We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies

We Are Voulhire #1

by Matthew Tysz

The kingdom of Voulhire has found itself in a golden age. In matters of wealth, culture and technology, it is the envy of a fast-changing world.

In these times of conventional prosperity, the people of Voulhire are struggling for a national identity. Faith, science, and magic— each in their own jealous way— offer promises of a perfect world. Each offer an identity to those uncertain of their purpose.

But a darkness lingers about the kingdom of Voulhire, this tiny continent adrift in an envious world, filled with powerful people who have plans of their own.

In these uncertain times, an immigrant has arrived from a war-torn land, eager to repay the opportunity his new home has given him.

As the people around him endure the rising tensions, they can only dream of what their nation will one day mean to the world. But they cannot possibly imagine what this immigrant will one day mean to them.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Book Club

Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

I was born on May 24th, 1989, and raised on Long Island, where I attended a small town public education. My vocational path has taken me down many roads, from retail, to used car sales, to high school security, working in a network or group homes to working as a nighttime patient sitter at my local hospital.

I’m a homebody at heart, though I possess this strange fondness for city life and, like the great H.P. Lovecraft, I have an especially painful attraction to Manhattan (a place which I have lovingly destroyed in several of my stories).

I love people, though I often find I keep them at arm’s length. I love watching people, ruminating on their behavior and building little stories out of my predictions as to what each man or woman I see is going to do next. Most especially, I like to imagine them in different settings, extraordinary settings, and ponder the discoveries of such extreme displacement.

I’ve always believed that chaos is the muse of creation, and a good story is often driven by the choices made in the wake of madness.

Reviews

[Osman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The guy can obviously write, the prose is impeccable.

However, the story doesn't work. The author is far too ambitious with his Point-of-View characters, and has bitten off more than he can chew. Combine this with a very slow pace and you have a sizable 'novel' which not only has no conclusion, but has no discernable direction either.

None of the POVs (not even the main protagonist) has a plot goal. It reads more like random diary entries in a fantasy setting. OK, this person arrives on a boat, goes to his new home, meets a few people, takes a few trips, learns how to operate a forge... Yeah, but where's the f-ing story, dude? What is he supposed to be doing? What does he want? Why do we care? (we don't!)

I know that this is part one in a series, but that doesn't mean that because it is part of a massive whole it shouldn't be a story in itself. Each book should have a sub-goal, a sub-arc; something to make you care. And this book just doesn't.

When it comes to its eventual end we are just left hanging. It quite literally ends on a chapter involving a minor character getting out of jail. This is a character that has only appearred in one chapter of the book so far, we know very little about him. The fact that he was in jail was not even of tangental importance to any other character in the book. The fact that he is now out of jail is similarly unimportant.

The main character has spent the entire book settling into his new home and meeting a few other main characters. They took one side trip to a place where they retrieved some magical stones (which they don't even know are magic, and have not been linked to any goal or stakes).

I guess that would be the point where the breathless reader wants to dash out and purchase the next thrilling installment. The problem is, this book isn't at all thrilling. More like wading through mud. Which is a great shame, as I say, because the author really knows how to write prose.
Could just do with a little more focus on story.

There is quite a lot of world-building, and the author obviously cares a lot about his world. Which made it even more weird for me to see how he fucks it up often by interjecting some random contemporary anomaly. Whether it's the language he uses ('…I’d be like, ‘That’s right bitch, I’m watching you and your daughters undress!’ loc 3123) or the concepts ('They didn’t care that they couldn’t move like the pros, they just wanted to dance.' loc 569; ‘…it’s been compared to bouts of OCD so intense it causes physical spasms.’ loc 4584); or the fact that there are in this world: 'ice-hockey rinks'; 'interns'; 'homeschooling'; 'metrosexuals'; and 'cognitive disonance'. Pretty much all of these break the reader's suspension of disbelief; it's just a hotch-potch of jangled ideas.

There's also a fair bit of misogyny (eg: 'You never bang the same girl more than once unless you’re gonna marry her. But when you’re stuck in bumblefuck with two hundred people for six months, eventually you all start eating out of the same dish.' loc 2293)

I was induced to read this through OnlineScamClub. I notice that there are a lot of people here that are the same. I wouldn't recommend OnlineScamClub. Those who are on it know what I mean. I had never met a 'Comma-Fascist' before; now I have! Their modus operandi is simple: entice eager reviewers who hope to get free books and make some side money. But, you can only make money (peanuts btw) if you get a good 'score'; and... you can only get a good score if your review passes the 'grammar-Nazis'--which, believe me, it won't. They have a very interesting method of penalising discretionary commas (no, I'm not talking about objective comma misuse; I'm talking about 'Oxford' commas and other discretionary commas.) They will look through your 800 word review which you spent a nice long time compiling and editing, and they will find a place where you have put a comma, or a place where you haven't put a comma, and they will penalize you. And then they will gaslight you in the comments. ('This is a badly written review...' --because you didn't commarise like I want you to!!!!). There's no come back of course, and you will shortly be in negative figures on your 'score'. All this will mean that you will never, ever be paid.

just FYI

[Mila · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was extremely confusing with many POVs and info-dumping from the very beginning. The characters were quite unlikable, in my opinion, and I couldn't connect to any of them. So it was not my cup of tea overall.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies” by Matthew Tysz is a novel that focuses on a vast majority of characters, especially upon a man named Galen. This character named Galen comes from a different land known as the Prince’s Islands. However, it is stated in the beginning of the book that he is traveling towards a new destination, a new land, this land is known as Voulhire. Within Voulhire there are many different places, similar to provinces. This story focuses and tries to unravel around a man named Meldorath who is a suspicious character to say the least, and is labelled as “dead.” But the question remains throughout half of the book, “is he really dead?” This novel switches back and forth from one place to the next, and changes from character to character, and perspective to perspective. I do not wish to say too much more due to the risk of spoiling things as this book could very easily be spoiled.

3 out of 5 stars. I am rating this book a 3 out of 5 for various reasons, but I am not rating it a one because I will honestly say that it was not that bad. But it is also not good enough to be rated a 4. One of the reasons that this book is being rated a 2 is because when you first start reading the book, there’s nothing to entice you, nothing to grab your attention or pull you into the book.

Another unfortunate part of this book is that there is no actual plot developed until after half way through the book, even then the plot still is not clear. It is never fully made clear as to what the objective or plot of the story is. It’s mainly a jumble of ideas placed into one novel with no apparent reason as to why they are being joined together. Another downside to this book is that the book is written in a way that causes confusion and just overall does not sound right, it sounds awkward and unappealing. I understand that many people might like a book written in this form, but I however, do not like this style of writing.

One thing that really bugged me though was the fact that the characters weren’t fully developed, they were kind of just plopped into the story to try and connect pieces of the so called plot together. Something connected to that, that really bothered me was the fact that the son of Eldus was given something I cannot say without giving a spoiler, but I feel as though the only reason he was given this was to try and keep the story running, as if that was one of the only reasons that a second book would be able to be made. I just am really disappointed in how this story turned out. When I first heard about the book I thought it would be really good, but it turned out to be the opposite way around.

I also figured it would be a good idea to point out the fact that I noticed two spelling/grammar errors within the novel. On page 130 the text says “That would require an imbuer who is also be a bio mage.” I noticed that it does not sound correct, I believe it is a grammar mistake as it does not make sense to say who is also be. The other mistake I noticed was found on page 101 it says “That team relayed the message to Soulhire, where an old man sat in a chair high in Cathidien, receiving these massages.” The error in this sentence is a spelling error due to the fact that they were previously talking about messages and now they have spelt massages.

I wanted to point out that this novel seems to have been inspired by a few sources, one of them being Harry Potter as Meldorath seems awfully similar to Voldemort and the novel also seems as though it were inspired by the realistic world and fantasy worlds built by other authors. Which I know that is unavoidable due to the fact that magic is used in almost every fantasy novel now days.

There are times in this novel where I felt like things should have been expanded on more or maybe not even included. One of the things I felt could have been expanded on was when the author wrote “, Destinism holds that all sentient life enjoys free will. But God has placed us, knowing who we are, in exactly the time and place that we were born to fit his plan. Every man is free, but the world has a destiny. And one day, we will all wake up and realize that our efforts are complete. The world that once was so scary has now been made perfect.” I feel like this part of the story could have been expanded on to help expand the knowledge that we are given of about this world.

Something else I wanted to say is that sometimes characters added for absolutely no reason, or at least they are not required for this story as they end up doing nothing. I feel as though he only added those characters in order to make it possible for him to write a second novel. Some unfortunate things that were added into the novel were sexual jokes and themes, and a few swears. It wasn’t too bad, but I personally did not find it amusing or in the least bit appropriate or needed to write a good book. It didn’t fit into the theme of the book.

I would suggest this book to an older audience, not young teenagers, but teenagers from 17 to adults aged 28. I recommend it to them because I feel as though that age group would approve of it the most. But I definitely feel that people under the age of 17 should not be reading it due to the swearing and sexual remarks/jokes. On top of that, people who have had unfortunate experiences in sexual relationships and unwanted sexual relationships should be careful when reading it due to the awful sexual jokes the author makes thinking it will gain attraction from his readers.

Now I would like to move onto some positives. There are a few times within the novel that I was actually feeling like I couldn’t wait to get to the next page! I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Basically, I am saying that after a while it seemed like the author began to find ways to enthrall their readers. Another good thing is that when they took inspiration from other authors and sources, they didn’t take massive chunks from other sources but rather small slices and adapted them to their own liking which also helped make it original. I also appreciated the way that magic was explained and given a world of its own.

All in all, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars. It could have been better, but at least it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars

This book could have been so good, but alas, it was not. It was very disjointed, and too many subplots, which were never tied together, made it difficult to truly invest yourself in the story. The book was also quite slow with not much happening at all. It was actually difficult for me to finish it.

And the book ending was so abrupt, it made me wonder if my Kindle version was missing pages or even chapters. I enjoyed certain parts, but not enough to make me read the remaining books in the series. There are many high star reviews, though, so it might just be me. And admittedly, the writing was quite good and the mystical world the author created was intriguing. It just never reached its full potential in my opinion.

[Konstantinos Pappis · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Following is a review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz I wrote for Online Book Club.]

The first installment in Matthew Tysz's Voulhire series, We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies introduces us to the wondrous fantastical world of Voulhire. The story begins with Galen Bray, one of the four sons of a powerful ruler in a nation known as the Land of Princes, where one's fate is either "death by the sword, or a slow starvation." When the opportunity arrives, he boards a ship to Magnum Caelum in the kingdom of Voulhire in hopes of a better future. Upon arrival, he discovers that his uncle who lived in Voulhire has recently died, and that he has inherited all of his fortunes.

What he is not aware of, however, is Voulhire's dark and unsettling history. While Galen is the main character of the story, the narrative is told through multiple perspectives, which allows us to get a glimpse of the many events that are unfolding in Voulhire, as well as its rich past. A man named Lord Eldus, for example, is a kind of second protagonist; a former judge of Soulhire, he is newly responsible for the growth of the small and quiet town of Hillport. But beneath the surface of this humble fishing village lies great danger. The horrific acts of two of King Wilhem's former friends, Lord Orlin and General Meldorath, still loom over Voulhire. Just when they seem to be a thing of the past, something suggests that they may still be a threat. 

By far the most impressive aspect of A New Arrival under Great Skies is Tysz's knack for compelling world-building. The author has evidently put a lot of effort into mapping out the country of Voulhire (both figuratively and literally - a map is included at the very beginning of the book). As a result, the country's political structure, deep history, and complex relationship with the magical world of Caromentis engage the reader as they are slowly and carefully developed throughout the novel. As the first book in the series, it thus very much succeeds in achieving exactly what it sets out to do. 

At the same time, however, the novel can seem a bit slow-paced for some, especially if you are not a fan of the fantasy genre. That said, the author makes sure to include little twists and turns at the end of nearly every scene to keep the reader intrigued. Although there is a relatively fully-fleshed narrative here, its main role is to persuade readers to pick up the second book in the series, which is understandable on the one hand, but prevents it from being entirely satisfying in itself on the other.

When it comes to the protagonist, a similar pattern can be observed. Galen is immediately presented as a relatable character we can fully empathize with. His story is a classic tale of a boy "slowly becoming a man", one who "finds himself lost inside his own heart, struggling to discover who he truly is." In a world full of questionable characters, this kind of innocent but cautiously ambitious protagonist is necessary and refreshing. But due to the multiple point of view shifts, there is little opportunity for us to watch him grow as a character. But, as with the narrative itself, we get a sense that there is great potential in terms of development in future installments. 

Equally gripping is the cast of secondary characters, particularly the mysterious mage known as Meldorath, whose great power is teased throughout without giving away too much. On the other hand, I found Rowan, Galen's companion as he explores Voulhire, somewhat annoying, although their blossoming friendship is nicely portrayed. I would have also liked to see more strong female characters; one mysterious but exciting new arrival halfway through the novel promises that this may indeed happen later in the series.

Overall, the book is beautifully written and mostly well-edited, with the exception of a few spelling mistakes. I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars because it works best as a promising introduction to the series rather than a stand-alone work. Although not necessarily groundbreaking for the genre, it's perfectly serviceable and fully-realized, and thus comes highly recommended for any readers willing to delve into an exciting new fantasy world.

[Marie Chalupová (Levitara) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galen is an immigrant to a kingdom that promises him a new peaceful life after he escapes a war-torn country.
Lord Eldus might seem like a happy family man, but he carries a heavy burden. He is one of the few people who know this kingdom might not be peaceful for much longer.

I didn't expect much from this book based on the Goodreads ratings, but it pleasantly surprised me. I enjoyed the world that we discover together with our main character Galen, as well as through other POVs. This book is clearly a setup for the next six books in the series, so it can be a bit slow in parts, but it definitely left me eager for more.

I can recommend it to anyone who likes to discover new fantasy worlds and doesn't fear some lore exposures and slow build-up. Also, there is quite a bit of magic involved.

In my opinion, this book's rating is so low because of the website where it has been posted for review. From what I have seen, it doesn't have many fantasy books to review, much less epic fantasy. Therefore, I would guess many reviewers might have read this as their first epic fantasy and this is not an entry-level fantasy book.

More detailed review is available here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...

I received monetary compensation for providing an honest review of this book.

[Amy Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies , by author Matthew Tysz, was surprisingly delightful. I would have to say; I would rate this book three out of four stars. It is rare for me to become immersed in this genre of book, and I could not put it down! 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 immersed in a new and exciting land.
The main character is called Gallen and he is basically poor and from a war-torn place. The book starts off with him on a boat, heading to receive an inheritance from his Uncle. On the boat, we hear of the story of the Emperor of Lullabies. The Emperor of Lullabies had four sons, and he was afraid that the sons would overpower him one day and take his Kingdom. The Emperor decided to send each of his sons to a different island. As the sons grew older and ruled their islands, a civil war begun. The boat that Gallen is on is traveling to a County called Voulhire which is ruled by King Wilhelm. As any Country, there are many cities inside. To name a few, Voulhire has its’ Capitol city of Soulhire, a darker crime ridden place called Virko, the Holy Land of Yamon Soul, and Magnum Caelum the tiny town that Gallen is traveling to. Gallen ends up meeting a character called Rowan, who plays a huge role throughout the book. Once Gallen is in Magnum Caelum, he signs the paperwork to receive the inheritance from his Uncle- a house and a forge. He gets to the house and business called Onita Steel where Rowan gives him the deed to both, a notebook and a letter. The letter leads him to team up with Rowan to try to make the County whole and safe again. In lieu of creating spoilers, I will just say there is also a powerful wizard imprisoned on an island and a group of bad guys called Riva Rohavi. It is a great book with lots of excitement and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

What I liked about this book is quite a bit. First, I loved that the author included a map in the beginning. It was neat to see the layout and have a picture in your head of where everything is taking place and where the characters are traveling to. I liked how realistic the characters were, it was almost like you were meeting them in person. I also liked how realistic the main character was, with the book being written from his point of view, you could really get into his head. He had emotions and thoughts that you and I would have on any given day. He wasn't super or extraordinary necessarily, just believable! I loved the descriptive text throughout as well. For example, on page three it says that “The war dragged, like fingernails cracking in dirt”. I love text that really throws your imagination into overdrive! It makes it feel you are there experiencing what you read.

What I disliked was trying to keep the characters straight. I wish there had been a character list after the map, so you can get an idea of who is who beforehand. That way when you come upon them in the story, you can recall who they are and what they do. If not, you can always go back to the list! I just personally find this helpful with books that contain unusual places and names or even made-up words. There were a few words I had to look up the meaning to, which got frustrating. Animus means hostility, vie is to compete eagerly and cacophony is a harsh mix of sounds. Its always great learning new things and new words, it just gets frustrating when you need to stop reading something you are engrossed in, to look up something so you understand better what is going on.

The audience for this book would be anyone into medieval times or fantasy. However, being that neither is my first choice for genre, I would expand my previous statement as to the audience would be anyone looking for a temporary escape from every day life.

[Curlotte]

At first, I was reluctant to read the first book on this series.
One of my pet peeves in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre is the weird naming style that makes the characters difficult to remember.
When I began reading last night, it's a relief that it was not the case.
There was even a hilarious portion that made me soften up in my approach to reading this novel.

[Marvee Jamali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept is original and magnificent. I have never read something like this before. Writing style of author is impressive. Metaphors, adjectives, similes were perfectly blended. Being the beginner of fantasy genre, this book helped me a lot in improving my level in this genre.

[Aeliya Fatima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following is a volunteer review of "We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies" by Matthew Tysz.]
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3 out of 5 stars
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We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies by Matthew tysz is the first of seven fantasy book series. Set in the fictional land of Voulhire the story follows the lives of multiple men as they struggle to find a foothold in the kingdom against the powerful mage meldorath. A man who is presumed to be dead without proof. There is our main character Galen, an immigrant from a war ridden kingdom who arrives in Voulhire upon his uncle's death and makes unexpected friends. The king of Voulhire King Wilhelm Arcolo trying to keep peace in a kingdom while his enemies grow in power. A group of rebels, the Riva rohavi, who plunder and pillage any land they see fit ready to sow chaos in the empire. For now the most important role is that of lord Eldus sent to the capital city of hillport in the south to maintain the peace and reassure the people of Meldorath's defeat.

This book has it all. It has magic that can be used by the people called the mages. A shadow realm from which magic can be drawn called calomentis. It is a vast world with many provinces to explore and the way they are interconnected in the story is just beautiful. The map provided in the beginning of the book helps provide a clear picture of the lands mentioned.

The best part about the book is its use and explanation of magic. The introduction of parallel world's and of people able to transverse through time and space was very well written. This is a book with multiple characters and the author managed to infuse a sense of realism in all of them and make them their own people with seemingly no effort. In a time were there are so many fantasy books all with a sense of magic Matthew tysz has managed to make a world stand out on its own

Now there are a few things I've disliked about this book. The initial half of the book drags on with not much to keep the reader interested and wanting more. There is no solid plot for a while and we are left confused as to the direction of the story.
Another thing is the characters .While there are multiple characters with their own plotlines none of the characters seem to be fully developed. There is also a lack of strong female character and the ones that are added in are not very well explored. It is my hope that this is explored further and we learn more about these characters in the next books as the story progresses. There were certain parts of the book where the dialogue felt forced and awkward with jokes being made for the sake of it where they were not needed.

I have more questions then answers at the end of the book that i hope would be solved after reading the next book
All in all it was a solid book that could have definitely been better.

I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars. The writing style was a bit choppy and awkward. The book is written for a young adult audience but i would personally recommend it to a 17+ audience. They would better appreciate the changes in the plot and the underlying message. There are also instances of foul language being used along with a few sexual comments and references to sexual assault which would be better suited to an older audience.

[BookishBat · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have our main character, Galen. Galen is a bright-eyed young man who wants to make it in this world. He journeys to a land called Magnum Caelum. His mission is to meet his great uncle and to learn the ways' of the blacksmith. We meet

Lord Eldus, the kind lord of Voulhire. His mission is to solve the mystery of the infamous mage Meldorath. This incredible journey includes epic fantasy, mystery, action, and self-discovery.

First, I like to talk about the pros of the story. Firstly, I loved the prose and how everything was described. I could almost see and feel what is described.

Second, I enjoy the depth of each character. You get to know them and what makes them tick. Sometimes in books, the character development needs more work. Since this book is only the first volume in the series, I am impressed. You could tell what their character alignment is, to put it in D&D terms, I can tell Galen is chaotic good, and lord Eldus is lawful good. To put it simply, Galen is a good person and is flexible and adapts to things. Lord Eldus is a good person and makes sure he follows the laws. Each person has pretty clear motives and morals.

Thirdly, the lore and the overarching story is so interesting it had me starving for more. The part of the story surrounding Meldorath was incredibly interesting.

Fourth, the world-building is near perfection. The history and the culture that is described is rich and feels like a real place. I am pretty sure the author did lots of research. The world-building took a lot of tender love and care; I appreciate that.

Fifth, The book was well edited. I did not notice any spelling or grammatical errors.

Now, for the cons of the story. Firstly, I Had some trouble figuring out what era this was set in. This is assuming the technology goes by earth times. I was assuming it was medieval times. Until I saw in the book oil lamps being old technology your grandma would still have. Is this set in the early 1880s? So, the rest of the time I imagined them in Victorian-era clothing.

Second, It was difficult discerning which character you're reading about. Galen's chapters were labeled, but Lord Eldus' weren't. It usually took me a paragraph to figure out which point of view I am reading

Lastly, I did not like the foul language. I found 26 curse words in the whole book. I don't enjoy reading foul language. There was one word I did not expect to be in there. The word was the CU** word. The rude words mostly came from brutish characters. I will give him credit when it is due. I don't like to be reminded of these words' existence. If you are fine with foul language, this wouldn't bother you. I am pointing this out for people like me who avoid such words.

This will not prevent me from reading the next book. I am just a Christian woman, looking out for others who may be bothered by the language.

In conclusion, I rate this book 4/5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am excited to read the next installments. I took off a star due to foul language, mostly. I think anyone who liked Eragon by Christopher Paolini or any other epic fantasy book with lots of action.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz is an epic fantasy novel geared toward the YA crowd, but also suitable for older readers. The author sets the stage as a king, The Emperor of Lullabies, who has four sons, fears that they will all vie to take his place, and may even kill him to do so. To avert this disaster, he gave each son some land, but nonetheless, chaos and war prevails, and one son, Galen, chooses to leave the kingdom and ventures to Voulhire. He cannot possibly foresee what the future will bring. As the land of Voulhire struggles to find its place in the world, Galen may in fact have a huge impact on the foreign land. This is a fascinating tale filled with magic, a tale that resonates, and complex characters that are both vulnerable and courageous. A great addition to the fantasy genre, this book sets the stage nicely for a follow up book. Highly recommend.

[Antonella · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the title says, this book is a book about new beginnings. Each of the characters is in a search for hope. This book is a foundation for future books in the series. I applaud the author's idea for the series and his world-building. However, I wish that there weren't as many points of view and subplots. It makes for an overwhelming introduction to the series. There is also a mix of using modern and medieval languages. It is a confusing book to read. The book is written in first and third-person narration. Overall, it left me bewildering, and not in a good way.

[Gothic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: We are Voulhire: Matthew Tysz
Started: Sept. 3, 2024
Finished: Sept. 12, 2024
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Rating:4/5


This book was hefty, to say the least. From the heavy world building to complex and complicated characters, this story had a lot going for it.

The story follows Galen, our young refugee who escaped a war and moves to Voulhire, with the help of a nameless solicitor, who we later find out was hired by his grandfather.

In the beginning, there is a quote that says:
“See the good in everything, and the best of it will find you.” As we progress, Galens naivety changes. We find out early on the Galen is going to Voulhire because his grandfather is dying, and has given him his property and business.

Once we get past the deep of the exposition, we dive into a complex plot. We soon discover that there is a war brewing once more, and our characters are shoved into a storm that will determine their fate. We discover that a powerful mage, who we are introduced to early on, as Meldorath, is a dangerous threat to the kingdom.

In the end, will they simmer in hopelessness? Or will they stand up and fight to become the great kingdom they once were?

From complex characters to an intricate plot, Matthew Tysz does an astonishing job at creating a realm of shock and intrigue.

I rate this book a 4/5, due only to the fact that I had some confusion about the plot in some areas. This book is not a romance, so if you are looking for love, you will not find much of it here. An epic fantasy, We Are Voulhire goes on an amazing journey of magic, war, and discovering ones true self and purpose.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

'In the lands of the Princes, it was death by sword, or a slow starvation.’

New York author Matthew Tysz is a young writer whose passion in epic fantasy, He studied journalism at Stony Brook University and now writes form his home in Riverhead, New York.

The new arrival under great skies is Galen, one of the four sons of the wicked and powerful Emperor of Lullabies who ‘had four sons, each with a legitimate claim to his throne by the traditions of their land, each with a desire to have the throne, and each with storied animus against one another, as brothers often have.’ The Emperor, fearful of the combative nature of the sons, gave each a piece of land on a small chain of islands. Each son was content for a while –until civil war broke out for twenty years, at which point Galen departs for the strange land of Voulhire.

And from that opening stance the story begins – ‘The kingdom of Voulhire has found itself in a golden age. In matters of wealth, culture and technology, it is the envy of a fast-changing world. In these times of conventional prosperity, the people of Voulhire are struggling for a national identity. Faith, science, and magic— each in their own jealous way— offer promises of a perfect world. Each offer an identity to those uncertain of their purpose. But a darkness lingers about the kingdom of Voulhire, this tiny continent adrift in an envious world, a nation filled with powerful people who have plans of their own. In these uncertain times, an immigrant has arrived from a war-torn land, eager to repay the opportunity his new home has given him. As the people around him endure the rising tensions, they can only dream of what their nation will one day mean to the world. But they cannot possibly imagine what this immigrant will one day mean to them.’

The story is short and reads very quickly, not because of its brief length, but because of the complete immersion in this fantasy that holds the readers’ attention. And as with all well conceived fantasy novels, there is much cogent philosophical relevance that makes the book render many ‘a-ha’ moments that anchor the story. A fine book by a solid author.

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where King Wilhelm struggles to keep his rule from the power hungry Mianoran Council and taps on his evil, magical General Meldorath; which everyone thinks he is dead. Matthew Tysz presents the first of the We are Voulhire series, A New Arrival Under Great Skies. Each chapter slowly brings the story to light as Lord Eldus takes over the small fishing town of Hillport, the same office Meldorath and Lord Orlin worked their wicked ways. While it introduce Galen to the blacksmith occupation, his great uncle left him. Other characters gradually increase their importance as the novel comes to a close.
 
There is a measure of mystic and enchantment within the pages of We are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under the Great Skies, by Matthew Tysz. It fascinated me with how the story unfolded. The plot was not predictable and leaves the reader hanging on every word. I favored Galen as he forged ahead with things he did not quite understand. I would highly recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy with a bit of magic.

[Asteria Hecate · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are Voulhire: A new arrival under great skies by Matthew Tysz is the first book of a fantasy/sci-fi series. This book is an introduction to the world of Voulhire and how everything works in this multiverse. The story is told through the perspectives of multiple characters, all of them dealing with a world suffering the aftermath of the supposed death of a powerful lord.

The best part about this book was how intricately the author, Matthew Tysz, has designed his world. Voulhire has a working monarchy, it's own Gods, it's caste systems, and everything else you would expect in a real society. These details add a sense of realness to the plot. They allow the reader to feel as if they are experiencing the story.

However, one aspect I did not like about this book was that the point of view keeps changing in every chapter. With so many characters, and all of them going through different things in different chapters, the multiple perspective changes were just confusing.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it has a really good plot, a very realistic setting and the author has an amazing writing style and structure. Even with the multiple perspective changes, the book was still a very enjoyable read. It is also very well edited and there were no errors of any kind.

This book is suitable for audiences in the teen ages and above. I would especially recommend this book to lovers of fantasy and magic/sci-fi.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the summary for We Are Voulhire, I was not expecting to really be that impressed, to be honest. First, being listed as Teenager/Young Adult was a strike against the chances of this being something for me, personally. Also, based on the summary, I expect the time period to be at least a couple hundred years ago but the cover of the book shows a kid in a hoodie and cargo pants looking out over what appears to be a modern city. I went in confused and remained that way regarding the time period before finally deciding that lanterns, ships, and monarchies put Voulhire in the 'way back when'.

Now, after that lackluster intro, surprise! Turns out this is much more than it seems initially. The struggle for a throne, brother against brother, treachery in a dangerous world full of dangerous people... how can you not be enthralled? I think Matthew Tyzs wrote a fantastic fantasy with We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies and I hope to get ahold of the next installment soon.

[Shanell Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may be written with young adults in mind but I think adults would like it too!

If the first book in this series is any indication of how the rest of the series will be then you can count me in! It’s geared toward young adults, but I think both young and old will enjoy this new world. The story starts out slow but it’s needed to allow the reader to get to know the world they are about to become immersed in and the gain a better understanding of the people they will meet while there. It’s about halfway through the book where it really starts picking up and you will find yourself drawn deeper into the story. I’ll be honest, I was disappointed in the ending but I have a feeling that book two will bring this story back into my good graces! I’m excited to see where we will go from here and what is in store for this new world!

[Heather Dugger · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Are Voulhire: A New Arrival Under Great Skies is a Sci-fi novel written by Matthew Tysz. It is a multiplebeginning that I'm not sure what the timeline was/is. It was more than a slow burn and the ending just well ended just in a weird way. POV novel. Main characters are Galen who is on his way to new land called Voulhire. The other main character is Meldorah, who is a phantom in a sense. Unknown status of existence on their plane. From the begin0ning it takes about time travel.

Which falls flat. The plotline is different. I feel like it's chasing it's tail with plotholes. Along with information overload in the beginning that made me unsure where we were half off of the time, on the time line. The ending was merely just bam there. I know there will be nine books. Just didn't set it up for the second one.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I get ready to watch the final season of Game Of Thrones, I'm watching and reading anything that's remotely similar to it. In this case, we have the world Voulhire and as the first book in the series, what a start we have had. Matthew Tysz, the author has brilliantly introduced to us a new world, beliefs, and characters. With a traditional king ruling the world and four sons who all one day hope to take his place you can only imagine the kind of betrayals and deceits that progress as the story develops. All in all a fantastic start to a series that definitely has the potential to become my new favourite. Can't wait to dive into the next book.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interesting!

I loved this book. The story line immediately pulled me in. I had a lot of questions that made me so curious before I started the book. As soon as I started reading I got addicted. I love books that switch from different perspectives so this one was great because it did just that. The kingdoms and the sons of the king are trying to get the main throne and everything that comes with their strategies is sooooo interesting to me. The ending was awesome too. The ending left me saying wow. Practically speechless. Totally recommend !

[Prabhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is really great, and the author connects everything to easily. Although I found it not so easy to keep up with the story and at certain points things just felt meaningless. But I guess that's where a big story starts. I enjoyed the parts incorporating Galen. If you are going to read it, make sure you are ready to take in everything.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but complexe

This is a really interesting first book, but you absolutely have to stay awake whilst reading it. It has (what feels like) many moving parts and "main characters" and each one is fascinating in their own right. I am not overly enamoured with the story so far. However, it feels very much like a 1st season to a tv show, if that makes sense? Like this whole book is about introducing the players and setting the scene, and it's not small. I do feel like some parts might be obvious in coming, but I'm still looking forward to reading the next one.

[Ariel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The sheer volume of narratives was overwhelming. The author writes as if he believes this is going to immediately be picked up by Netflix and turned into a show, and the constant "cut scenes" were hard to follow. I had a hard time keeping track of people because of how much info-dumping happened, and not even in a way that was descriptive. Show, don't tell. I also took issue with the fact that Galen's narrative was first-person, but everyone else was third-person. If it's Galen's story, say that, write that, but don't also create more and more narratives of subplot and subterfuge to muddy the story.

[Zachary Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are Voulhire fell pretty flat for me. To be fair I am new to this genre, I have enjoyed tv shows like Game of Thrones and the Lord of the Rings movies. This is an attempt to build a world similar to those. I did enjoy Galen as a character, he did have a cool story. Overall its decent, I do not intend to read the rest of the series when it releases.

[Jennifer McVey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantasy novel that keeps you hooked!

The author build an important details that advance the storyline. The blend of drama, action makes for more captivating experience. If you're a fan of fantasy world this book is must-read series. Can't wait to start on the next book.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

This is a great start to a series. The stories of different people are all interesting. This book has a lot of magic involved, but the way that the stories are told makes it even more interesting. However, there was story that interested me more which was Galen's story, I believe.

[Vivi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feel free to check out my review. https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...