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4 out of 4 stars
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I found the book We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz to be particularly interesting and well written. There are castles, magic, violence, beautifully described locations, and many interesting characters. The Prologue immediately pulled me in and I didn’t want to stop reading. I give the book 4 out of 4 stars because of the exciting prologue, great details, and an ending that leaves you wanting more.
I would recommend the book to adults who enjoy reading about medieval times. The book mentions a pedophile a few times but readers should not be turned off completely because Matthew gives little to no details about what the character did. Readers sensitive to violent scenes may not enjoy this book. I wasn’t bothered by it but others might be. I believe the details added to the scenes. The book is the first in a series of six, so do not expect closure at the end because there is more to come.
We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies follows several main stories. Galen Bray is given an opportunity to escape his homeland and start a new life in the diverse land of Voulhire. King Willhelm is the ruler of Voulhire who has the tough job of keeping his people safe and dispelling rumors. A small sea-side town with a dark past welcomes a new visitor who must work hard to earn the townspeople’s trust. Rumors are abound surrounding a community of people who are displeased with the king.
There were several things I especially liked about the book. Matthew not only provided a map of Voulhire, but a glossary of terms with the book. I really love the word mastery of Matthew. He paints a picture with his word choices; for example “...hair as black as the sky behind him.” I also really appreciated the titles of the chapters because it made the distinction unmistakably clear which character or story you were reading about. Furthermore, I particularly liked that I could not predict what would happen. I was surprised several times throughout the book.
The only thing I did not like was the ending. I understand that the book is the first in a series, however; the book feels like the last chapter was just cut out. It didn’t wrap up all of the stories enough to be a standalone book. I do not recommend this book to people who are looking for just a single book with a neat ending.
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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