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bookish_bonnie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Dark academia vibes featuring cultural influence from the Roman Empire. It contains strong elements of political intrigue, including an anti-colonialism, anti-totalitarianism message. The magic system is complex, thoroughly developed, and admittedly a bit confusing on one read alone. The novel is long but every twist and turn keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. You won’t be able to think of anything else while this masterpiece lays unfinished.
The Will of the Many is the kind of book you have to read more than once in order to understand the full scope of the plot. With the excruciating wait between this one and its sequel, I don’t imagine fitting in a reread to be a problem (even with the book’s size taken into consideration). Even the second time around, you’ll be flipping through its pages like a madman. Not only is the plot layered and the full mystery of its world still waiting to be unraveled, but the characters are multifaceted, believably written, and overall interesting to read about. Even the worst character in the story has depth. I think that’s an element that’s missing from some other books.
I discovered this novel a bit late but I’m grateful for that because I don’t have to wait as long as some other people here for the sequel… and it’s not too late for me to recommend it to all of my friends.
Overall, The Will of the Many is probably the best book I’ve read in 2024 and I doubt that it’ll change even with a few months left to go before the year’s conclusion.
The Will of the Many is the kind of book you have to read more than once in order to understand the full scope of the plot. With the excruciating wait between this one and its sequel, I don’t imagine fitting in a reread to be a problem (even with the book’s size taken into consideration). Even the second time around, you’ll be flipping through its pages like a madman. Not only is the plot layered and the full mystery of its world still waiting to be unraveled, but the characters are multifaceted, believably written, and overall interesting to read about. Even the worst character in the story has depth. I think that’s an element that’s missing from some other books.
I discovered this novel a bit late but I’m grateful for that because I don’t have to wait as long as some other people here for the sequel… and it’s not too late for me to recommend it to all of my friends.
Overall, The Will of the Many is probably the best book I’ve read in 2024 and I doubt that it’ll change even with a few months left to go before the year’s conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide
avibrantmind's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Will of the Many offers a truly fascinating concept, and the world-building is impressive, drawing you into its unique setting. However, the pacing feels a bit uneven, with a slow, detailed setup that eventually leads to a cliffhanger. While I enjoyed the depth of the story, at times, the main character’s constant internal reflections on how to react to others became a bit distracting. It wasn’t always clear if this was due to his trauma or just a part of his personality. Despite these moments, the intriguing premise has me interested enough to follow up with the sequel. Though the 640 pages felt a bit lengthy, fans of complex worlds and character-driven narratives may find the journey well worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
mice_are_nice's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Cultural appropriation
meat_muffin's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Toxic relationship
purnuhja's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
An interesting read that tries to ask important questions on what it means to exist within and resist an imperialist system. I wasn't too wowed by the premise, it felt like a new take on a standard fantasy setup, but I became more interested as the story progressed. The story is tight and the action keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sometimes I struggled with the writing; it was easy for me to get confused by the details of the mystery or worldbuilding and other times it just felt like more telling than showing. Because of this the story lost me sometimes and I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about the ending (and understanding what happened lol). During the entire reading process, I teetered between "this is cool" and "this is silly." Outside of that, Vis is an easy character to listen to and root for. The unique characters and their relationship dynamics were definitely a plus.
Overall though, I thought this was a gripping story and I'm excited to see what's to come in the second book! I think Islington approaches some fascinating themes more seriously than other fantasy novels, and I'm interested to see how he explores them further in the rest of the trilogy.
Overall though, I thought this was a gripping story and I'm excited to see what's to come in the second book! I think Islington approaches some fascinating themes more seriously than other fantasy novels, and I'm interested to see how he explores them further in the rest of the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Colonisation
mallorypen's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO this book was so freaking good!!!!!
I was trying to describe this story to someone, and said "If you liked Hunger Games, but wished the political intrigue was dialed up to eleven and that it was set in a fantasy version of ancient Rome, this is the book for you." While I don't think that description does this story a disservice, it hardly scratches the surface of what the novel is.
Firstly, the clarity of writing. There are so many characters in this book, and I feel like I could accurately recall and describe at least 3/4 of them because they were written so distinctly and so well. Eidhin and Callidus (CALLIDUS!!!!!!!!) and Emissa and Ulciscor and Relucia and Lanistia and Validius and Aequa ... and VIS. Ugh, Vis is the hero I want to root for in every hero's journey-style story, because despite his temper and his disinterest in engaging against the government that killed his family, he is so good. His goodness guides his decisions and though he could easily step into the role of a Gary Stu - he's amazing at strategy, he can outfight anyone, he's a polyglot, he's handsome - he's still a believable character throughout all the trials he faces.
There are also an incredible amount of plot points in the novel; so much so it flirts with being too much. Despite that, the story doesn't meander, nor do the bits in between the explosions and action sequences drag. I was fully locked in the entire time, and felt the tension of Vis' subterfuge in every scene.
The worldbuilding is incredible. The concept of the Pyramids, the ceding, the Cataclysm, the way the Republic took over the known world, the hierarchy - it felt like a real society and real effects from a real history. And yes, being based on ancient Rome helped fill in any gaps that might have occured, but I didn't get the sense that my knowledge of the real-world history had to work all that hard because the gaps, if there were any, were minimal. The exposition was enough to keep me from being confused, but wasn't so much that I felt like I was being hit over the head with detail. Vis as the narrator did an excellent job of informing the reader through thoughts and actions that advanced the plot rather than just explained a facet of the worldbuilding, and as I mentioned, I was fully locked in for the entire story.
I also enjoyed the relationship developments throughout - Vis got to know people without fully trusting them blindly, and when his trust was earned, I as the reader was right there with him. (Again ... CALLIDUS!!!!!) The distinct characterizations lent themselves to distinct relationships with Vis; his friendships with Callidus and Eidhin felt appropriately different to his wary but tentative truce with Aequa, which felt appropriately different from his antagonistic yet appreciative relationship with Lanistia. My only note is that the female relationships aren't as compelling as the male relationships; I was not as convinced about Vis' feelings towards Emissa, because he had more chemistry with Callidus and Eidhin. And Aequa's change of heart/friendship that was built with Callidus and Vis during the final few weeks of their training didn't feel as fully-fleshed out as other friendships - it did allow for her apparent betrayal during the Eudicium . But even then, I still think overall character and relationship work in the novel were fantastic.
The INTRIGUES. God, I could spend hours talking about the twists and the overarching mysteries and the double-crossings ... but I won't. Instead, I'll just start a countdown to when the next book comes out!
I was trying to describe this story to someone, and said "If you liked Hunger Games, but wished the political intrigue was dialed up to eleven and that it was set in a fantasy version of ancient Rome, this is the book for you." While I don't think that description does this story a disservice, it hardly scratches the surface of what the novel is.
Firstly, the clarity of writing. There are so many characters in this book, and I feel like I could accurately recall and describe at least 3/4 of them because they were written so distinctly and so well. Eidhin and Callidus (CALLIDUS!!!!!!!!) and Emissa and Ulciscor and Relucia and Lanistia and Validius and Aequa ... and VIS. Ugh, Vis is the hero I want to root for in every hero's journey-style story, because despite his temper and his disinterest in engaging against the government that killed his family, he is so good. His goodness guides his decisions and though he could easily step into the role of a Gary Stu - he's amazing at strategy, he can outfight anyone, he's a polyglot, he's handsome - he's still a believable character throughout all the trials he faces.
There are also an incredible amount of plot points in the novel; so much so it flirts with being too much. Despite that, the story doesn't meander, nor do the bits in between the explosions and action sequences drag. I was fully locked in the entire time, and felt the tension of Vis' subterfuge in every scene.
The worldbuilding is incredible. The concept of the Pyramids, the ceding, the Cataclysm, the way the Republic took over the known world, the hierarchy - it felt like a real society and real effects from a real history. And yes, being based on ancient Rome helped fill in any gaps that might have occured, but I didn't get the sense that my knowledge of the real-world history had to work all that hard because the gaps, if there were any, were minimal. The exposition was enough to keep me from being confused, but wasn't so much that I felt like I was being hit over the head with detail. Vis as the narrator did an excellent job of informing the reader through thoughts and actions that advanced the plot rather than just explained a facet of the worldbuilding, and as I mentioned, I was fully locked in for the entire story.
I also enjoyed the relationship developments throughout - Vis got to know people without fully trusting them blindly, and when his trust was earned, I as the reader was right there with him. (Again ... CALLIDUS!!!!!) The distinct characterizations lent themselves to distinct relationships with Vis; his friendships with Callidus and Eidhin felt appropriately different to his wary but tentative truce with Aequa, which felt appropriately different from his antagonistic yet appreciative relationship with Lanistia. My only note is that the female relationships aren't as compelling as the male relationships; I was not as convinced about Vis' feelings towards Emissa, because he had more chemistry with Callidus and Eidhin. And Aequa's change of heart/friendship that was built with Callidus and Vis during the final few weeks of their training didn't feel as fully-fleshed out as other friendships - it did allow for her
The INTRIGUES. God, I could spend hours talking about the twists and the overarching mysteries and the double-crossings ... but I won't. Instead, I'll just start a countdown to when the next book comes out!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
aducharme4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Self harm, and Colonisation
cheye13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As someone who took Latin in high school because I thought it would help me write a fantasy novel in the future... I feel a kinship in this book somewhere.
I don't think this is as propulsive or inventive or riveting as most reviews I've seen claim. I struggled significantly with the visual/physical descriptions of settings and actions. The plot is trope-heavy/trope-forward, which isn't a bad thing, but telegraphed the "twists" rather clearly. I don't think the magic system played a very significant part in the main story (especially given that the students cannot use it).
Even so, I moderately enjoyed it. There's enough emotion and action to push through 600+ pages, and unlike most books of its size, I don't think it needed sharper editing. I was a little miffed at the final twist/series cliffhanger, as it seemed to be building toward it all novel, and it was exceptionally brief and confusing. But I do appreciate that it's more a set-up and thought-provoking twist than a time sensitive, conditional cliffhanger.
I don't think this is as propulsive or inventive or riveting as most reviews I've seen claim. I struggled significantly with the visual/physical descriptions of settings and actions. The plot is trope-heavy/trope-forward, which isn't a bad thing, but telegraphed the "twists" rather clearly. I don't think the magic system played a very significant part in the main story (especially given that the students cannot use it).
Even so, I moderately enjoyed it. There's enough emotion and action to push through 600+ pages, and unlike most books of its size, I don't think it needed sharper editing. I was a little miffed at the final twist/series cliffhanger, as it seemed to be building toward it all novel, and it was exceptionally brief and confusing. But I do appreciate that it's more a set-up and thought-provoking twist than a time sensitive, conditional cliffhanger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
ammah's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Went from me almost DNFing in the beginning to me bawling at the end 😭💔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Death of parent, and Colonisation
endlessly_jasmine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Well that was an absolutely incredible ride! James Islington, I doff my hat to you, sir.
The Will of the Many is my favorite book of 2024. (I know there's still two months left in the year, but I don't see myself reading anything that will top the masterpiece that is this novel.) In 600 pages, Islington developed an action-packed story full of unexpected twists and turns set in an immersive world with complex characters and a unique magic system. Every page of this novel was a treat; I found myself torn between trying to read it as fast as possible or trying to savor every word. As such, it took me about two weeks to finish the last 100 pages after flying through the first 500.
This novel was written so, so beautifully, and James Islington's attention to detail really shines through. All of the characters, including minor characters, are fleshed-out with complex motivations and personalities. There are no one-dimensional, evil-just-to-be-evil characters; everyone's actions influence and are influenced by the world and events happening around them. The magic system, which can best be described as a magical MLM system, forms the basis of the Hierarchy's social structure and adds another layer to the commentary on imperialism present throughout the novel. There are no awkward lulls in the pacing; everything feels intentional and relevant to the story.
Plot-wise, this book was a wild ride, and I enjoyed every word of it. Every twist was a sharp left at 90 miles per hour. I lost count of the number of times my jaw dropped. Truly an action-packed ride. 10/10, no notes.
While this entire book is fabulous, one area where it truly shines is its discussion of imperialism and the human costs of the Hierarchy's imperialist nature. Islington does not shy away from addressing the consequences of imperialism, especially as Vis moves into the social circles of the people directly responsible for the colonization of his people, the deaths of his family, and the erasure of his culture.
Islington wields that knife with devastating force, and duringthe time in Suus and Vis' return to his ancestral home , buries it deep and twists.
After the events of the ending (and epilogue), I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of Book 2, The Strength of the Few. I can't wait to see where this series goes in the future!
The Will of the Many is my favorite book of 2024. (I know there's still two months left in the year, but I don't see myself reading anything that will top the masterpiece that is this novel.) In 600 pages, Islington developed an action-packed story full of unexpected twists and turns set in an immersive world with complex characters and a unique magic system. Every page of this novel was a treat; I found myself torn between trying to read it as fast as possible or trying to savor every word. As such, it took me about two weeks to finish the last 100 pages after flying through the first 500.
This novel was written so, so beautifully, and James Islington's attention to detail really shines through. All of the characters, including minor characters, are fleshed-out with complex motivations and personalities. There are no one-dimensional, evil-just-to-be-evil characters; everyone's actions influence and are influenced by the world and events happening around them. The magic system, which can best be described as a magical MLM system, forms the basis of the Hierarchy's social structure and adds another layer to the commentary on imperialism present throughout the novel. There are no awkward lulls in the pacing; everything feels intentional and relevant to the story.
Plot-wise, this book was a wild ride, and I enjoyed every word of it. Every twist was a sharp left at 90 miles per hour. I lost count of the number of times my jaw dropped. Truly an action-packed ride. 10/10, no notes.
While this entire book is fabulous, one area where it truly shines is its discussion of imperialism and the human costs of the Hierarchy's imperialist nature. Islington does not shy away from addressing the consequences of imperialism, especially as Vis moves into the social circles of the people directly responsible for the colonization of his people, the deaths of his family, and the erasure of his culture.
Islington wields that knife with devastating force, and during
After the events of the ending (and epilogue), I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of Book 2, The Strength of the Few. I can't wait to see where this series goes in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, and Death of parent