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.]
<r>Young Galen Bray escapes to Voulhire from the oppressive Land of Princes to claim his inheritance left by his great uncle. With the help of his uncle’s executor, Rowan, Galen intends to continue his uncle’s blacksmithing business in his new country. But Voulhire has problems of its own. Down the coast from his new hometown, the newly appointed Lord Eldus tries to rebuild a town devastated by its last lord, the mage Meldorath who had, in turn, deposed the pedophile Lord Orlin. King Wilhelm does his best to protect his kingdom despite the efforts of self-serving politicians to undermine his rule. Rumors that Meldorath still lives and reports of the rebel group Riva Rohavi unsettle the populace. Sporadic incidents of evil magics contribute to the feeling of unease.<br/>
In the first book of the <I><s></s>We Are Voulhire<e></e></I> series, <I><s></s>We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies<e></e></I>, Matthew Tysz shows us Voulhire through the eyes of Galen. The stories of bureaucrats, military men, mages, and priests fill out the narrative; their stories touch each other and build the world of Voulhire.<br/>
<br/>
Tysz does a good job drawing the characters whom we see the most. Galen, likable and considerate, shows a bit of innocence as he adjusts to life in Voulhire. His friend, Rowan, has the job of guiding Galen but lies occasionally. Lord Eldus and King Wilhelm round out the cast of good guys. They both try to do the best for their people. Tysz paints exceptionally vivid pictures of the bad guys. The mage Meldorath breaks down a door with a human battering ram. Alabaster not only chatters like a crazy man, but he also manipulates people's bodies. Orlin appears only briefly, but we see the effect his misdeeds have on his child victims.<br/>
From history to current events to descriptions of places, we get to see Voulhire. The characters themselves teach us about the Voulhirian economy, politics, religion, and expectations of morality and duty. Tysz presents a world so rich in history and backstory that it’s easy to get lost. Not to worry, the list of characters and reference guide keep the details straight.<br/>
<br/>
I had a couple of problems with this novel. First, as a newcomer to the Voulhire metaverse, I started with the usual expectation of a clear beginning introducing the characters, conflict building in the middle, and a resolution at the end with a cliffhanger. Instead, I got background information and tension buildup for most of the novel. The conflict came at the end. I reached the halfway point wondering how these different stories fit together. The plot felt disconnected. Second, I had to work to identify the main character and finally decided on Galen. Galen appeared first (after the Prologue), he had more pages than the other characters, and only he told his story in the first person. Galen looked, sounded, and felt like a main character, but his actions didn’t have much effect on the events elsewhere in the book.<br/>
I rate this book <B><s></s>5 out of 5 stars<e></e></B>. I found no errors to distract from the story. Although the plot feels slow and disjointed, it shows this complex world and builds suspense and anticipation for the following books.<br/>
<br/>
Fantasy fans would enjoy this book. The author developed a deep fantasy world that feels real. Character types range from well-intentioned to crazy-evil. Since pedophilia and some pretty gory scenes happen, I would not recommend this book to young or sensitive readers.<br/>
</r>
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
<r>Young Galen Bray escapes to Voulhire from the oppressive Land of Princes to claim his inheritance left by his great uncle. With the help of his uncle’s executor, Rowan, Galen intends to continue his uncle’s blacksmithing business in his new country. But Voulhire has problems of its own. Down the coast from his new hometown, the newly appointed Lord Eldus tries to rebuild a town devastated by its last lord, the mage Meldorath who had, in turn, deposed the pedophile Lord Orlin. King Wilhelm does his best to protect his kingdom despite the efforts of self-serving politicians to undermine his rule. Rumors that Meldorath still lives and reports of the rebel group Riva Rohavi unsettle the populace. Sporadic incidents of evil magics contribute to the feeling of unease.<br/>
In the first book of the <I><s></s>We Are Voulhire<e></e></I> series, <I><s></s>We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies<e></e></I>, Matthew Tysz shows us Voulhire through the eyes of Galen. The stories of bureaucrats, military men, mages, and priests fill out the narrative; their stories touch each other and build the world of Voulhire.<br/>
<br/>
Tysz does a good job drawing the characters whom we see the most. Galen, likable and considerate, shows a bit of innocence as he adjusts to life in Voulhire. His friend, Rowan, has the job of guiding Galen but lies occasionally. Lord Eldus and King Wilhelm round out the cast of good guys. They both try to do the best for their people. Tysz paints exceptionally vivid pictures of the bad guys. The mage Meldorath breaks down a door with a human battering ram. Alabaster not only chatters like a crazy man, but he also manipulates people's bodies. Orlin appears only briefly, but we see the effect his misdeeds have on his child victims.<br/>
From history to current events to descriptions of places, we get to see Voulhire. The characters themselves teach us about the Voulhirian economy, politics, religion, and expectations of morality and duty. Tysz presents a world so rich in history and backstory that it’s easy to get lost. Not to worry, the list of characters and reference guide keep the details straight.<br/>
<br/>
I had a couple of problems with this novel. First, as a newcomer to the Voulhire metaverse, I started with the usual expectation of a clear beginning introducing the characters, conflict building in the middle, and a resolution at the end with a cliffhanger. Instead, I got background information and tension buildup for most of the novel. The conflict came at the end. I reached the halfway point wondering how these different stories fit together. The plot felt disconnected. Second, I had to work to identify the main character and finally decided on Galen. Galen appeared first (after the Prologue), he had more pages than the other characters, and only he told his story in the first person. Galen looked, sounded, and felt like a main character, but his actions didn’t have much effect on the events elsewhere in the book.<br/>
I rate this book <B><s></s>5 out of 5 stars<e></e></B>. I found no errors to distract from the story. Although the plot feels slow and disjointed, it shows this complex world and builds suspense and anticipation for the following books.<br/>
<br/>
Fantasy fans would enjoy this book. The author developed a deep fantasy world that feels real. Character types range from well-intentioned to crazy-evil. Since pedophilia and some pretty gory scenes happen, I would not recommend this book to young or sensitive readers.<br/>
</r>
******
We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Impossible Mock Orange Trial by Thad G. Long
