Review by Kola+wole -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival un...

[Kola+wole]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Have you ever lived in an environment where the only reality is war? And you’d rather accept death on an unstable boat than stay another second in your homeland?

This is how Galen Bray felt while living in the Land of the Princes. The only reality citizens of the Land of the Princes knew was war; it was death by the sword or a slow starvation.  Immediately the opportunity to escape the war torn lands came in a letter asking him to take over his great uncle's business in Magnum Caelum, Galen jumped at it without bothering to consider the details. He ran to the docks, waited with papers in hand for the next boat to somewhere else because he had hope for a better life far from the Lands of the Princes.

In We are voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz, there exists multiverse; Caromentis (the magical universe) and Cosmos (the physical universe). The book alternates between Galen Bray, King Wilhelm, Midius Maido, Lord Eldus and Lord Meldorath to mention a few characters. King Wilhelm appoints Lord Eldus to develop a town called Hillport and keep an eye on an empty castle. Lord Meldorath is described as a powerful sorcerer well versed in the use of Caromentis. Midius Maido is the head of the Mianoran council vested with the power to confirm or deny the next king. He makes use of every opportunity to flaunt his growing power in the face of the king.

Rowan, Galen's guide is a character I'd like to have as a companion too. His knowledge of how the world works were an invaluable asset to the innocent and wide-eyed Galen. My favourite part of the book is the moving plea of a man seeking redemption for past mistakes and the sound advice he gave to his nephew for making it in the world. Another marvel was the description of the mural of God that captivated Galen on the ceiling of a great church in Voulhire called the Diadem.

One thing I disliked about the book is its slow pace. I began the book with excitement, however it to petered off towards the middle. One would have expected a page turner for the first of a series, but it seems the author would rather lay the groundwork here, set the tone and allow for readers to be familiar with the characters first. That aside, I have the feeling that the next books in the series will more than make up for it. There are some unique characters such as dancing fighters that I find amusing in the book.

There were no erotic scenes and I would recommend the book to all lovers of science fiction. Although I came across a few spelling errors and instances of profanity, it did not affect my reading experience which suggests the book was professionally edited.

I rate the book four out of four stars because I found nothing worth the removal of a star.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[Lisa A Rayburn]

It's not unusual, in my experience, for Tyz's books to have slow-downs in them. I'm normally too invested in the story to even think about quitting by that time, though! This one is on my list to read and has been for a while. Maybe I need to push it toward the front of the list. Great review, thanks!

[Anusha Thatavarthi]

Yeah, it's a slow start. But the series picks up the pace as it goes. I loved Rowan's character too. Great review!