A review by micareads123
The Will of the Many by James Islington

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This book has some great political intrigue with a wonderful Roman-inspired dark-academia setting. And the stakes are high! Higher than I anticipated. 

I can definitely understand all of the hype this book is getting. I loved it! I didn’t even care that it was over 600 pages long; I was gripped. This was an all-around very enjoyable read, and I’m really eager to read book 2. I need so many answers.

One of my favourite aspects of the book was the system of governance and the resulting political commentary. I loved the idea of the Hierarchy pyramid and the ceding of will, but I did find myself wishing for more of this aspect of the book, to see it better fleshed out. The plot instead relies heavily on its high-stakes nature to drive its momentum.

I also found this book did a little too much telling and not enough showing at times, but I forgave it that. I very much enjoyed the writing quality, the world, the characters and the plot. 

This is one of those books where the second book really has the potential to make it or break it. And I really hope it makes it 🤞🏻.