Review of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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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, involves a carefully crafted world containing an intriguing combination of fantasy infused with realism. The story begins with its young protagonist, Galen Bray, fleeing his warring homeland and embarking on a journey across the seas to continue the legacy of his late uncle. Leaving behind the Land of the Princes and all its poverty and destruction, Galen is filled with hope for the future and awe for the new land he finds himself in: Voulhire. In this new country, the reader meets a plethora of colourful characters whose initially separate stories slowly begin to intertwine as the plot develops. Young Galen, a seemingly naïve, idealistic, and overly grateful young man is introduced to a whole new way of life and many exciting new experiences in Voulhire. Yet the reader soon discovers that all is not as it seems in this “promised land”. Although he left many problems behind him – ones that threatened his very survival - the reader immediately senses that this new country presents its own problems in more subtle and insidious ways.
Tysz has an excellent command of the language. Rather than relying on the sheer length of a description (as many authors resort to doing in order to evoke the intended atmosphere), Tysz succinctly portrays meaning in a thoughtful and profound way. It is clear that much time was spent by Tysz carefully evaluating the perfect diction that would do justice to this incredible world of his creation. The author’s humour is charming and demonstrates sharp wit. Never did I feel it was forced or that the plot was created around opportunities for humour, but rather that these humorous moments naturally arose from the situations that developed. These comical moments enhanced the plot, rather than detracting from it as humour tends to do when overstated.
I would rate this powerful book 4 out of 5 stars. I had to think carefully in order to pinpoint some constructive criticism for this masterful piece. Perhaps there are just two points that I would consider, which I could um up as follows: anachronisms and profanities. There are many aspects to Voulhire that would seem rather modern, while the overall feel of the world is one of a time bygone when burning the midnight oil was literal. Here, modern football fields, flushing toilets, and protesting students meet medieval castles complete with shining knights. At times I was not sure what era to expect next… would Galen’s next adventure involve sparring with knights or whipping out a smartphone? Yet, I somehow cannot help but believe that these seemingly blatant anachronisms were purposeful. This is a world of his creation, after all, so why should it be limited by the human construct of time? The only aspect that I admit to finding slightly unpleasant was the use of profane language. Although some might see this language as part of character development, I personally see vulgar language as unnecessary, and it always detracts from the reading experience for me.
Some would perhaps view the lack of detailed physical appearances as a negative, yet I saw this as a positive aspect: although some readers rely on these descriptions to bring the characters to life in their minds, I love to allow each character to develop in my mind organically through a merging of my own imagination with the author’s careful character development. Despite the humanity of the characters, who are, to varying degrees, immersed in a three-dimensional existence (even those who delve into other planes of existence or who hail from other dimensions are still very much a part of the plane of density), this lesser focus on the superficial aspects of the human plane ties in well with the author’s focus on philosophy and spirituality. From what I recall, the first real description of the main character’s facial appearance was only on page 63! And I must remark that the brevity of the description was fitting indeed.
Another refreshing aspect to this tale of fantasy is that is does not rely on all kinds of wild and wonderful magical creatures to excite the audience… in fact, there are none at all. Rather, it is simply humans, in the form of mages and other magical folk, that yield the powers of magic. That said, I felt there was no absence of magic and wonder.
I would recommend this book to mature audiences (due to the use of profane language and some sexual innuendos, as well as violent scenes) with an interest in fantasy and spirituality. This book deals with a variety of themes, from coming of age and parent-teenager conflict, to peace and war and survival, to power and heroism and the fight between good and evil.
******
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, involves a carefully crafted world containing an intriguing combination of fantasy infused with realism. The story begins with its young protagonist, Galen Bray, fleeing his warring homeland and embarking on a journey across the seas to continue the legacy of his late uncle. Leaving behind the Land of the Princes and all its poverty and destruction, Galen is filled with hope for the future and awe for the new land he finds himself in: Voulhire. In this new country, the reader meets a plethora of colourful characters whose initially separate stories slowly begin to intertwine as the plot develops. Young Galen, a seemingly naïve, idealistic, and overly grateful young man is introduced to a whole new way of life and many exciting new experiences in Voulhire. Yet the reader soon discovers that all is not as it seems in this “promised land”. Although he left many problems behind him – ones that threatened his very survival - the reader immediately senses that this new country presents its own problems in more subtle and insidious ways.
Tysz has an excellent command of the language. Rather than relying on the sheer length of a description (as many authors resort to doing in order to evoke the intended atmosphere), Tysz succinctly portrays meaning in a thoughtful and profound way. It is clear that much time was spent by Tysz carefully evaluating the perfect diction that would do justice to this incredible world of his creation. The author’s humour is charming and demonstrates sharp wit. Never did I feel it was forced or that the plot was created around opportunities for humour, but rather that these humorous moments naturally arose from the situations that developed. These comical moments enhanced the plot, rather than detracting from it as humour tends to do when overstated.
I would rate this powerful book 4 out of 5 stars. I had to think carefully in order to pinpoint some constructive criticism for this masterful piece. Perhaps there are just two points that I would consider, which I could um up as follows: anachronisms and profanities. There are many aspects to Voulhire that would seem rather modern, while the overall feel of the world is one of a time bygone when burning the midnight oil was literal. Here, modern football fields, flushing toilets, and protesting students meet medieval castles complete with shining knights. At times I was not sure what era to expect next… would Galen’s next adventure involve sparring with knights or whipping out a smartphone? Yet, I somehow cannot help but believe that these seemingly blatant anachronisms were purposeful. This is a world of his creation, after all, so why should it be limited by the human construct of time? The only aspect that I admit to finding slightly unpleasant was the use of profane language. Although some might see this language as part of character development, I personally see vulgar language as unnecessary, and it always detracts from the reading experience for me.
Some would perhaps view the lack of detailed physical appearances as a negative, yet I saw this as a positive aspect: although some readers rely on these descriptions to bring the characters to life in their minds, I love to allow each character to develop in my mind organically through a merging of my own imagination with the author’s careful character development. Despite the humanity of the characters, who are, to varying degrees, immersed in a three-dimensional existence (even those who delve into other planes of existence or who hail from other dimensions are still very much a part of the plane of density), this lesser focus on the superficial aspects of the human plane ties in well with the author’s focus on philosophy and spirituality. From what I recall, the first real description of the main character’s facial appearance was only on page 63! And I must remark that the brevity of the description was fitting indeed.
Another refreshing aspect to this tale of fantasy is that is does not rely on all kinds of wild and wonderful magical creatures to excite the audience… in fact, there are none at all. Rather, it is simply humans, in the form of mages and other magical folk, that yield the powers of magic. That said, I felt there was no absence of magic and wonder.
I would recommend this book to mature audiences (due to the use of profane language and some sexual innuendos, as well as violent scenes) with an interest in fantasy and spirituality. This book deals with a variety of themes, from coming of age and parent-teenager conflict, to peace and war and survival, to power and heroism and the fight between good and evil.
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
