Review by Clombardia -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival u...
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Clombardia
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- Latest Review: We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz
Review by Clombardia -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival u...
[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is the first book of a fantasy saga by Matthew Tysz. As the title announces, it is set in Voulhire, a thriving kingdom where magic and religion, as well as science and physics, intertwine around its citizens and governors. Galen, one of the main characters, arrives at Voulhire wanting to start a new life. He comes from the Land of Princes, a country in the midst of a civil war, a place where survival is all that people care about. Galen suddenly finds himself in Magnum Caelum, a small village in the south of Voulhire, and has to confront a world far more complex from what he knows and where he knows nobody. In parallel, we are presented with characters that hold key positions across Voulhire, characters such as King Willhelm in the capital, Lord Alderman and his family in Hillport, and, most importantly, Meldorath, the villain whose imprisonment sets the start of the book. The result is a somewhat coral novel that begins to explore ambition, growth, and a whole new world, which I found enjoyable and engaging; a well-accomplished start of a fantasy saga.
My favorite aspect of the story is its contrasts. The industrialized north and the rural south; the prosperous Voulhire and the impoverished Land of Princes; the magical Caromentis and the physical Cosmos, all contribute to a captivating presentation of Voulhire. Most importantly, I loved the contrast between Galen and Meldorath, two characters that do not interact at any point but still are the two backbones of this first book. On one side, Galen’s innocence, gratitude, and excitement as he arrives at Voulhire are endearing. I particularly liked how his story is the only one that is not only told in the first person but also from a future moment in time, with knowledge of what will happen and indications on how the personality of Galen will evolve. On the other hand, there is Meldorath, an ambitious and all-mighty mage who barely has any scenes, and yet the mention of his name is constant across storylines. Meldorath keeps both the characters in the book and the readers weary and expectant for his next move.
The writing style is dynamic and transparent, which, in my opinion, is the other greatest virtue of this book. It is a style that introduces the reader to the new world of Voulhire in a seemingly effortless way. The language makes the descriptions very visual and colorful and the dialogues, lively and fluid. For instance, the very first appearance of Meldorath in Hillport, with his blue robe and black hair, is simple, yet a very powerful beginning for the story. Closely related to the style is the election of names, both of characters and places. Meldorath, Hillport, Riva Rohavi, Virko, they are all compelling and strong, easy to remember, which is vital when introducing a new fantasy universe to the public. Moreover, some of the magical concepts that were introduced (e.g., Caromentis, bio magic) contribute very positively to the whole Voulhire imaginary.
Conceptually, this story is very good. The symbols, the world-building, and the language all contribute to a very pleasurable reading experience. However, I also believe that it lacks depth. Considering that it is the first book of a saga, this might not be too bad, but I missed some complexity in the psychologies of the characters and more excitement in the plot. I found Galen very promising because it seems that he is the one about to go through more changes and learning experiences, but all the others are quite superficial. For example, I never connected with Lord Alderman even though he has scenes that are supposed to be emotional. In terms of the plot, I felt that the succession of events was too easy and quite predictable. Of course, there are open questions that will probably be resolved in the following books (e.g., the minerals, Meldorath’s powers, Lord Alderman’s son), and I do think that these questions are interesting enough to make up for the first book’s easy plot in the rest of the saga.
Overall, I rate this book with 3 out of 4: “good”. I did not give it a 4 due to the easy plot and simple characters, but also not a 2 because there are enough interesting concepts and unanswered questions left to work on the depth of the rest of the saga. I recommend the book, and even more so for younger audiences and readers that are looking for new worlds and fresh possibilities to explore. Personally, I am excited to see what happens next.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is the first book of a fantasy saga by Matthew Tysz. As the title announces, it is set in Voulhire, a thriving kingdom where magic and religion, as well as science and physics, intertwine around its citizens and governors. Galen, one of the main characters, arrives at Voulhire wanting to start a new life. He comes from the Land of Princes, a country in the midst of a civil war, a place where survival is all that people care about. Galen suddenly finds himself in Magnum Caelum, a small village in the south of Voulhire, and has to confront a world far more complex from what he knows and where he knows nobody. In parallel, we are presented with characters that hold key positions across Voulhire, characters such as King Willhelm in the capital, Lord Alderman and his family in Hillport, and, most importantly, Meldorath, the villain whose imprisonment sets the start of the book. The result is a somewhat coral novel that begins to explore ambition, growth, and a whole new world, which I found enjoyable and engaging; a well-accomplished start of a fantasy saga.
My favorite aspect of the story is its contrasts. The industrialized north and the rural south; the prosperous Voulhire and the impoverished Land of Princes; the magical Caromentis and the physical Cosmos, all contribute to a captivating presentation of Voulhire. Most importantly, I loved the contrast between Galen and Meldorath, two characters that do not interact at any point but still are the two backbones of this first book. On one side, Galen’s innocence, gratitude, and excitement as he arrives at Voulhire are endearing. I particularly liked how his story is the only one that is not only told in the first person but also from a future moment in time, with knowledge of what will happen and indications on how the personality of Galen will evolve. On the other hand, there is Meldorath, an ambitious and all-mighty mage who barely has any scenes, and yet the mention of his name is constant across storylines. Meldorath keeps both the characters in the book and the readers weary and expectant for his next move.
The writing style is dynamic and transparent, which, in my opinion, is the other greatest virtue of this book. It is a style that introduces the reader to the new world of Voulhire in a seemingly effortless way. The language makes the descriptions very visual and colorful and the dialogues, lively and fluid. For instance, the very first appearance of Meldorath in Hillport, with his blue robe and black hair, is simple, yet a very powerful beginning for the story. Closely related to the style is the election of names, both of characters and places. Meldorath, Hillport, Riva Rohavi, Virko, they are all compelling and strong, easy to remember, which is vital when introducing a new fantasy universe to the public. Moreover, some of the magical concepts that were introduced (e.g., Caromentis, bio magic) contribute very positively to the whole Voulhire imaginary.
Conceptually, this story is very good. The symbols, the world-building, and the language all contribute to a very pleasurable reading experience. However, I also believe that it lacks depth. Considering that it is the first book of a saga, this might not be too bad, but I missed some complexity in the psychologies of the characters and more excitement in the plot. I found Galen very promising because it seems that he is the one about to go through more changes and learning experiences, but all the others are quite superficial. For example, I never connected with Lord Alderman even though he has scenes that are supposed to be emotional. In terms of the plot, I felt that the succession of events was too easy and quite predictable. Of course, there are open questions that will probably be resolved in the following books (e.g., the minerals, Meldorath’s powers, Lord Alderman’s son), and I do think that these questions are interesting enough to make up for the first book’s easy plot in the rest of the saga.
Overall, I rate this book with 3 out of 4: “good”. I did not give it a 4 due to the easy plot and simple characters, but also not a 2 because there are enough interesting concepts and unanswered questions left to work on the depth of the rest of the saga. I recommend the book, and even more so for younger audiences and readers that are looking for new worlds and fresh possibilities to explore. Personally, I am excited to see what happens next.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
