Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
-
cluetop
- Posts: 21
- Joined: 23 Jul 2021, 10:27
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 13
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cluetop.html
- Latest Review: Mysteries you can't put down by Brad Bennett
Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
[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 by Matthew Tysz is the first installment in a series that delves into an adventurous, action-packed fantasy world filled with magic and science. With Voulhire being a prosperous land with a goal of attaining perfection and the dreaded Land of Princes being home to rampant war, the novel develops a detailed universe and a strong character, Galen, that emerges as a refugee from the Land of Princes to Voulhire. Galen discovers himself through his journey in taking over his late uncle’s estate and forge in the land of Magnum Caelum. Amid the chaos, rises Meldorath, a powerful mage who faced execution after experimenting on people; however, rumors abound that he was spared and imprisoned, awaiting his chance to come back.
Personally, I found the humor in the book to be quite refreshing, albeit a bit crude at times. Finding a book that genuinely creates laughter is rare, and this book did a good job of achieving that goal. Rowan was easily my favorite character, and I truly appreciated how well-developed he was from his style of speaking to his charming character mannerisms. His smirks, constant jokes, and witty remarks throughout the novel kept me excited to see what he would do next. The book’s writing is phenomenal in that it genuinely transports readers to the environs of the book while developing the customs and cultures of the universe, a feat that is noteworthy and crucial to a successful fantasy book. For example, religious customs and Voulhire’s societal system of values based around the king and morals are explored in detail, allowing readers to truly immerse themselves in the universe.
However, I did find the universe itself a bit confusing at times. The extended reading offered at the beginning of the book was significant to my understanding of the book, so I would recommend it to those planning on starting the series. The politics and characters of the story are complex and better understood with a bit more context on their backstories. While every fantasy writer faces the dreaded struggle of infodumping or not divulging enough context, I think this book did a relatively good job of introducing readers to the fantasy universe.
Overall, I would rate the story with a 4 out of 4 stars. Although the fantasy universe was a little hard to follow at first, the author made up for it with his extended reading offer and extraordinary, transportive writing. This book genuinely made me laugh and immerse myself in the situations of the characters, both important things to look for in a good book.
I recommend We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies to anyone who enjoys exploring fantasy worlds and flipping through action-packed adventures. Due to some crude jokes and profanity, I would not recommend this book to children, but teens and adults are a perfect fit. I look forward to reading deeper into the series, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy imaginative, magical worlds in their reading.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is the first installment in a series that delves into an adventurous, action-packed fantasy world filled with magic and science. With Voulhire being a prosperous land with a goal of attaining perfection and the dreaded Land of Princes being home to rampant war, the novel develops a detailed universe and a strong character, Galen, that emerges as a refugee from the Land of Princes to Voulhire. Galen discovers himself through his journey in taking over his late uncle’s estate and forge in the land of Magnum Caelum. Amid the chaos, rises Meldorath, a powerful mage who faced execution after experimenting on people; however, rumors abound that he was spared and imprisoned, awaiting his chance to come back.
Personally, I found the humor in the book to be quite refreshing, albeit a bit crude at times. Finding a book that genuinely creates laughter is rare, and this book did a good job of achieving that goal. Rowan was easily my favorite character, and I truly appreciated how well-developed he was from his style of speaking to his charming character mannerisms. His smirks, constant jokes, and witty remarks throughout the novel kept me excited to see what he would do next. The book’s writing is phenomenal in that it genuinely transports readers to the environs of the book while developing the customs and cultures of the universe, a feat that is noteworthy and crucial to a successful fantasy book. For example, religious customs and Voulhire’s societal system of values based around the king and morals are explored in detail, allowing readers to truly immerse themselves in the universe.
However, I did find the universe itself a bit confusing at times. The extended reading offered at the beginning of the book was significant to my understanding of the book, so I would recommend it to those planning on starting the series. The politics and characters of the story are complex and better understood with a bit more context on their backstories. While every fantasy writer faces the dreaded struggle of infodumping or not divulging enough context, I think this book did a relatively good job of introducing readers to the fantasy universe.
Overall, I would rate the story with a 4 out of 4 stars. Although the fantasy universe was a little hard to follow at first, the author made up for it with his extended reading offer and extraordinary, transportive writing. This book genuinely made me laugh and immerse myself in the situations of the characters, both important things to look for in a good book.
I recommend We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies to anyone who enjoys exploring fantasy worlds and flipping through action-packed adventures. Due to some crude jokes and profanity, I would not recommend this book to children, but teens and adults are a perfect fit. I look forward to reading deeper into the series, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy imaginative, magical worlds in their reading.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Mysteries you can't put down by Brad Bennett
