Review by pablo10 -- We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the Mind

pablo10 · Post by **pablo10** » 09 Sep 2020, 13:59

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the Mind" by Matthew Tysz.]

3 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the Mind is the sixth installment of the fantasy series containing nine books by author Matthew Tysz. It continues the tales of Galen, Demitrius, Rowan, Lord Meldorath, Midius Maido, and many more from the fictional land of Voulhire.

Two long days ago, the Emperor of Lullabies announced from the skies that he would send emissaries to address the people of Voulhire. After the attack on Cridaea by the Riva Rohavi, Lady Angela Velys plans to shore up the defenses of the city. On Soulhire, King Nartik, Harper, and Rhea resist the invasion. Harper successfully manages to kill a nightynight. During her travels, Lady Angela learns how to defeat Bad Noise.

Galen is in Caromentis trying to secure Lord Meldorath's help in the fight against the Emperor of Lullabies. Meanwhile, Lord Meldorath is fighting his own battle against King Javikun Modius. On Diamora, Maido recruits Demitrius, Rowan, and Julia to fight against an unknown entity. That entity turns out to be none other than their old enemy Folcro. He unleashes the demon Sidra against them. The friends barely survive the battle.

This is a fantastic exhibition of epic fantasy. Too often, an author struggles to shine sufficiently on each character in a multiple POV book. However, Tysz seems to have found the perfect balance here. He manages to give every single one of them equal amounts of screentime to shine. Each of them has their own narrative voice. The most impressive part is the number of layers the characters have. Characters such as Lord Meldorath or Midius Maido have some of the most complex personalities I've ever found in fantasy fiction.

The author seems to be improving with each passing book. His writing feels bold and distinctive. The dialogue is crisp and witty. I loved that all the characters and storylines have finally started to converge.

I also liked the pacing of the book. The narrative is action-packed and smooth in transitions. The battle scenes are described in vivid detail. Despite being the sixth book of the series, it works quite well as a standalone. Any fantasy lover should be able to enjoy this book.

Additionally, I found that the author handled some heavy themes, such as homophobia, with much-needed nuance and class.

I will give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I couldn't give it 4 stars because of the grammatical errors and typos present in the book. There is also a significant amount of profanity in the book, which makes it unsuitable for children.

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We are Voulhire: The Flesh of the Mind
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Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 19 Sep 2020, 13:08

I completely agree, the characters are very complex and multilayered

And you'll never tell is Meldorath good or bad

Thanks for this insightful review!

pablo10 · Post by **pablo10** » 19 Sep 2020, 20:59

Yeah, Meldorath is my favorite character in the series. Thanks fo commenting.

AvidBibliophile · Post by **AvidBibliophile** » 19 Sep 2020, 21:20

Emperors, emissaries, and epic fantasy battles sure seem to keep this unique series exciting! Thanks for your review.

MeganDJ · Post by **MeganDJ** » 20 Sep 2020, 01:47

Awesome! I absolutely love this series so hearing that the instalments get better as they go along is refreshing to hear. Thank you so much for your insightful and detailed review! Happy reading

rahilshajahan · Post by **rahilshajahan** » 20 Sep 2020, 01:53

I am reading the fifth book rn. So far so good. I will come back to read your review again once I finish reading the sixth one.

Sou Hi · Post by **Sou Hi** » 20 Sep 2020, 21:30

Tysz is very good at balancing the screen time. Usually, the other books' theme would be 'one protagonist and his/her friends', but Tysz always gives his characters their own parts to show their feelings.

pablo10 · Post by **pablo10** » 21 Sep 2020, 04:51

AvidBibliophile wrote: ↑19 Sep 2020, 21:20 Emperors, emissaries, and epic fantasy battles sure seem to keep this unique series exciting! Thanks for your review.

Thanks for reading the review.

pablo10 · Post by **pablo10** » 21 Sep 2020, 04:52

Sou Hi wrote: ↑20 Sep 2020, 21:30 Tysz is very good at balancing the screen time. Usually, the other books' theme would be 'one protagonist and his/her friends', but Tysz always gives his characters their own parts to show their feelings.

I agree wholeheartedly.

pablo10 · Post by **pablo10** » 21 Sep 2020, 04:53

rahilshajahan wrote: ↑20 Sep 2020, 01:53 I am reading the fifth book rn. So far so good. I will come back to read your review again once I finish reading the sixth one.

You won't be disappointed with the sixth. I'm waiting for the rest of the books to get published.

pablo10 · Post by **pablo10** » 21 Sep 2020, 04:54

MeganDJ wrote: ↑20 Sep 2020, 01:47 Awesome! I absolutely love this series so hearing that the instalments get better as they go along is refreshing to hear. Thank you so much for your insightful and detailed review! Happy reading

Thanks for reading the review.