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4 out of 4 stars
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After 28 years of a hopeless existence plagued by soul-crushing poverty, loneliness, chaos and war in the Land of the Princes, Galen’s life is transformed when he discovered he has an uncle who is a blacksmith in Voulhire. As atonement for his misdeeds to his family, he named Galen the sole heir to his estate. Rowan is contracted as his estate executor and he is tasked with the arduous job of getting Galen out of the war-ridden Land of the Princes. Sadly, his uncle passed before his arrival, leaving behind a letter and a blacksmithing manual he wrote himself for Galen. Rowan takes it upon himself to help Galen adjust to life in Voulhire and get his late uncle’s forge running again. Together they chance upon a mysterious stone that might be Voulhire’s only redemption.
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies, is the first book in We are Voulhire series written by Mathew Tysz. The book is set in an alternate world, a world where magic and greed reigns supreme and good and evil drink from the same cup.
The book has several characters and the author did an amazing job with their development. I particularly loved Rowan’s wit and sense of humour; I like how patient he is with Galen. Although I can’t stop thinking Demetrius might disappear with the stone the minute he realizes its power. But I wish the author spent more time on developing Galen’s character; he seemed to be the chief protagonist and most of the story is told from his perspective. However, I found him too naïve for someone who spent more than two decades looking over his shoulders every day of his life.
The book is so dark and intense, at some point; I had to take a break to catch my breath. Mathew’s writing wizardry is demonstrated by his ability to draw the reader deeper into the story with every word. I had this ominous feeling I couldn’t shake-off with every page I turned. I was held spellbound to the very end.
I love every part of the book. Every word felt like a drop of water on a parched throat; I couldn’t get enough and dreaded the end of it. I unreservedly rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The book is exceptionally well-edited - I spotted no errors of any kind. Nevertheless, some non-English words were used; I suppose this is permissible as the book is set in an alternate world with a language and culture of its own.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to a sensitive or young audience as it contains mature language, very lurid violence and murder scenes. It is not for the faint at heart. But if you are fishing for an enthralling read and you don’t mind gore, We are Voulhire is the book for you. It contains no sexual or erotic scenes whatsoever.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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