Review by a_r_egerton -- We are Voulhire: The Knights of...

a_r_egerton · Post by **a_r_egerton** » 08 Oct 2020, 15:15

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire" by Matthew Tysz.]

3 out of 4 stars

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We Are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire is the fourth book in Matthew Tysz’s Voulhire series. It starts about a month after the third book, and Galen and his friends have traveled to the titular town of Chalethire, which is famous for its elite warriors.

Not only do Galen, Rowan, and Demetrius need a new home after Riva Rohavi’s attack on Magnum Caelum, they still need to find somebody to help them against the demons in Virko. They finally find it in the form of Chalethire’s ruler, Count Lavon Elmira. While the count is skeptical, he does agree to send a squad of his best knights to Virko.

Just as he had with Virko, Soulhire, and Yamon Soul, Tysz gives Chalethire a distinct culture. It is the first place in Voulhire where women are depicted as holding positions of authority. Paladin Harper Renard is the best example of this. She is one of Count Elmira’s top military commanders, and she quickly becomes a point of view character.

In fact, Harper Renard is what I liked most about this book. She’s a morally gray character who is loyal to Count Elmira and has ambitions of her own. She is also a capable commander and fighter. In an amusing inversion of the usual cliché of the overprotective boyfriend, she becomes quite protective of Galen, for she isn’t certain of his combat skills.

Anybody hoping for romance or erotica, though, is going to be disappointed. While Galen and Harper are attracted to each other, their relationship is definitely at the “just friends” stage. Given that Harper is a warrior and Galen is a refugee with a traumatic past, they aren’t likely to believe in love at first sight.

Tysz also has fun with the hoary trope of the villain hoisting himself on his own petard. Lord Meldorath has supplanted the Eoidi, a religious leader analogous to the Pope. He has since discovered that the role comes with certain duties like holding services and settling religious disputes. As Meldorath doesn’t have a religious background, he sometimes struggles with these responsibilities.

On the other hand, I disliked most the continuing absence of major female characters. Harper Renard is a great character – but she’s also only one person. While Beth of Caromentis does turn up, she does disappointingly little. Worse, Tysz still tends to default to “male” when he introduces a new character. Akistry, who briefly tutors Demetrius, is a perfect example of this problem. He’s a snake-man with mystical powers, and I love the idea of a reptilian character who isn’t evil. Since he’s not a warrior or a hereditary ruler, he could have easily been written as a female. Unfortunately, he’s yet another male.

We Are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire will appeal to fans of fantasy. It doesn’t work as a standalone book, for there are references to events from the earlier books, especially the demonic invasion of Virko. The language and violence in the book mean that it is not suitable for children. Teenagers and adults may enjoy it, though.

I give this book three out of four stars. I docked a star for grammar and spelling errors. For example, Tysz needs to watch his homonyms, which are words that have the same spelling and/or pronunciation yet have completely different meanings. On page 79, for instance, Galen comments, “and we looked at him as though that was his queue to contribute to the discussion.”

A queue is a line of people; a prompt to do something is spelled “cue.” On the other hand, this installment in the Voulhire series should please fans with its entertaining characters and plot.

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We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire
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