Review by Phency -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under...

[Phency]

[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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I love authors who have the ability to create a whole new world, and are able to create it in such a way that you feel like you are existing in the realities of that world. Tysz has done well in his book, We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies. Undoubtedly, this is the first of Matthew Tysz's We Are Voulhire series, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Worthy of note is how he first acquaints his readers with a realm where the coexistence of both the natural world and the supernatural world is possible. I liked the inclusion of a map to this incredible world, where the reader can imagine and exist in the supernatural. It was nice to see the layout and have a picture in your head of where everything is taking place and where the characters are traveling to.

The book starts unhurriedly, giving us a stage and allowing the reader to establish a connection with the characters and the happenings. As the story unravels, the entire narration become intriguing. If you enjoy books about kingdoms and war, and if you are intrigued by old technology, adventure and mystery, then this book is certainly for you. The story is filled with conflict, power, betrayal and a search for identity, accumulating much suspense about the characters and their actions, and also developing the tone for the latter part of the story.

The king of Voulhire who has four sons, fears that they will all vie to take his place one day, and may even kill him to succeed in their ambition. To avoid this fiasco, he gives each son an island and some money, but however, chaos erupts, and so on, the four sons are caught up in a limitless civil war. The book starts out with "Once there was..." and that is reminiscent of a fairy tale, which makes you settle back in your chair and get engrossed in the story. It presents us with the main character who is called Galen Bray, a humble immigrant, a refugee from a war-torn land, and who arrives at the land of Voulhire as the kingdom struggles to find its place in the world.

Great world-building, slow beginning, but still worth the read. Good storyline. Character development, top notch. Thus, I rate the book four out of four stars.

Without mincing words, I believe this epic fantasy is a good read. It spuns an intriguing tale filled with magic and resonates with complex characters that are both susceptible and courageous. The vocabulary is sublime, and the imagery afforded sets readers in the right time and location. The book started too slow though, many pages into it and nothing is almost happening. I am of the opinion that the primary audience should be teenagers and young adults, hence the need for the author to have made it a fast-paced book.

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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