Review by Sarrikoziol -- We are Voulhire: A New Arrival ...

[Sarrikoziol]

[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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Voulhire is a kingdom that prides itself on being at peace and its movement into the Golden Age of prosperity. The population seems content, industrious, and hardworking under the rule of King Wilhelm. While he has become benevolent with age, he is still revered as fair. However, the study and use of magic and magical objects may have woken up more than Voulhire and King Wilhelm are ready to handle.

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is only the first book in the Voulhire series. The book holds 214 pages followed by 14 pages of “Voulhire: A Reference Guide.” In this story, we follow the path of two main characters in this book - Galen Bray and Lord Eldus Alderman. Galen is a younger man who was raised in the harshness of the Land of the Princes. It is a kingdom full of strife, hardship, pain, and suffering. Galen finds himself an heir to an uncle he did not know existed. He is to undertake the journey to Magnum Caelum, a township within Voulhire. It is a long and hard journey, but Galen is used to hard. Upon arrival, he finds himself in awe of the land. He is humble to all the people he encounters, but will it last? Galen is surrounded by people with which he is unfamiliar. He possesses no clue if they are true to heart, or if they have ulterior motives.

Lord Eldus Alderman is a former judge and family man. He has recently been appointed the new Lord in the township of Hillport. The king has asked him and his family to take on this burden so it may heal after the previous rulers' reign. Lord Eldus designs a plan to bring forth the development of the southern coastal township. It is prosperous in fish, but it lacks education and guidance. The previous Lords of Hillport brought fear and torment to the people. Lord Eldus must first figure out how to heal the people before they can move forward. Will he find a way to promote healing among the people? Will the people finally have the guidance they need to live the simple yet blooming lives they have wanted for so long?

Matthew Tysz brings forth a uniquely built world. The descriptions of some of the characters and the landscaping are expertly done. He does a grand job of just yanking you right into the story from the start and keeping your attention. There are so many intricate and moving parts of Voulhire that the author granted us a favor by adding a reference guide at the end. The reference guide is one of my favorite parts of the book. It explains and gives some depth to points in the story that may leave questions about “what”, “who”, and “where.” I feel it was extremely helpful. It pulled together bits of the book which left me with easy questions normally answered among the pages. For example, the book goes through its history of rulers. It was a fairly quick explanation in some cases. This was by far my least favorite aspect. Luckily, the reference guide conveniently lists them all out.

I completely enjoyed reading about all the moving parts of Voulhire and its people. It was exceptional how the book could loop a character with another when they seemed completely unrelated. I found the chapter titles to be interesting and unique. I did find the flow to be off-putting at times. I would get caught up in what was happening, and it would change characters and stories with the next chapter. Fortunately, it all comes together and makes more sense in the end.

The book was professionally edited as I only found one grammatical error. There are some profanities and sexual-based humor. Therefore, I would say it is suitable for young adults or older. It has suspense, humor, tension, fear, curiosity, and magic. If you enjoy these aspects in your books, I recommend reading this one. All things considered, it left me wanting more. I cannot wait to read book two; therefore, I happily award it 4 out of 4 stars. 

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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies
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[MsH2k]

Your review is the first one I’ve seen that mentions the reference guide. I can image that would be very helpful as you start out on this nine-book series. Thank you for your interesting and informative review!

[The Holy Grail]

This is a wonderful review! I like how you explain hi the book feels. I loved the book, too.

[Oreoluwa281]

I enjoyed this book as well the review, your review made justice to this book. Thanks for sharing this

[Sarrikoziol]

Your review is the first one I’ve seen that mentions the reference guide. I can image that would be very helpful as you start out on this nine-book series. Thank you for your interesting and informative review!

I hadn't realized no one else had mentioned it. Yes, it comes in very handy especially when the author references a character we never meet.

[Sarrikoziol]

This is a wonderful review! I like how you explain hi the book feels. I loved the book, too.

Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it as well.

[Sarrikoziol]

I enjoyed this book as well the review, your review made justice to this book. Thanks for sharing this

Thank you so much. I have enjoyed reading this series. I am glad it is showing through the review.