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4 out of 4 stars
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A New Arrival under the skies begins Matthew Tysz’s fantasy series, We are Voulhire, with a bang. The majority of the story takes place in the fictional land of Voulhire—a place where human innovation and magic intertwine. Our story can be split up into two main narratives:
(1) The story of Galen Bray, whom by the behest of his late uncle—one that Galen himself did not even know existed—escapes his war-torn homelands for the city of Magnum Caelum in Voulhire. Galen, with help from his uncle’s executor, Rowan, tries to manage the forge he had inherited from his uncle.
(2) The story of Voulhire’s biggest threat, a mage by the name Malderoth. This narrative chronicles the journeys of the King of Voulhire, Wilhelm Arcolo and the Lord of Hillport, Lord Eldus Alderman, as they attempt to protect the people of Voulhire from Malderoth.
These two narratives don’t connect with each other directly; however, I suspect that as the series progresses we will witness some, if not a complete overlap between these two narratives. I loved the idea of these two separate stories as it allowed for the book to have contrasting tones. For the most part, Galen’s story is one of whimsy and lightheartedness, this in no small part due to the previously mentioned executor, Rowan. While no less whimsical, the second narrative takes a darker tone than the first, this is due largely to the mature topics of pedophilia and human experimentation lurking in the background of this section of the novel. I think both of these narratives are executed very well and I favor both these narratives equally.
For many, a story’s characters make or break the book, so how did this novel fare in this regard? It fared well, very well. Our protagonists are likable, they do have their flaws, but I would not deem them morally grey. King Wilhelm was a charismatic and intelligent leader who knew how to maneuver his people into a false sense of security, believing their ignorance to be in their best interest. Lord Eldus is an honorable man who wants to see Hillport rise from the dark past that Eldus’s predecessors had brought upon the city. Galen is an incredibly pleasant and hardworking, albeit naïve young man, who just wants to repay his uncle’s generosity by maintaining his forge. Galen was my favourite character in the story as in my opinion, his character maintained the highest level of relatability and sympathy from me. I also loved that he was an outsider in the land of Voulhire, so he mirrored the same feelings I did when introduced to Voulhire, endearing him further. Another standout character in the book was Malderoth, the author did a fantastic job painting Malderoth as the ultimate antagonist. This is evident by the sense of unease I felt every time his name was mentioned or his presence was alluded to.
But, perhaps the thing I most enjoyed about the book was the way I felt reading it. As I had briefly mentioned before, the book contains a sense of whimsy, something that many adult-fantasy novels lack. Throughout the novel, I was in awe of the elaborate world the author was able to create, the way he had been able to weave magic into the society in an organic and pragmatic way. Every bit of history felt like a relic that had been passed on through generations, every prayer felt like it was a centuries old tradition.
My only grievance with the book is a mild one. The author writes in alternating points of view, choosing to write Galen’s chapters in the first person, while the rest of the story is in third. Often, but not always, this style of writing makes the work seem slightly less polished. I could have excused this if there was a clear reason as to why Galen was the only character written in this point of view. I assessed the possibility that the author had written him this way because the title of the first chapter reads “I am Galen, from the Lands of the princes”, the ‘I’ insinuating that this was supposed to be written in first person. But, I also noted that the second chapter was entitled “I am Wilhelm, King of Voulhire”, the ‘I’ here would also insinuate that this character would be written in first person, yet he is not. This is only a mild gripe and in no way detracts from the overall quality of the story, some people may not even notice the changing point of views.
Finally, let’s talk writing style. I would say that Tysz takes a no-frills approach to writing. He ditches flowery prose for succinct descriptions and compelling and efficient dialogue. Whether or not this is a good thing is dependent on the reader. Personally, I loved it, his style of writing suited the exposition-heavy narrative incredibly well and ensured fluidity throughout the novel. The novel is also completely free from pesky typos, grammatical errors and other editorial mistakes, which would suggest that the novel has undergone professional editing.
Overall, I loved everything about We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies, it is a well-constructed and highly immersive story that is sure to hook most readers. Despite its inconsistency with the point of views, I would happily rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I think it would be unfair to remove a point for an inconsistency issue so minor that most people may not even notice it. I would recommend this book to those who are over the age of 16, as this book deals with a lot of mature themes that are not suitable for a younger audience. I also believe this novel is a perfect fit for readers who enjoy their fantasy novels infused with political intrigue. Additionally, I would highly recommend this book to those of you who are looking to transition from reading YA-Fantasy to adult-fantasy. The book is mature, but not overwhelmingly so—the perfect introduction into the world of adult fantasy.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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