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A review by looseleafellie
The Will of the Many by James Islington
adventurous
tense
5.0
Most of the books I read quickly are quite short. So imagine my surprise when I discovered The Will of the Many by James Islington — a chonky tome indeed, but I gobbled it up in short order!
In a Roman-inspired world, the powerful thrive by draining Will from lower classes. Vis, the orphaned prince of a conquered kingdom, keeps his head down and hides his identity for his safety. Having never undergone the procedure to give or take Will, he yearns to be free of the empire.
When a senator takes an interest in Vis’s inability to be affected by Will, they strike a deal: Vis will be adopted as the Senator’s son and attend an elite academy, and if he does well, he can graduate and take a posting far away from the center of empire. In return, Vis will unravel the academy’s secrets and report back to the Senator. But as Vis uncovers the truth, he realizes he — and the world — are in more danger than he suspected.
This book contains loads of things I love in fantasy novels: mysteries, an academy, competitions, political intrigue, and twists galore! Every chapter brought a new challenge, reveal, or complication. I also loved the complex themes of power, complicity, and rebellion.
Vis admittedly has a case of Main Character Syndrome, but I was enthralled by his adventures. I never doubted his intelligence and skill would help him see things through, but I was fascinated to see how he would overcome seemingly impossible challenges.
The ending of this book was WILD, and left me gasping for the sequel! Annoyingly, there is no release date yet, so I must simply huff and puff as I try to wait patiently. And convince everyone else to read the first book too!
Spice level: None.
Content warnings: Imperialism, mass murder, blood/gore, torture, indentured servitude, suicide, grief, bullying, animal harm, mentions of misogyny and homophobia.
In a Roman-inspired world, the powerful thrive by draining Will from lower classes. Vis, the orphaned prince of a conquered kingdom, keeps his head down and hides his identity for his safety. Having never undergone the procedure to give or take Will, he yearns to be free of the empire.
When a senator takes an interest in Vis’s inability to be affected by Will, they strike a deal: Vis will be adopted as the Senator’s son and attend an elite academy, and if he does well, he can graduate and take a posting far away from the center of empire. In return, Vis will unravel the academy’s secrets and report back to the Senator. But as Vis uncovers the truth, he realizes he — and the world — are in more danger than he suspected.
This book contains loads of things I love in fantasy novels: mysteries, an academy, competitions, political intrigue, and twists galore! Every chapter brought a new challenge, reveal, or complication. I also loved the complex themes of power, complicity, and rebellion.
Vis admittedly has a case of Main Character Syndrome, but I was enthralled by his adventures. I never doubted his intelligence and skill would help him see things through, but I was fascinated to see how he would overcome seemingly impossible challenges.
The ending of this book was WILD, and left me gasping for the sequel! Annoyingly, there is no release date yet, so I must simply huff and puff as I try to wait patiently. And convince everyone else to read the first book too!
Spice level: None.
Content warnings: Imperialism, mass murder, blood/gore, torture, indentured servitude, suicide, grief, bullying, animal harm, mentions of misogyny and homophobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide and Grief
Minor: Homophobia and Misogyny