighteen years plus because the book contains sexual language.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Asma Aisha Ansari]

I've read this book too. But I liked the pacing of the book. I guess to each his own. Your review is a delightful spoiler-free summary of the story. Thanks for this great review.

[Full Time]

I've read this book too. But I liked the pacing of the book. I guess to each his own. Your review is a delightful spoiler-free summary of the story. Thanks for this great review.

Totally agree with you. Thank you

[Emily_Jen]

This is one of the first books I read on OBC and I must say I enjoyed it. Glad to see that you enjoyed it too. I'd like to see Meldorath in full action in the next book.

[Full Time]

Yess

This is one of the first books I read on OBC and I must say I enjoyed it. Glad to see that you enjoyed it too. I'd like to see Meldorath in full action in the next book.