4 out of 4 stars
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is a short, 139 page, fantasy/ sci-fi novel by Matthew Tysz. We are Voulhire follows the lives of a few men living in the great kingdom of Voulhire. The book is one of mystery, suspense, magic, and corruption- with twists and turns filling the pages.
Galen Bray is a young man living in the conflict-ridden Land of Princes. However, his luck changes when he learns that he is heir to his long-lost uncle’s estate in the prosperous kingdom of Voulhire. An invitation to run his uncle’s forge gives Galen the opportunity to make a life for himself outside of the Land of Princes. Galen is eager for the chance to rebuild his life, but he must first make the difficult transition from the survival-mindset he has developed in the Land of Princes to the social and economic expectations of his new home. Meanwhile, traitorous government leaders, powerful mages, and the violent Riva Rohavi insurgency group threaten to cast the kingdom into shambles. Hence, bringing Voulhire’s era of peace and prosperity to a bitter end.
The story was good, however I did have a few dislikes. For one, the eratic switching of different characters and settings that occured between chapters made the structure of the novel a little confusing and hard to keep up with at times. However, these switches do not occur in the middle of the chapter, which helps keep the confusion minimal. The change from first person to third person was also a little weird at first. Overall, however, I really enjoyed the story. The characters were well developed and the story line was both compelling and unpredictable. The story has a sense of mystery that kept me engrossed throughout the entire book.
A New Arrival under Great Skies can be enjoyed by people of many different age groups, especially those with a love of fantasy. Profanity, explicit themes/references, and violence are all present in the book, however. For this reason I believe that this novel is better suited for an older audience.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and rate it 4 out of 4 stars. This story had detailed world-building and characterization as well as a captivating plot. The amount of thought that Tysz put into his story is definitely apparent in his work.The story was full of suspense and plot twists which kept me interested. There were a few minor spelling and grammatical errors, but they in no way interfered with the storytelling.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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