Review by Kei Nakagawa -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival...

keiyoshi · Post by **keiyoshi** » 09 Aug 2020, 01:57

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

3 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is the first installation to the ongoing science fiction/fantasy series We are Voulhire by Matthew Tysz. It follows the stories of the different residents and relevant people in Voulhire, a progressive city led by King Wilhelm. The story narrates the stories of Galen, a young man from the Land of Princes who was summoned to Voulhire by his late great uncle to take over his blacksmithing business; and Eldus Alderman, a judge-turned-lord, as he was tasked by King Wilhelm to restore the town of Hillport that was devastated by its previous leaders. The book also follows the story of Voulhire’s centuries-old enemy, the Riva Rohavi, in its pursuit to seek the downfall of the great city of Voulhire.

While reading through, I was left to wonder, will Galen be able to successfully take over his great uncle’s business? What happened to Hillport that caused such devastation to the whole community? Were the suspects convicted? Why is the Riva Rohavi plotting against Voulhire?
Would they be successful? After reading, I was glad to find answers to most of them.

I absolutely loved how the book was written. Tysz was descriptive and was able to bring life to the characters and the stories. Celebrations felt very festive and the horrors felt very real. The writing was scenic – as if the whole book was written for the screen to be watched and not to be read. For a book that’s bordering between science fiction and fantasy, I think the writing style was perfect as it induced imagination and smooth transition of events.

Moreover, the story was entirely fresh and new to me, even as a science fiction reader. It did not reference the world as we know it in any of its pages, but it presented an entire world of its own. This only expanded the freedom of the author and also provided an avenue for the readers to discover the possibilities of the world created by Tysz.

The narrative was also idealistic and utopian. It was able to show what’s wrong in the world we are living in and suggested ways to correct it most subtly, like how Marshus did not want to follow his father’s path to politics but to make a name for himself on his own. The book made me wish the same for our world! Also, it emphasized how the horrors of the past should be handled and entertained instead of burying them deep down and trying to erase them from history.

Further, the book articulated situations from different perspectives. It was confusing at first, but eventually, everything made sense, deeming the confusion worth it.

All in all, the story was solid, rich, and well-researched, despite being written informally. Speaking for myself, I think the book, and maybe the series if Tysz is consistent, has the potential of being globally known and talked about.

However, the book didn’t seem professionally edited as I noticed some minor errors. What I did not appreciate the most was the lack of page numbers. While the story was flawless, formatting and pagination are really important to me as a reader and I think that if the book, or the series, has a good potential of being the next big thing, then it should also pay attention to these details.

For this, I would give Matthew Tysz’s We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies a three out of four stars. The first book is definitely worth a read and I can’t wait to get started on the second one. I would recommend this to young adults who are into science fiction and fantasy, but I would like to warn future readers that there is a certain level of profanity in the book. It also talked about sensitive topics such as pedophilia and rape that others may find disturbing.

Since the first book suggests that there are a lot of things left uncovered and unsaid, it urges the readers to keep reading more of the series and I hope this will not lead to my disappointment.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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rahilshajahan · Post by **rahilshajahan** » 11 Aug 2020, 02:01

I read the plot of the book having a dead/alive Demon Lord and thought Galen might be the one. The story seems to have a good buildup. Good job on the review!

underthe_cloudyskies · Post by **underthe_cloudyskies** » 11 Aug 2020, 03:13

Hey thanks for replying to my message

. I just wanted to ask that can whether I contact you on any other platform to discuss my issue, to see that would you be able to help me or not?

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 11 Aug 2020, 04:43

I agree, Tysz's characters are always vivid and interesting to follow

His The Turn series is very good too. Thank you for a great review!

keiyoshi · Post by **keiyoshi** » 11 Aug 2020, 11:28

rahilshajahan wrote: ↑11 Aug 2020, 02:01 I read the plot of the book having a dead/alive Demon Lord and thought Galen might be the one. The story seems to have a good buildup. Good job on the review!

Well, reading the book might get you some answers!

Hoping to know what you think about it. Thanks for dropping by as always!

keiyoshi · Post by **keiyoshi** » 11 Aug 2020, 11:29

underthe_cloudyskies wrote: ↑11 Aug 2020, 03:13 Hey thanks for replying to my message . I just wanted to ask that can whether I contact you on any other platform to discuss my issue, to see that would you be able to help me or not?

Sent my reply through private message

keiyoshi · Post by **keiyoshi** » 11 Aug 2020, 11:36

Ellylion wrote: ↑11 Aug 2020, 04:43 I agree, Tysz's characters are always vivid and interesting to follow His The Turn series is very good too. Thank you for a great review!

Thanks for dropping by!

Elvis Best · Post by **Elvis Best** » 11 Aug 2020, 17:04

I have read so many good reviews about this book. Thanks for sharing your honest output. Great review!

Teele · Post by **Teele** » 11 Aug 2020, 17:18

Yes, its definitely worth a read. Thanks for a good review.

MuthoniMuriithi · Post by **MuthoniMuriithi** » 17 Aug 2020, 03:07

I started with the third book of this series and seems I will have to begin with the first installation.

Olabode Joshua · Post by **Olabode Joshua** » 20 Aug 2020, 02:11

I'm glad you decided to read this book. The series is just too good. By the time you get to the third book, you'll know what I mean.

NDeMeer · Post by **NDeMeer** » 21 Aug 2020, 07:17

Glad you enjoyed this story! I have just finished reading and reviewing this myself, too, and I agree that it's a great story. The worldbuilding was especially impressive, as you mentioned as well. I didn't spot that many errors though - I wonder if we had a different version? Thanks for the wonderful review!:)