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

adventurous dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

final rating: 5/5 💙

allow me to open up this review with this absolute banger of a book intro:

I am dangling, and it is only my father’s blood-slicked grip around my wrist that stops me from falling.

He is on his stomach, stretched out over the rocky ledge. His muscles are corded. Sticky red covers his face, his arms, his clothes, everything I can see. Yet I know he can pull me up. I do everything I can not to struggle. I trust him to save me.

He looks over my shoulder. Into the inky black. Into the darkness that is to come. 

“Courage,” he whispers. He pours heartbreak and hope into the word. 

He lets go.

reading this again as i still ponder about the beautiful world islington created has made me realize: this isn’t just any opening. this is a omg-i-will-never-read-books-the-same-way beginning. this is a why-did-i-not-read-this-book-earlier beginning. this is a sob-inducing, eye-opening, swoon-worthy—

well, i think you get the point now.

on many levels, the will of the many is a masterpeice—a work of art, really. beautiful writing and amazing pacing, with characters that’ll make your heart melt, story that’ll blow your mind, AND ending that’ll make you cry your eyes out????

speaking of endings… y’all should’ve seen the way i sobbed at the ending of this book. it should be illegal to end a book that way, that’s all i’m gonna say 😭 book 2 can’t come out quick enough!!!!!