Review by let_me_liv - The Will of the Many

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let_me_liv 's review for:

The Will of the Many by James Islington

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Wow wow wow wow wow
This was amazing.
The pacing of the book was great, but felt slow at the start. Every single chapter was (not in an annoying way!) a cliffhanger. More and more mysteries I needed to be solved unfurled. The ending was awesome and has me demanding book two be released.
I loved the way Vis’s backstory unfurled throughout the book. It was a trickle and then a pour. I wish it wasn’t a

secret prince

story, I’ve had enough of that trope, but you win some you lose some. Or in this case, you win all of them you lose maybe just this.
I thought the fight scenes were magnificent, the challenges felt satisfyingly frustrating, and every win felt like watching someone score a goal. I was rooting for Vis and

Callidus and Eidhim

and Aequa and

Emissa

and by the end

in the indicium when you realize it’s all a rouse,

I was rooting for EVERY student. I will say that plot arc did feel reminiscent of a school shooting. Just the whole, people coming in and killing us all and we need to team up. Anyways.
I’m usually not a fan for academic stories but got DAMN this was great. Felt like Harry Potter, not like a fight for academic success. Where all the important things happen outside of the classroom. We care about the grand implications, the importance on the scale of the country and Vis as a human being, not about the school.
Also, I LOVED the way the conflicting motivations of Vis’s background, Ulciscor’s quest, the Heirarchy itself, and the

Anguis’s rebellion

all molded together. It made me feel like Vis was stuck being a quadruple agent! It was amazing!

Absolutely recommend with the comment that this is a LONG book. It took me a WHILE to get through. I think it reads well one chapter at a time, though, if you’re that sort of reader.

Content Warnings