martinmartian 's review for:

The Will of the Many by James Islington

4.5

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Rating is more accurately a 4.5. Oh man. This book was so outstanding, I barely have any idea on how to summarize all my feelings into this review. Islington creates such a rich and unique world that has a science fiction/fantasy twist on the Roman empire and culture. There are so many times that I was reading this book and felt like no time had passed. Islington truly finds a way to make you feel deeply about all of the characters you meet, even the ones who you don’t trust. We follow Vis, a young and spunky man trying to hide his identity and navigate a society he wants nothing to do with. Unfortunately, he finds himself sucked right into it and tasked with doing a deep and dangerous investigation that will push him morally, mentally, and physically. Vis is equally lucky as he is unlucky, and his story is very intense. The book is enjoyable from beginning to end but the last few chapters are insane. I cannot wait to read the second book which comes out this November. The main reason this book is a 4.5 and not a 5 is because Vis does receive a lot of “special boy treatment”. There are several things Vis managed to do or get away with that are set up as impossible, including constantly outdoing more experienced individuals around him. This wouldn’t be a problem for me- I’ve read plenty of books, especially fantasies- that give their main character special treatment. However, Vis rarely seems to face what I would consider lasting consequences where others in his position would. That being said, this book is truly something special. I can’t wait to see whats in store for us in the next book.