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A review by cheye13
The Will of the Many by James Islington
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