Review by abudaniel28 -- We are Voulhire: The Knights of...

[abudaniel28]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire by Matthew Tysz is a series portraying the interactions and the interconnectedness among Cosmos, which is our physical universe; Caromentis — the magical world; and Alitheia, which is the spirit world. The series involves characters like mages, knights, an Emperor, a king, lords, priests, and monks. Things like magic, demons, and wars are the norm. There are three main characters: Galen Bray from a city called the Lands of the Princes, Rowan Van Asher from Soulhire, and Demetrius Waters from Virko. This particular book — We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire is the fourth instalment. So, take my advice, stop, go and read the first three novels because you will be unable to appreciate the history of Voulhire and the events depicted in it.

Reading We are Voulhire, one gets the feeling of reading A Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter simultaneously. Once it grabs hold, it won’t let go. If you don’t have the stomach for politics, fantasy, profanity, demons, wars and rumours of wars, backstabbing and so on, then this novel is not for you. On the other hand, if you are a fan of epic fantasy, thrillers and battles, surprising twists and horrific description of events, then welcome aboard.

In The Knights of Chalethire, Matthew Tysz gives a detailed account of the most powerful and the most impressive knight in the kingdom. My favourite character is their leader: High Paladin Harper Renard. Spoiler: she is a badass. Her badassery is much more impressive than that of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator. To be honest, it’s like she’s a demigod. One has to give due credit to the author for making this character believable. She commands, she jokes and is a well-versed tactician, and when duty calls, she is ready to lead an entire army even at a moment’s notice.

In this instalment, Demetrius — a monk who does not believe in God, manages to unlock some unique abilities; Galen is now a pro at wielding a sword and Rowan ..., well Rowan is as sarcastic as always and still enjoys getting under Demetrius's skin. This time though, the trio is facing a much more difficult and unpredictable situation. Rowan is captured and then rescued; Virko is liberated; Riva Rohavi is annihilated. Nevertheless, the real fight for power is just beginning, and these three men are right in the middle of it.

My favourite part is the “dance” between Galen Bray and Harper Renard. I think something is going on here and, although we don’t have much to work with in this book, I want to believe and hope that the author will do them justice in the next instalment. On the other hand, I think that The Knights of Chalethire contains too much profanity. In my opinion, these obscenities are unnecessary since they do not add or remove from the story. Furthermore, since many characters and events are depicted, and names of places are mentioned here and there (though the book contains a glossary of names at the back), some readers might find this novel overwhelming.

We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire is professionally edited, and though I found an error, it did not cause any distraction while reading. Since this book contains profanity, I would not recommend it to a young audience. It also has a homosexual relationship being insinuated; describes demons and a snake-like character; and lots of killings, deaths, and destructions are portrayed graphically. So if you find any of the above offensive, then the book is not for you. Moreover, I would not recommend this particular book if you haven’t read the first three parts. I would, on the other hand, recommend it to fans of We are Voulhire series and fans of fantasy. I give We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire a 4 out of 4 stars.

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We are Voulhire: The Knights of Chalethire
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