Review by Vanessa Leong -- We are Voulhire: A New Arriva...
-
Vanessa Leong
- Posts: 41
- Joined: 16 Mar 2021, 22:20
- Currently Reading: Finish what you start
- Bookshelf Size: 16
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-vanessa-leong.html
- Latest Review: Puzzle of Fate by A. Reza Kamarei
- Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Review by Vanessa Leong -- We are Voulhire: A New Arriva...
[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 installment of a new fantasy series by Matthew Tysz. This book introduces the reader to the fantasy world of Voulhire, the Lands of the Princes, and their inhabitants. The premise of the book revolves around Galen Bray, a young and struggling native of the war-locked Lands of the Princes. In times of chaos and unrest, a golden opportunity miraculously arrives in his hands when a granduncle whom he has not heard of, calls for him. Without hesitation, a desperate Galen Bray hastily leaves behind his old life and sets off for a new and optimistic one in the contrarily prosperous lands of Voulhire. However, the kingdom of Voulhire is not without its own troubles. Even while imprisoned and heavily guarded, Dalehei Meldorath, a powerful mage plagues the minds of those aware of his alleged atrocities. A band of vengeful and violent insurgents, the Riva Rohavi, lurks in the shadows as they wait for an opportunity to exact revenge on those who wronged them. Eldus Alderman, a newly appointed lord of Hillport, attempts to fix the shantytown and its traumatized citizens but promptly makes mysterious discoveries of his own. All with their own setting, each narrative aims to introduce the reader to the strifes, wonders, and mysteries of Voulhire.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My absolute favorite aspect of the book was the author’s expertly written and well-paced dialogue. The author brilliantly injected much personality into these characters through the words that they speak. It is rare in my opinion, to find a fictional story in which one can identify each character solely based on his or her dialogue alone. As someone who struggles to remember foreign names that are bombarded onto the reader upon introduction, I immensely appreciated the interesting and consistent dialogues tagged to the characters in this book. From tense discussions to sarcastic banters, I can very confidently say that there is never a dull moment whenever these characters have something to say. Fortunately for readers like me, they always have something interesting to say.
I also love that while Galen Bray is portrayed as the main character, the author never gives the other characters any less attention and personality than they deserve. In fact, I have come to love most, if not all of the characters introduced in this book and I often find myself looking forward to their subsequent appearance with anticipation.
In this book, you can also expect to find clearly and concisely depicted scenes. As someone who cannot stand excessively descriptive and detailed environments, I am a fan of the author’s precise descriptions of the world he wishes to portray. Short and straight to the point, I find myself reading each line with utmost care instead of skimming through paragraphs as I periodically do with other books.
An issue I frequently recognize in fictional stories like this is the presence of dry seasons where nothing really happens and the story ends up being draggy and longwinded, losing the reader’s interest and momentum along the way. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this book, fortunately, lacked such a dry season. The author is obviously skilled in placing subtle twists and discoveries throughout the book to keep the reader hooked. These twists are shocking enough to command the attention of the reader yet subtle enough to not be too clichéd.
All things considered, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is a professionally edited piece of work with no errors and well-structured formatting. With a readily comprehensible narrative and flow with well-crafted characters, I thoroughly recommend this book to both seasoned fantasy readers as well as beginners who want to take a dip in the fantasy genre. However, with adult themes surrounding perversion, subtle sexual references, and the sporadic use of profanity, I do not recommend this book for younger audiences.
******
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 installment of a new fantasy series by Matthew Tysz. This book introduces the reader to the fantasy world of Voulhire, the Lands of the Princes, and their inhabitants. The premise of the book revolves around Galen Bray, a young and struggling native of the war-locked Lands of the Princes. In times of chaos and unrest, a golden opportunity miraculously arrives in his hands when a granduncle whom he has not heard of, calls for him. Without hesitation, a desperate Galen Bray hastily leaves behind his old life and sets off for a new and optimistic one in the contrarily prosperous lands of Voulhire. However, the kingdom of Voulhire is not without its own troubles. Even while imprisoned and heavily guarded, Dalehei Meldorath, a powerful mage plagues the minds of those aware of his alleged atrocities. A band of vengeful and violent insurgents, the Riva Rohavi, lurks in the shadows as they wait for an opportunity to exact revenge on those who wronged them. Eldus Alderman, a newly appointed lord of Hillport, attempts to fix the shantytown and its traumatized citizens but promptly makes mysterious discoveries of his own. All with their own setting, each narrative aims to introduce the reader to the strifes, wonders, and mysteries of Voulhire.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My absolute favorite aspect of the book was the author’s expertly written and well-paced dialogue. The author brilliantly injected much personality into these characters through the words that they speak. It is rare in my opinion, to find a fictional story in which one can identify each character solely based on his or her dialogue alone. As someone who struggles to remember foreign names that are bombarded onto the reader upon introduction, I immensely appreciated the interesting and consistent dialogues tagged to the characters in this book. From tense discussions to sarcastic banters, I can very confidently say that there is never a dull moment whenever these characters have something to say. Fortunately for readers like me, they always have something interesting to say.
I also love that while Galen Bray is portrayed as the main character, the author never gives the other characters any less attention and personality than they deserve. In fact, I have come to love most, if not all of the characters introduced in this book and I often find myself looking forward to their subsequent appearance with anticipation.
In this book, you can also expect to find clearly and concisely depicted scenes. As someone who cannot stand excessively descriptive and detailed environments, I am a fan of the author’s precise descriptions of the world he wishes to portray. Short and straight to the point, I find myself reading each line with utmost care instead of skimming through paragraphs as I periodically do with other books.
An issue I frequently recognize in fictional stories like this is the presence of dry seasons where nothing really happens and the story ends up being draggy and longwinded, losing the reader’s interest and momentum along the way. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this book, fortunately, lacked such a dry season. The author is obviously skilled in placing subtle twists and discoveries throughout the book to keep the reader hooked. These twists are shocking enough to command the attention of the reader yet subtle enough to not be too clichéd.
All things considered, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is a professionally edited piece of work with no errors and well-structured formatting. With a readily comprehensible narrative and flow with well-crafted characters, I thoroughly recommend this book to both seasoned fantasy readers as well as beginners who want to take a dip in the fantasy genre. However, with adult themes surrounding perversion, subtle sexual references, and the sporadic use of profanity, I do not recommend this book for younger audiences.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Puzzle of Fate by A. Reza Kamarei
