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

2.75

Islington has created a fascinating world with a brutal magic system and complex politics…and then wasted it by assuming his readers are too dense to understand those politics. The fist person narrator spells out not only every emotion and thought for himself, but also every for other character as well. For example, when a character finishes giving a moving speech about his own backstory and what he’s about to do next, the narrator notes, “He wants me to note it’s not because of anything I’ve done….but he’s not going to budge.” Islington clearly doesn’t trust the reader to read the subtext in any of the dialogue or actions of the characters. This didn’t have to be a 600 page novel; it’s only this long because he has to rephrase every thought and motivation in every conversation.