Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies

[Reitumetse Mokoena]

[Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies is the first book in its series. From the beginning, it grabbed my attention and played many tricks on me until the end. I loved it! Matthew Tysz makes use of brilliant, descriptive writing that feeds the imagination. He lays the foundation for this series with great attention to detail. The book tells the story of Galen Bray from the Lands of Princes, King Wilhem Alcoro who rules Voulhire, the honest and trusting Eldus Alderman, the elusive and seemingly dangerous Riva Rohavi, and the astoundingly haunting Dalehei Meldorath. It is a book that encapsulates the struggles of war, the burdens of politics, and the awe of magic.

Galen Bray is a young adult who is new to Voulhire. He is brought to this country for reasons that raise many questions. And, he is the only person that narrates his own story. The whole book is in omniscient narration, but Galen Bray's story is written in the first person. I am definitely curious to find out in the other books why this is the case. King Wilhem and Eldus Alderman, as with many in governance, find ruling the public a little more manageable than leading their families. The skeletons in King Wilhem's closet require exploration in the books that follow. Meldorath and the Riva Rohavi are the most interesting pieces in this giant puzzle. I hope you will be in awe of their mystery as much as I was.

As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I felt that I was deprived of an actual story. I understand that this is the founding book in its series, but I got to the end and felt that I had not read a story. As intriguing, intense, and interesting as it was, it was just creatively given information. I was a little disappointed by that. It would have been nice for, at least, one conclusive thing to have happened. It was especially frustrating because I spent most of the book storing information on the back burner for later use. It added to the mystery and intrigue of the story, but it was disappointing to find that the whole story was basically a very creatively written and weirdly large information packet.

Another than that small dislike, I cannot fault the book. It was professionally edited and had characters that captured my attention. Matthew Tysz is a remarkable writer. I applaud his work on this book. Not only was the writing so good that a smile would creep onto my face, but all the characters were fully developed to fit their role in the story. As the book was not polluted with errors, it was smooth sailing throughout my reading. I truly had a great time reading this. Another great thing is that, although there is a glossary for the Voulhirian vocabulary at the end of the book, the book contextually explained the necessary words so that you don't have to flip to the back to find the definitions and disrupt your reading.

Because of its content, those who enjoy fantasy might like what this book has to offer. Be aware, though, that it consistently makes use of expletives and sexual innuendos. As such, adults would be better suited to read it. But, if you are an adult that cannot handle profanity and sexual content, their constant use throughout the book might inhibit your enjoyment of what the story is really about. Even though the book had aspects that I liked and others that I did not appreciate, I still give it 4 out of 4 stars. This is simply because none of the lesser-liked parts were enough to diminish my appreciation for the book. It deserves every star that is available.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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