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A review by nishana
The Will of the Many by James Islington
dark
mysterious
4.5
wow. just wow.
i loved the protagonist of this book. vis is a character who is very calculative about how he conceals his past, and it's definitely helpful that he is very intelligent and skilled. it was a thrill watching him succeed through the academy.
vis's flaws definitely made the book all the more interesting to read. although he is a good actor, he progressively becomes more careless throughout the book when it comes to his secret. he also has a quick temper, which leads to some reckless incidents. i genuinely cannot wait to see everything fall apart eventually and the ramifications of all his secrets.
the relationships vis has with other characters were also a joy to read. in particular, i loved his friendships with callidus and eidhin. i love how the latter friendship had an very unconventional start. but eventually they grew close and as a result, we saw new sides of both vis and eidhin.
i also really enjoyed vis's bond with lanistia and although she was initially weary of him, she definitely grew to care for him. i'm definitely intrigued by her character and i'm excited to see more unfold about her past. also, i'm a lover of animal companions so vis and diago's bond definitely warmed my heart. i do hope we see more of them together.
we're entering potential spoiler territory here, but the way colonialism was shown through the story, was, for the most part, well-done. in the last quarter of the novel, when the details of vis's past become clearer, we see vis's reactions to colonisation and the unhealed trauma of his past. it all felt so raw and real and i deeply felt for what he was enduring. this point in the story also completely changed my perspective on the novel as a whole.
vis's relationship with emissa was an interesting one. initially, it just felt uninteresting and bland, but in the last quarter, when some details about vis's past were revealed (see the above paragraph), i began to heavily detest it. given the context of things, it just felt... wrong, even if it seemed fine on a surface level. that being said, by the end of the novel i'm actually quite content with the state of this relationship. if the direction of it goes the way i hope it does, i think it's a valuable addition to the story. as a reader, all i needed was a bit of patience.
my only main issue were some points in the story where vis acts as though he is above violence. it's a frustrating trope in scifi/fantasy, when protagonists act as though resisting without violence is the only correct way. it's only the early stages though, so i'm willing to be lenient on this just to see how the story may progress.
overall: this book was incredible. it definitely put me through a rollercoaster of emotions in that final quarter, but ultimately i loved it. and i cannot wait for the sequel.
i loved the protagonist of this book. vis is a character who is very calculative about how he conceals his past, and it's definitely helpful that he is very intelligent and skilled. it was a thrill watching him succeed through the academy.
vis's flaws definitely made the book all the more interesting to read. although he is a good actor, he progressively becomes more careless throughout the book when it comes to his secret. he also has a quick temper, which leads to some reckless incidents. i genuinely cannot wait to see everything fall apart eventually and the ramifications of all his secrets.
the relationships vis has with other characters were also a joy to read. in particular, i loved his friendships with callidus and eidhin. i love how the latter friendship had an very unconventional start. but eventually they grew close and as a result, we saw new sides of both vis and eidhin.
i also really enjoyed vis's bond with lanistia and although she was initially weary of him, she definitely grew to care for him. i'm definitely intrigued by her character and i'm excited to see more unfold about her past. also, i'm a lover of animal companions so vis and diago's bond definitely warmed my heart. i do hope we see more of them together.
we're entering potential spoiler territory here, but the way colonialism was shown through the story, was, for the most part, well-done. in the last quarter of the novel, when the details of vis's past become clearer, we see vis's reactions to colonisation and the unhealed trauma of his past. it all felt so raw and real and i deeply felt for what he was enduring. this point in the story also completely changed my perspective on the novel as a whole.
vis's relationship with emissa was an interesting one. initially, it just felt uninteresting and bland, but in the last quarter, when some details about vis's past were revealed (see the above paragraph), i began to heavily detest it. given the context of things, it just felt... wrong, even if it seemed fine on a surface level. that being said, by the end of the novel i'm actually quite content with the state of this relationship. if the direction of it goes the way i hope it does, i think it's a valuable addition to the story. as a reader, all i needed was a bit of patience.
my only main issue were some points in the story where vis acts as though he is above violence. it's a frustrating trope in scifi/fantasy, when protagonists act as though resisting without violence is the only correct way. it's only the early stages though, so i'm willing to be lenient on this just to see how the story may progress.
overall: this book was incredible. it definitely put me through a rollercoaster of emotions in that final quarter, but ultimately i loved it. and i cannot wait for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Suicide