3 out of 4 stars
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Typically, it is ill-advised to make political enemies with ethereal beings who can destroy the very fabric of the world. But King Wilhelm unknowingly does so by entertaining a court case that would allow refugees to escape the rule of the Emperor of Lullabies and their war-torn lives. Galen Bray, a refugee himself, is one of the few in Voulhire that knows firsthand the horrors of living in the lands ruled by the Emperor.
After being turned away everywhere else, Galen and his comrades, Demetrius and Rowan, arrive in the capital city of Soulhire seeking the king’s help to fight the demons overrunning the city of Virko. Instead, they find themselves in the middle of political upheaval and chaos as the conflict between the Emperor of Lullabies and King Wilhelm erupts. In response to this, Meldorath, a terrifyingly powerful mage, races against time to implement his plan before the Emperor of Lullabies can make his next move. Will opposing the Emperor of Lullabies make unlikely allies out of Meldorath, Galen, and the rest of Voulhire? Or is Meldorath seeking revenge after being banished and imprisoned by King Wilhelm?
Meanwhile, the Riva Rohavi are attacking military patrols, invading smaller towns, and using new war strategies with devastating effects throughout the countryside. Are the Riva under the influence of the Emperor of Lullabies, or acting of their own accord? What does their invasion mean for the future of Voulhire?
We Are Voulhire: Someone Else’s End by Matthew Tysz has a fast-paced and exciting storyline that will keep readers turning pages late into the night. One of the many things I enjoyed about the book was the author’s ability to successfully include interesting character development and political conflict without slowing down the storyline. One thing I disliked about the book was the distracting change in narration perspective depending on which character the chapter focused on. I found it hard to follow which character each section belonged to, as three characters had sections written in a first-person perspective while the remaining characters had theirs written in a third-person perspective. I also would have liked more major female characters to be included throughout the story, although this is a common concern of mine in this genre and not limited to this story.
This book will appeal to most lovers of fantasy novels, although I would not recommend it to younger readers due to the level of violence and adult language present. I would also warn readers that there is a scene of threatened sexual assault, in case anyone prefers to avoid such writing. The exciting storyline merits a high rating, but the numerous grammatical errors prevent a perfect score. Thus, I give this book a 3 out of 4-star rating. Despite what I perceived as a rocky start to the series with the first two books, I admit that this third installment has me excited to read the next one when it is released.
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We are Voulhire: Someone Else's End
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