Scan barcode
A review by arthur_jameson
The Will of the Many by James Islington
5.0
Roman inspired, pseudo academia, found family, survivor-raised-by-the-enemy type of book with an incredible unique magic system that is honestly more interesting as a piece of worldbuilding and culture than it is as magic.
For the first time since the Red Wedding, a scene made me shut the book in horror.
On a prose level, it’s nothing flowery or dense. It’s very intimate, with a rich, distinctive voice that fits its first person POV. It helps immensely that Vis Telimus is probably one of the best protagonists I’ve read in recent years. The twists make sense if you pay close attention, and there are some that the book masterfully makes you wish you had seen coming.
Given the ending, and the plot threads left open for the sequel, James Islington hasn’t just earned my Day 1 pickup of the next book, I’m now more inclined than ever to read his debut trilogy.
Easily top 3 books I’ve read this year.
For the first time since the Red Wedding, a scene made me shut the book in horror.
On a prose level, it’s nothing flowery or dense. It’s very intimate, with a rich, distinctive voice that fits its first person POV. It helps immensely that Vis Telimus is probably one of the best protagonists I’ve read in recent years. The twists make sense if you pay close attention, and there are some that the book masterfully makes you wish you had seen coming.
Given the ending, and the plot threads left open for the sequel, James Islington hasn’t just earned my Day 1 pickup of the next book, I’m now more inclined than ever to read his debut trilogy.
Easily top 3 books I’ve read this year.